Nathan Eovaldi pitched seven strong innings as the Texas Rangers defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 7-1 Saturday night in Arlington, Texas. to increase their lead over the defending American League West champions to 2 1/2 games.

The top three batters in Texas’ order — Joc Pederson, Wyatt Langford and Ezequiel Duran — went a combined 8-for-13 with three doubles, a triple, three RBIs and four runs. The Rangers have won the first two games of the four-game series.

Eovaldi allowed one run on three hits — a one-out single by J.P. Crawford in the third then a two-out single by Luke Raley followed by a double to right by Crawford to score Seattle’s lone run in the fifth. The veteran right-hander walked one and struck out eight.

The Rangers scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the second against Seattle’s Bryan Woo (7-7), whose road woes continued.

In the first, Langford lined a one-out double to right field and Duran followed with a liner that eluded a diving center fielder Raley and rolled all the way to the wall for a run-scoring triple. Following a walk to Brandon Nimmo, Evan Carter doubled down the left field line to score Duran. Nicky Lopez’s groundout to short scored the third run.

Woo retired the first two batters in the second on a total of three pitchers before Pederson grounded a single to right and stole second. Langford hit a run-scoring double to left and Duran lined an RBI single to center to make it 5-0.

Woo gave up five runs on nine hits over five innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. The right-hander dropped to 1-7 in away games this season with a 6.52 ERA.

The Rangers added two runs in the seventh. Carter drew a two-out walk off Cole Wilcox, who was replaced by Nick Davila. Carter advanced to second on a balk and Lopez walked. Alejandro Osuna doubled to center, scoring both runners.

–Field Level Media

Kyle Tucker homered for a second straight game and Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just a run over six innings Saturday for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won their fourth straight game by beating the host New York Mets 4-3.

The Dodgers outfielder, who on Friday went deep for the first time since June 27, led off the third with a 392-foot shot off Nolan McLean (7-7) that hit the right field foul pole.

Andy Pages (1-for-4) drove in two, and Freddie Freeman had three singles in four at-bats for the Dodgers.

Bo Bichette went 2-for-5, and Tyrone Taylor hit a pinch-hit, two-run double for the Mets.

Yamamoto (11-6) could not match his last start, a complete-game victory last Sunday against the New York Yankees. Still, he was able to secure his eighth win in his last 10 starts. The right-hander struck out five against five hits and three walks.

The Dodgers staked Yamamoto to a three-run lead in the third thanks to Tucker’s power and some errant Mets defensive play. First baseman Brett Baty threw wild after fielding a Shohei Ohtani chopper. Rather than starting a possible inning-ending double play, it gave the Dodgers runners at the corners.

Pages grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice, and then went to third on a Freeman single and scored on a passed ball by catcher Francisco Alvarez.

McLean went six innings, and only two of the four runs he allowed were earned. The Dodgers got seven hits and two walks off the righty, who struck out seven.

Pages added to the lead in the fifth with a single to right that scored Teoscar Hernandez, who led off the frame with a double.

The Mets, who have lost three straight, were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base. They got two runners on base against Yamamoto three times but only capitalized once, when Bo Bichette’s two-out single got Baty home in the fifth.

Dodgers reliever Edgardo Hernandez hit Carson Benge and walked Luis Robert Jr. to start the eighth. He retired the next two before giving way to Tanner Scott. Taylor welcomed him with his two-bagger to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Brock Stewart threw a perfect ninth to record his third career save, the first for the 34-year-old right-hander since 2023.

–Field Level Media

Minnesota United goalkeeper Drake Callender made five saves in a 0-0 draw with the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night at Saint Paul, Minn.

The performance was a big upgrade for the United, who were blown out by Vancouver earlier this season.

Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped three shots, but the Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) remained winless in two matches since returning to action this month.

Even though there was improvement, Minnesota (6-6-5, 23 points) had its winless streak grow to six matches (0-3-3).

United forward Mamadou Dieng compiled a match-high three shots on goal.

Despite a nice advantage in possession for the Whitecaps (60.3%), they weren’t crisp and that cost them repeatedly when they were attempting to push forward.

Each team produced two shots on goal in the scoreless first half. Later, there were rushes for both teams in the added time, but nothing that mounted to a breakthrough. Vancouver finished with 11 shots, five on target, to 10 and 3 for Minnesota.

The Whitecaps, who dropped Wednesday’s outing at Cincinnati by 4-3 following the layoff for the World Cup, have been shut out in two of their last four matches.

The Whitecaps drubbed visiting Minnesota 6-0 in March.

–Field Level Media