ARLINGTON, Texas -- There is an old saying that the definition of momentum in baseball is the next day's starter.

The Texas Rangers had momentum going on Tuesday with Yu Darvish on the mound.

The right-hander struck out nine over seven strong innings, and Texas reached .500 for the first time all season with a seventh consecutive victory, 5-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rangers improved to 20-20.

Darvish became the sixth Japanese pitcher in major league history to win 50 games. He joined Hideo Nomo (123), Hiroki Kuroda (79), Hisashi Iwakuma (63), Daisuke Matsuzaka (56) and Tomo Ohka (51).

Darvish (4-2), continuing a good stretch of good starting pitching for Texas, gave up one run on four hits and walked only two. He faced the minimum through the first four innings and retired 14 of the first 16 hitters he faced.

"I think we're doing a good job as starters, but as a team we're playing good baseball," said Darvish. "We're doing our job when we need to."

"(Catcher Robinson Chirinos) did a good job behind the plate, but I think I had really good stuff today, too."

The Rangers' rotation has an AL-leading 24 quality starts, including in nine of the past 11 outings.

Texas' Mike Napoli went 3-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in the eighth, and Jonathan Lucroy added two hits.

Nomar Mazara, who was 2-for-4, got the Rangers' offense started with a 444-foot home run in the first off Jerad Eickhoff (0-4), a former Rangers minor-leaguer.

Robinson Chirinos had a groundout RBI, and Lucroy had a run-scoring double in the fifth for the Rangers, who haven't lost since May 8 at San Diego.

Lefty Alex Claudio worked a scoreless eighth, and right-handed closer Matt Bush tossed a perfect ninth in a non-save situation for Texas.

"Darvish had good use of all of his pitches," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "Really got the curveball in play. Fastball command was good on both sides of the plate."

Not to mention a wicked slider that he located well.

The Phillies (14-22) lost for a second straight game and are 1-5 over their past six games.

Freddy Galvis accounted for the Phillies' only run with an RBI single off Darvish in the seventh that scored Michael Saunders. That represented the only mark against the tall Texas righty, who registered his seventh quality start in nine outings in 2017, and called the pitch to Galvis his only mistake with the slider.

"The thing about Darvish ... he's got arguably best slider in baseball," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "When that's the first time a team sees him, it's got to be tough, especially the way he located it. That's a real tough pitch to hit even when you've seen him before."

Eickhoff, who spent parts of five seasons in the Rangers' minor league system before being traded in the deal that sent Cole Hamels to Texas, failed to work into the seventh inning for a sixth straight start.

He gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight over six innings.

"Eickhoff pitched pretty darn good," Mackanin said. "He had trouble throughout the game but made pitches when he had to. He looked closer to himself than he has the last two or three starts."

Texas out-hit Philadelphia 8-4.

NOTES: Texas 3B Adrian Beltre, who hasn't played this season because of a strained right calf, did some light jogging and also fielded balls at third and took batting practice on Tuesday. He said he is still likely three weeks away from making his season debut. ... Texas OF Shin-Soo Choo sat out a second consecutive game with a lower back issue, though he was available as a pinch hitter. He is considered day-to-day. ... Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (strained lower back) is slated to rejoin the rotation on Sunday in Pittsburgh after making second rehab start with no issues on Monday. Nola worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out seven.