Rangers pitcher Nick Martinez surrendered just four hits and two walks in seven scoreless innings while striking out five in his team's 10-1 win over the A's Thursday.
"Having that run support early and often definitely gives you that extra confidence that you need," Martinez said after the game, per the Associatd Press.
Martinez won the final spot in the rotation after pitching well for most of the spring, and though he struggled in his spring finale, he got back on track in his regular-season debut Thursday. All four of the hits he scattered were singles.
"Nick had a wonderful day," manager Jeff Banister said after the game, per MLB.com. "He was able to pitch off his fastball. He was able to throw the fastball in and also down. Nice command with the fastball. Had the changeup and breaking ball in play. Kept these hitters off balance pretty much all seven innings."
His next start is slated for Tuesday against the Angels.