Nathan Eovaldi and Dustin Harris power Rangers to 8-0, season-ending sweep of Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven scoreless innings, Dustin Harris had a homer and two-run double in his second MLB game and the defending champion Texas Rangers closed out their season with an 8-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Nathaniel Lowe also homered and Josh Smith drove in two runs for the Rangers, who were eliminated from postseason contention Sept. 20. Texas finished the season with its first sweep of a three-game series since late August, against the Chicago White Sox.

The Rangers finished 78-84, one season after going 90-72 and charging through the postseason on the way to their first World Series title in franchise history.

“We have work to do,” said Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who twice won a World Series with the San Francisco Giants, failed to repeat then won a title the following season. “It's not a lot of fun watching the celebrations (of other teams). We have to come in ready to go next spring. We will make some adjustments and have a lot of work to do and not just on one thing but all facets of the game.”

Angels rookie starter Jack Kochanowicz (2-6) gave up three runs on six hits over seven innings in the 11th start of his career after making his big league debut July 11. The Angels finished with the most losses in franchise history at 63-99 after going 73-89 last season.

“We’ve already planned on what we need to do and then we’ll go to work,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. "It didn’t turn out the way we wanted to, losing 99 games. But there was a lot of fun and growth that happened. Some guys realized they can and some guys realized they have a long way to go. But there’s going to be some progress moving forward into ’25, I have no doubt about it.”

Texas scored first when Lowe hit a leadoff double to center in the fourth and Jonah Heim knocked him in one batter later with a single to left.

Harris delivered a two-run double in the seventh inning to right field on his first career hit for a 3-0 lead.

The Angels nearly broke through in the seventh, but Matt Thaiss was thrown out at home by Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford. Thaiss was trying to score from second on a single by Michael Stefanic.

In the eighth inning, Langford led off with a single before Lowe homered to right, his 16th of the season, for a 5-0 advantage. Lowe had five hits and five RBIs over the last two games of the season.

Harris’ first career home run, in the ninth inning off Roansy Contreras, just cleared the wall in right field. Smith added a two-run double later in the inning off Contreras.

“That's the moment I have been training for my whole life and it was pretty surreal; it was fun,” Harris said of the homer.

Eovaldi (12-8) gave up four hits over seven innings, with a walk and five strikeouts. Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts, and David Robertson handled the ninth inning, closing out the 12th shutout of the season for Texas.

Like Andrew Heaney, who started for the Rangers on Saturday, Eovaldi's contract is set to expire and he might have pitched his last game in a Texas uniform.

“I've been in this situation before and we all understand how the business side of things work,” Eovaldi said, complimenting the vision of president of baseball operations Chris Young. “We were able to win a World Series together and I think that's the main thing that it always comes down to. We'll always be in touch. We'll always be rooting for one another.”

The Angels drew a crowd of 35,145 for the season finale and finished the season at 2,577,597, slightly down from their total attendance of 2,640,575 in 2023.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Spring training opener, Feb. 21 vs. Royals at Surprise, Arizona.

Angels: Spring training opener, Feb. 22 vs. Mariners at Tempe, Arizona.

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

Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Texas Rangers' Leody Taveras steals second as Los Angeles Angels shortstop Jack López reaches for the ball during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Los Angeles Angels' Jack López throws from second base as Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim is out in a double play during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe is congratulated after driven in by Jonah Heim during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Los Angeles Angels' pitcher Jack Kochanowicz delivers in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

Texas Rangers' Dustin Harris is congratulated for his RBI double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/John McCoy)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a 3-1 start that has them in a position to chase a fourth consecutive NFC South title.

“We had a good quarter, and that’s all it is," coach Todd Bowles said Sunday after Baker Mayfield accounted for three touchdowns and the Bucs sacked Jalen Hurts six times in a 33-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The season is four quarters,” Bowles added. "We’ve got three more quarters to go and we’ve got to show up and play like that every quarter.”

