ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — Nathan Eovaldi pitched six strong innings and the Texas Rangers used a three-run seventh inning to pull away from the Detroit Tigers, winning 10-4 on Thursday night at Globe Life Park.

The Rangers improved to 45-43, while the Tigers fell to 38-50. Attendance was 33,450, and the game lasted 3 hours, 14 minutes.

Texas struck first with a three-run second inning. Elias Díaz opened the scoring with a solo home run to left-center, his fourth of the season. Alejandro Osuna and Nicky Lopez followed with singles, and after a walk to Justin Foscue, Josh Jung walked to force in Osuna. Ezequiel Duran then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Lopez and giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead.

Detroit’s offense was held in check by Eovaldi through the first four innings. The Tigers managed only a walk to Kevin McGonigle in the fourth and struck out eight times in the early going.

Texas added two more runs in the fourth. Nicky Lopez led off with a single, and Josh Jung doubled to left-center to score Lopez. Duran followed with an RBI single, making it 5-0.

The Tigers finally broke through in the fifth. Colt Keith led off with a solo home run to right-center, his sixth of the season. After Spencer Torkelson lined out, Zach McKinstry singled. Two batters later, Hao-Yu Lee launched a two-run homer to left-center, cutting the deficit to 5-3. McGonigle and Dillon Dingler followed with singles, but Kerry Carpenter grounded out to end the inning.

Texas answered in the sixth. Josh Smith hit a solo home run to right, his first of the season, restoring a three-run lead at 6-3.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs, Evan Carter singled, and Díaz walked. Alejandro Osuna singled to left, scoring Carter. Nicky Lopez singled to right, plating Díaz. Smith then singled through the left side off pitcher Drew Sommers, scoring Osuna. Jung walked to load the bases, but Duran flied out to end the inning. Texas led 9-3.

Detroit pulled one run back in the eighth. McKinstry doubled and scored on a single by Ben Malgeri, making it 9-4. But Texas responded in the bottom half when Evan Carter hit a solo home run to center, his seventh of the season, pushing the lead to 10-4.

The Tigers threatened in the ninth. Dingler doubled, but Kerry Carpenter flied out, Riley Greene struck out, and Matt Vierling popped out to end the game.

Eovaldi (9-7) allowed three runs on five hits over six innings, striking out eight and walking two. Framber Valdez (4-6) took the loss, surrendering five runs on nine hits in five innings with one strikeout.

Key performers for Detroit included McGonigle, who went 2 for 4 with a walk, and McKinstry, who was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Lee drove in two runs with his homer. For Texas, Jung doubled and drove in two runs, and Smith had two hits including a homer. Carter had two hits, a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI.

Detroit entered the game on a three-game winning streak, having swept the New York Yankees earlier in the week. Texas had lost its previous game but had won six of its last seven.

The two teams meet again Saturday for the second game of this four-game series. Detroit’s next 10 games include a visit from and Philadelphia, while Texas continues its homestand against the Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Texas 7, Detroit 4. The ELO system gave Texas a 55.30 percent probability of winning. Texas was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 14 went under the over-under line of 7.5.