The Texas Rangers scored seven runs but the Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs in ten innings.
For the second time this homestand, the Rangers trailed by a run heading into the ninth and for the second time, one of their portly power hitters tied the game. This time it was Rowdy Tellez who helped Nathan Eovaldi wiggle off the hook from his worst outing in basically a calendar year.
Before Joc Pederson’s ninth inning game-tying homer in the homestand opener against New York fed into a Josh Jung extra innings winner, the Rangers hadn’t even finished a comeback from as many as three runs down in a game this season. Tonight, they made it all the way back from a 5-0 and 6-1 deficit.
Eovaldi, who was nails in last outing and legendarily great all season, was suddenly homer prone tonight. A five inning, five run, three dinger outing saw Eovaldi’s ERA balloon to 1.71 on the year. Still excellent, sure, but also nearly half a run worse than when the evening began and it put the Rangers in a 5-0 hole through three innings.
Maybe seeing their best hurler struggle was a wakeup call for Texas as they got busy on the comeback trail with a run in the third and four more in the sixth. Still, down a run, it seemed like the Rangers were going to just do exactly enough to lose before Tellez tied the game to lead off the ninth.
After failing to get the winner in in the ninth, fellow big man Jake Burger delivered the walk-off in the tenth to complete the thrilling comeback.
Player of the Game: Take your pick from a bushel of big men!
Up Next: The Rangers will play the Diamondbacks again tomorrow night with RHP Jack Leiter expected to make the start for Texas opposite RHP Anthony DeSclafani for Arizona.
The Tuesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.