Nathan Eovaldi set to start Game 2 for Rangers as Bruce Bochy remains hopeful of Max Scherzer's ALCS return

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has said that Nathan Eovaldi will get the start in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros. He will face off against Framber Valdez.

This will be a massive start for Eovaldi, who has been impressive this season. He holds a 12-5 record with a 3.63 ERA in 25 starts. However, he has a 2.70 ERA in postseason games throughout his career.

Given Max Scherzer's surprise availability, some expected him to take the ball in Game 2, but that's not the case. Scherzer will likely get the start in Game 3 to give him extra time to get right.

Eovaldi is coming off a stellar performance against the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. He went seven innings, limiting Baltimore to just one run and striking out seven batters.

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Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas Rangers are ready to spoil the Houston Astros' run

ALDS Orioles Rangers Baseball

While the Houston Astros are a strong team, the Texas Rangers feel good about their chances. They have gotten hot at the right time and looks like a complete team at the moment.

They have a strong rotation behind Nathan Eovaldi, Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery. They also have a strong bullpen behind Jose Leclerc, Josh Sborz and Aroldis Chapman.

This series will likely come down to who has the better pitching staff. The Rangers may have the advantage, as Houston's reliever Kendall Graveman will not be on the ALCS roster, as he's dealing with shoulder discomfort. This is the same injury that also kept him off the ALDS roster.

The state of Texas will be rocking as these two teams battle. It's shaping to be a quite exciting series that could go either way, so this will be a matchup that fans will not want to miss.