Eovaldi shuts down streaking Yankees again as Rangers win 6-1 to stop slide

NEW YORK (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi cooled off the New York Yankees for the second time in eight days, and the Texas Rangers got early home runs from Corey Seager and Evan Carter in a 6-1 victory Wednesday night.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-high 15th homer for the Yankees, who had won five straight games and 15 of 17. But right-hander Will Warren (4-1) was tagged for six runs and seven hits while throwing 90 pitches over four innings, a rare clunker for a New York rotation that began the day leading the majors with a 2.77 ERA.

Eovaldi, on the other hand, struck out a season-best eight and walked none in eight efficient innings, firing 72 of his 101 pitches for strikes.

Ezequiel Duran, a one-time Yankees farmhand, drove in two runs with a double and a sacrifice fly as Texas won for the third time in nine games. The 36-year-old Eovaldi (4-4) allowed three hits against his former team after tossing seven innings of four-hit ball in a 3-0 win over New York on April 29 at home.

Each splendid outing snapped a three-game slide for Texas. In between, the Yankees scored 46 runs while going 5-0 against the Orioles and Rangers.

New York had won eight in a row at home.

Eovaldi became the first Rangers pitcher to last longer than seven innings this year and improved to 5-2 with a 2.22 ERA in his last 11 starts against the Yankees since April 8, 2022.

Seager homered to the short porch in right field on a 3-0 fastball in the first. Brandon Nimmo drew an eight-pitch walk leading off the third and scored from first base on Duran's double. With two outs, Carter sent a two-run drive off the facing of the second deck in right.

Jake Burger's leadoff single and consecutive one-out walks by Warren led to Duran's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the fourth. Seager made it 6-0 with an RBI single.

Warren struck out seven and walked three. It was the first time in eight starts this season he permitted more than two earned runs.

Texas and New York succeeded on their first seven ABS challenges to calls by plate umpire Quinn Wolcott, then lost their final two.

LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-2, 4.67 ERA) pitches the series finale Thursday afternoon for Texas. RHP Paul Blackburn (1-1, 3.21) makes his first start for the Yankees after 17 relief appearances since they signed him in August 2025. LHP Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.03) was pushed back following an illness this week.

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

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge reacts after striking out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Texas Rangers' Corey Seager runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Texas Rangers' Corey Seager hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Texas Rangers' Evan Carter, right, celebrates with Ezequiel Duran after they scored on a two-run home run by Carter during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Texas Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joey Cantillo and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, Chase DeLauter hit a go-ahead, two-run single and the Cleveland Guardians beat Kansas City 3-1 to stop their three-game skid and the Royals' five-game winning streak.

Kansas City starter Cole Ragans left after three scoreless innings because of left triceps and elbow soreness.

Cantillo (2-1) allowed one run, three hits and three walks in five innings. Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis combined for three hitless innings and Cade Smith worked around Vinnie Pasquantino's one-out single for his ninth save in 11 chances.

The game ended after a 1-2 curveball to Isaac Collins on the inside corner that initially was ruled a ball by plate umpire Edwin Moscoso. Catcher Austin Hedges challenged and the ABS changed the decision to a called third strike. Six of eight challenges in the game were successful.

Salvador Perez put Kansas City ahead with a third-inning sacrifice fly that scored Bobby Witt Jr. but DeLauter hit a two-run single in the fifth off Luinder Avila (0-2). David Fry added a run-scoring groundout in the eighth.

Cleveland went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Guardians RHP Slade Cecconi (1-4, 6.56 ERA) and Royals RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.68) start Thursday's finale of the four-game series.

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

Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin slides home to score on a two-run single hit by Chase DeLauter during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter watches his two-run single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino catches a fly ball for the out on Cleveland Guardians' Rhys Hoskins during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin slides home to score on a two-run single hit by Chase DeLauter during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)