Eovaldi pitches 7 scoreless innings, Lowe hits pair of 2-run homers as Texas blanks Padres 7-0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed one hit over seven innings, Nathaniel Lowe hit a pair of two-run homers and the Texas Rangers ended their 11-game losing streak to the San Diego Padres with a 7-0 win on Tuesday night.

Eovaldi (5-3) struck out six while retiring 21 of 22 batters. The right-hander threw 61 of his 92 pitches for strikes.

“He was great. That's the guy that he wants to be for us every time he gets the ball,” Lowe said. “Beautiful. That's what he does.”

Jonathan Hernández gave up a hit over the final two innings to wrap up the Rangers' eighth shutout this season. San Diego, which had won nine of its previous 11 games, was held scoreless for the sixth time.

Texas snapped what had been its longest losing streak against a single opponent in franchise history, and dated to September 2018. It was San Diego’s most consecutive wins against another team, and MLB’s longest active streak.

San Diego’s only hit off Eovaldi was a single to right on a first-pitch cutter to No. 9 hitter Bryce Johnson, a .167 hitter, with two outs in the third.

That was two batters after Ha-Seong Kim’s grounder deflected off third baseman Jonathan Ornelas. Shortstop Josh Smith was running forward when he made a bare-handed pick off the one hop and threw in one motion to get the batter out at first.

“We had some really good defensive plays behind me, so that always helps,” Eovaldi said. “Whenever we’re able to score first, my job is to keep it at bay and try not to let them get back in the game. ... Once we get a big enough lead, you kind of switch into that attack mode even more.”

Lowe put Texas up 2-0 when he pulled a pitch from Dylan Cease (7-7) into the seats in right field in the first inning. Lowe went the opposite way in the third, a 383-foot homer that just cleared the wall in left for a 5-0 lead.

It was Lowe's fifth career multihomer game, his first in three years and a day. It was also his third game in a row with multiple hits, and sixth in an 11-game span when he has 12 RBIs.

Leody Taveras had a pair of doubles, the first one driving in a run. He scored after the other one when Marcus Semien snapped an 0-for-18 slide with a bloop single that made it 6-0 in the fourth. Taveras walked leading off the sixth and scored when Ornelas doubled for his first career RBI.

Cease allowed six runs on eight hits, six for extra bases, in 3 2/3 innings that matched his shortest start of the season. He struck out five and walked two.

“I didn’t execute well,” Cease said. “Really didn’t get anything going, didn’t give us a chance. So not a good night.”

Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, who could be back in Texas in two weeks for the All-Star Game, was 0 for 3 to end his 13-game hitting streak. That had matched his career best, set in 2016 with Texas.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: Manager Mike Shildt said 2B Xander Bogaerts (left shoulder fracture) had favorable reports about his latest CT scan and is close to starting a rehab assignment. Bogaerts got hurt May 20 when diving for a ball when playing the field. ... C Luis Campusano (left thumb bruise) was set to catch for Class A Lake Elsinore after being the designated hitter Monday in his first rehab game.

Rangers: SS Corey Seager was out of the lineup for the second game in a row since getting hit by a pitch on his left wrist Saturday. ... RHP Tyler Mahle pitched two scoreless innings for Triple-A Round Rock in his first rehab start since Tommy John surgery in May 2023. He threw 12 of his 19 pitches for strikes against Sugar Land.

UP NEXT

Rangers right-hander Jon Gray (3-4, 3.77 ERA) has 12 career wins against the Padres, his most against any team. Right-hander Adam Mazur (1-2, 7.25) makes his sixth career start for San Diego.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, right, of South Korea, watches from the dugout with teammate Joe Musgrove during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) asks for a clarification of a call by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez (72) during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, right, gets a congratulatory hand from teammate catcher Jonah Heim (28) after the third out during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

A broken bat flies past San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (84) during the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers Nathaniel Lowe, left, is congratulated by third base coach Tony Beasley (27) as Lowe rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Rangers Josh Smith also scored on the play. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Rangers Nathaniel Lowe hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Texas Rangers Josh Smith also scored on the play. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

It appears the high-energy, heavy-metal soccer that brought Jurgen Klopp so much success at Liverpool isn't going to disappear now that he has gone.

Arne Slot was presented as Klopp's successor as Liverpool manager on Friday and the 45-year-old Dutchman said he wasn't planning to change too much.

“I think one of the reasons why (Liverpool) came to me was my playing style is not so much different,” said Slot, who left Dutch club Feyenoord after three seasons in charge. “We both like the fans to come into the stadium and see a team that plays with a lot of energy, plays good football and that’s the thing I’m focused on most.”

Richard Hughes, Liverpool's new sporting director who identified Slot as the ideal replacement for Klopp, said the new manager's playing style “lend really well with the kind of squad we have, the supporters and the football club as a whole.”

“That philosophy, that playing style that attracted us to Arne is based on subjective footballing opinion and data,” said Hughes, who was sitting next to Slot at the news conference at Anfield. "In all the metrics, Arne’s Feyenoord team came out really well.

“The way they played with a real front-foot, attacking football, with intentions, with passion, they are attributes we welcome here at Liverpool.”

Klopp was Liverpool's manager for nine years, in which time he won its first league title since 1990, the Champions League and five other major trophies in his time at the Merseyside club.

Klopp also forged such a connection with the port city that he has been compared to Bill Shankly, the club’s most legendary manager.

Slot said there is excitement more than trepidation in following in Klopp's footsteps.

“I think you can look at it both ways — yes, they are big shoes to fill but you also inherit a squad and a team that has a winning culture,” he said. "I do feel we have a really good team and squad and as a manager, you want to work at a club where there are good players with the opportunity to win something.

“And the past has shown there is a possibility for Liverpool to win some trophies. I think you look at it as being the successor of someone really successful, but I look at that as ideal because there is an opportunity to win something.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot, left, shakes hands with sporting director Richard Hughes at the AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, England, Friday, July 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot holds a team jersey during a photocall at the AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, England, Friday, July 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot holds a team jersey during a photocall at the AXA Training Centre, Liverpool, England, Friday, July 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)