It was a tough night in the Bronx as the Yankees fell to the Texas Rangers 6-1 on Wednesday, snapping any momentum they had built in the series. Rookie right-hander Will Warren finally hit a speed bump in what had been a promising season, while the bats went quiet against a familiar foe.
For Warren, this was his first real clunker of the year. The young pitcher had been cruising, but the Rangers jumped on him early and never let up. Corey Seager wasted no time, launching a 3-0 pitch over the right-field wall in the first inning to put Texas up 1-0. Warren managed to escape a jam in the second, striking out Andrew McCutchen with runners on base, but the third inning was his undoing. A leadoff walk to Brandon Nimmo came back to haunt him when Ezequiel Duran ripped a double to drive him in. Three batters later, Evan Carter crushed a hanging sweeper over the right-field wall, making it 4-0 Rangers.
Warren’s night ended after four innings—his shortest outing of the season—having allowed six runs on seven hits. He struck out seven but walked three, tying a season high. It was the first time all year he’d allowed more than two earned runs in a start, a reminder that even the most promising arms have off nights.
On the other side, Nathan Eovaldi continued his personal reign of terror over his former team. The veteran right-hander had already shut the Yankees down for seven scoreless innings last week, and Wednesday was more of the same. He cruised through 5.2 innings without allowing a run until Aaron Judge—who else?—crushed his league-leading 15th home run of the season. That solo shot briefly gave the home crowd something to cheer about, but it was too little, too late.
Eovaldi finished with eight dominant innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out eight. Over his last two starts against the Yankees, he’s allowed a single run across 15 innings. That’s the kind of performance that makes you tip your cap, even if it stings for the home team.
The Yankees managed just three hits all night, a stark contrast to the explosive offense fans have come to expect. With the bats silenced and Warren’s first stumble of the season, it was a night to forget in the Bronx—but one that offers lessons as the season rolls on.