The Texas Rangers have advanced to the American League Division Series after a 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon.
The Rangers offense jumped all over Tampa Bay starter Zach Eflin for four runs in five innings, and Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi delivered the second straight quality start for the Rangers pitching.
Outfielder Adolis Garcia started the scoring with a solo home run to lead off the top of the fourth inning. The Rangers went on to score four runs in the inning as their young hitters stepped up with two outs. Leody Taveras continued the inning with a single and scored on a Josh Jung triple, while Evan Carter followed with a two-run shot of his own, marking the rookie’s first postseason homer.
Nathaniel Lowe knocked in another run in the fifth, and Jung, Marcus Semien, and Corey Seager all doubled to make it a 7-0 game.
Tampa finally got to Eovaldi in the seventh, using back-to-back singles to put two runners on with one out and a two-out RBI single from Curtis Mead to knock Eovaldi out of the game. He finished with eight strikeouts and one earned run allowed in six-and-two-thirds innings.
Josh Sborz came out of the bullpen and got Junior Caminero to fly out to left field to end the inning. He retired all three batters he faced in the eighth.
Tampa put runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the ninth as it tried to mount a rally, but Jose LeClerc struck out Manuel Margot and Mead to end the game and clinch a sweep for the Rangers.
Texas has won two in a row after entering the playoffs on a six-game postseason losing streak.
Texas eliminates Tampa Bay and will face the Baltimore Orioles (101-61) in a best-of-five series in the ALDS. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at noon CT in Baltimore.