Rangers open defence of title

The Texas Rangers will take the first step on what they hope is the long journey toward defending their World Series title on Thursday night when they open the season against the Chicago Cubs in Arlington, Texas.

Last season’s path to glory saw the Rangers post a 90-72 record and a second-place finish in the American League West. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles in the first two rounds of the playoffs before outlasting the Houston Astros in seven games during the AL Championship Series. Texas capped it off by dispatching the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win its first World Series title in franchise history.

And while the Rangers would like to become the first team to win consecutive World Series titles since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000, they know that Game 1 of the regular season holds just as much value as the 161 contests that follow.

“Every game matters, so I’m making sure that we go out there and we set the tone and we do the little things that we’ve been working on during spring training,” Rangers right-hander and Texas native Nathan Eovaldi said. “I think it’s special because we won the World Series last year and there’s gonna be a lot of excitement, a lot of adrenaline.”

Eovaldi, 34, hopes to pick up where he left off in 2023 when he makes his fourth career start on Opening Day. The two-time All-star and two-time World Series champion followed a 12-5 record with a 3.63 ERA in 25 starts during the regular season by going 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his six outings in the playoffs.

Texas’ bread and butter is its high-octane offence, and manager Bruce Bochy expects to have two key cogs in the lineup on Thursday.