Jacob deGrom responded to a difficult previous start by delivering seven scoreless innings for Texas on Monday night. MLB News reported that the Rangers opened their homestand with an 8-1 victory over the A’s at Globe Life Field. The Rangers’ ace allowed only one hit, a Lawrence Butler single in the second inning, and did not issue a walk. He ended that inning with a double play and went on to face the minimum number of batters through seven innings.
The performance marked deGrom’s eighth start this year without a walk and his third while allowing just one hit. His outing followed a 2-4 road trip that took the Rangers from the South Side of Chicago to Milwaukee. Returning to Texas provided a change of setting after that trip, and deGrom supplied the opening homestand’s decisive pitching performance. He established the tone immediately, finishing the first inning by striking out Zack Gelof swinging.
The start also featured a return of the slider that had looked like the strongest version of the pitch, according to the account. DeGrom had entered the game after one of the worst starts of his career in his previous appearance. On Aug. 26, he gave up eight runs, including six in the first inning, and took the loss against the White Sox. The seven-inning effort therefore gave Texas a sharp contrast with the result from that meeting with Chicago.
The Rangers’ victory began the homestand after the team had gone 2-4 on the preceding trip. Monday’s result was powered by deGrom’s ability to keep the A’s from producing more than Butler’s single. The right-hander’s seven innings included no walks, one hit and no runs, while Texas scored eight times. That combination gave the Rangers a one-sided win at Globe Life Field and completed deGrom’s bounce-back outing.