Will Warren entered Wednesday's start against the Texas Rangers with a sparkling 2.39 ERA and the seventh-highest strikeout rate in the majors over his first seven outings of the season. But baseball has a way of humbling even the most promising arms, and the Rangers reminded everyone of that at Yankee Stadium.
The right-hander was roughed up for six earned runs over just four innings as New York fell 6-1, snapping a five-game winning streak. Warren surrendered seven hits, walked three, and struck out seven on 90 pitches—a stat line that looked far different from his early-season dominance.
The trouble started early. Corey Seager launched a two-out solo home run in the first inning to put Texas on the board. The Rangers struck again in the third when Warren issued a leadoff walk, setting the stage for Ezequiel Duran's RBI double to the gap. Moments later, Evan Carter crushed a two-run homer, making it 4-0 and shifting the momentum decisively in Texas' favor.
Warren's command issues resurfaced in the fourth. Two more walks led to a sacrifice fly from Duran and an RBI single from Seager, effectively ending the young pitcher's night. When the dust settled, his ERA had ballooned from 2.39 to 3.46—a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the mound.
On the other side, the Yankees' offense had no answer for old friend Nathan Eovaldi. The former Yankee delivered a masterful performance, allowing just one run on three hits over eight dominant innings. He walked none and struck out eight on 101 pitches, silencing the Bronx crowd.
The only blemish on Eovaldi's night came in the sixth inning when Aaron Judge crushed his 15th home run of the season, a solo shot that provided a brief glimmer of hope. But it was too little, too late for the Bombers, who managed just three hits total.
Wednesday marked the second time in as many starts that Eovaldi has stifled the Yankees. He also held them scoreless over seven innings on April 29 in Arlington. For a pitcher who once called New York home, he's been making quite the statement against his former team.