ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out eight over five innings in his 30th and final start of the season for the Texas Rangers, in what has to be considered a victory even though he didn’t get one.
The 37-year-old lanky right-hander, their , made all but one start this year while throwing 172 2/3 innings after missing most of his first two seasons with the Rangers because of Tommy John surgery.
“It’s a win. It’s an absolute win for the organization, for Jacob,” Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said before the game. “If you had told me before the year that he would have 30 starts, I would be thrilled, and I am. I’m so happy for him. He’s worked so hard. And to see him get 30 starts and have the year he’s had, it’s pretty special.”
With the no-decision against Minnesota, DeGrom finished 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA and 185 strikeouts.
A night after Texas was eliminated from playoff contention with its eighth consecutive loss, the game was tied 1-1 when deGrom threw the last of his 74 pitches. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner allowed only one more hit and walked one after Bryon Buxton led off with a 447-foot home run to straightaway center on the second pitch of the game.
Robert Garcia took over on the mound to start the sixth inning.
Even though he won only two of his final 10 starts, it was a for deGrom, who had made only 35 starts and pitched 197 1/3 innings combined the past four seasons.
That included his final two injury-plagued years with the New York Mets before leaving in free agency and then having the Tommy John surgery after only six starts in his Rangers debut in 2023, the season of their only World Series title. Texas won each of those starts, all which came before the end of April.
After making three starts in the final month of the 2024 season, deGrom had a full offseason to prepare for this season.
“I believed in him the whole time that he’d have a full season this year,” Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said. “He’s a guy who’s very hard on himself. You look at his numbers and say, wow, that’s a great year. And you ask him, he’s like, ‘Man I wish I could’ve did this or that.’ But he was an All-Star, he was our ace the entire year. … The second year after Tommy John is usually better than the first, so that’s what I’m excited to see.”
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