Mayfield threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, while Mike Evans became the Buccaneers' career scoring leader in dominating the rematch of a lopsided NFC wild-card game they won 32-9 against the injury-riddled Eagles (2-2) last January.

Rebounding from a poor performance in a loss to Denver the previous week, Mayfield completed 30 of 47 passes without an interception and the offense scored a touchdown on its opening possession for the first time in 21 games. Evans' 2-yard scoring reception finished the 10-play, 79-yard drive that set the tone for the Bucs, who outgained the Eagles 254 yards to zero in building a 24-0 lead.

“Wanted to get (previous week’s) taste out of our mouth, for sure,” Mayfield said. "Started fast because the guys were just locked in. We came out with a hair-on-fire mentality. Everybody was locked in on what the plan was and we executed. That needs to be the case every week. That’s how we need to start.”

Evans, who finished with eight receptions for 94 yards, moved ahead of Martin Gramatica (592) into first place on Tampa Bay's scoring list with 596. Mayfield also threw a first-quarter TD pass to Trey Palmer and scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal to make it 21-0 early in the second quarter.

The Bucs held a 287-67 edge in yardage at halftime, with most of Philadelphia's offense coming on a 14-play drive that Hurts finished with a 1-yard TD throw to Parris Campbell.

Tampa Bay ran 22 plays in Eagles territory before the Philadelphia offense finally crossed the 50-yard line in the second quarter. But despite the huge disparity statistically, the Eagles managed to get back into the game after Saquon Barkley began the second half with a 59-yard run to the Bucs 11.

That set up a 1-yard TD run by Hurts that cut into a 24-7 halftime deficit. The Eagles gave themselves a little more hope when Kelee Ringo scooped up a blocked extra-point kick on Tampa Bay's next touchdown and raced to the other end of the field for a defensive two-point conversion that trimmed the Bucs' lead to 30-16.

Hurts took the kickoff and moved the Eagles to the Bucs 19 before linebacker Lavonte David sacked him, forcing a fumble that essentially ended the chance for a successful comeback.

“I think overall I just have to play better,” said Hurts, who played without injured starting receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as right tackle Lane Johnson. "It starts with me in terms of getting into the end zone and leading drives. The only thing I can say, I’ve got to be better.”

Tampa Bay finished with six sacks after only having two through the first three games. Hurts dropped to 1-4 in five career starts against the Bucs, including a pair of playoff losses.

Barkley rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries. Hurts finished 18 of 30 for 150 yards and no interceptions.

“We didn’t play well enough, and that’s always going to start with me. If we go out there and lay an egg and we’re down 24-0, that’s going to start on me," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was back at Raymond James Stadium as part of the FOX television broadcast crew. He played the final three seasons of his career with the Bucs, leading Tampa Bay to one Super Bowl title and a pair of NFC South championships before retiring after the 2022 season. Brady stood in the broadcast booth and acknowledged cheering fans when the Bucs officially welcomed him back during the two-minute warning in the first half.

Eagles: Besides Brown (hamstring), Smith (concussion) and Johnson (concussion), LB Devin White (personal matter) also was inactive. S Reed Blankenship (illness) sat out the second half. DT Jalen Carter and C Cam Jurgens (cramps) missed time in the fourth quarter as the temperature on the field exceeded 100 degrees.

Buccaneers: All-Pro S Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot), DL Calijah Kancey (calf) and RT Luke Goedeke (concussion) were inactive. ... Palmer left the game late in the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. ... LB SirVocea Dennis (shoulder) departed in the second quarter and did not return.

Eagles: Bye week before hosting Cleveland on Oct. 13.

Buccaneers: At NFC South rival Atlanta on Thursday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, from left, celebrates with Kenneth Gainwell, and Dallas Goedert after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts (1) tries to get past Tampa Bay Buccaneers' William Gholston (92) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, right, and Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts meet after an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ben Stille reacts after recovering a fumble during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, right, is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles' Josh Sweat during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts, right, is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Chris Braswell during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Sterling Shepard, right, catches a pass against Philadelphia Eagles' Quinyon Mitchell during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)