Talk about a one-two punch for the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Nathan Eovaldi took care of business on the mound while Jake Burger raked at the plate as the Rangers defeated the Athletics 8-1 on Monday night at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif.

Burger smoked a couple of home runs out of the park to set up the Rangers for a big night at the plate. Meanwhile, Eovaldi worked seven innings and kept the Athletics in check.

It was a masterful way to start a three-game series at the Athletics' temporary home. They'll be moving to Las Vegas in 2028. Maybe they wanted to already be in their new ballpark after what happened on Monday night.

How good was Eovaldi? He allowed three hits, all singles, and did not even have an Athletics runner reach third base.

Yes, he was that good in the Northern California night air.

But the Rangers' bats also are part of this story.

Burger smacked a three-run home run with one out in the top of the first inning. Evan Carter and Corey Seager scored ahead of Burger, putting Texas up 3-0 early.

Burger then hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth, giving him four homers this season. That extended Texas' lead to 4-0.

The Rangers added four runs in the top of the eighth, taking a commanding 8-0 lead. The Athletics' lone run was on Lawrence Butler's solo home run in the bottom of the eighth.

Eovaldi is now 2-2 on the season. Luis Severino took the loss for the Athletics, keeping him winless at 0-2. Severino's ERA is at a pretty bad 5.59 right now.

Burger went 2-for-4 at the plate, while designated hitter Joc Pederson went 3-for-5. Kyle Higashioka also went 2-for-4 as the Rangers rolled to victory.

With the win, the Rangers go to 9-7 on the season and sit in first place in the American League West Division. The Athletics fall to 8-8, but are in second place in the AL West.

Both the Rangers and Athletics are looking to right their ships after a tough 2025 season. Now, with their relatively good starts to the 2026 season, both teams probably feel pretty good about their situation.

Anytime a pitcher can keep first baseman Nick Kurtz in check is a good night. Kurtz went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, and he's one of baseball's young up-and-coming sluggers, too.

The Rangers get a chance to secure a split of the four-game series with the Athletics on Tuesday night. Texas and the Athletics will play two more games on Wednesday and Thursday.

After the Thursday matchup, the Rangers will head to the Pacific Northwest. They'll get a chance to battle Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and the Seattle Mariners in a three-game weekend series.

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