Jacob deGrom pitched four innings of one-run ball, and Wyatt Langford and Adolis García hit back-to-back homers in the first inning of the Texas Rangers' 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
DeGrom allowed four hits and struck out five in his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery two weeks ago. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner hadn't pitched in the majors since April 2023, but he says he's “close” to feeling like normal again on the mound after months of rehab.
“There's times in my windup or out of the stretch that I still feel that I have to think about a lot of things, versus, ‘There’s the glove, hit it,'” deGrom said. “That's what this offseason will be — locking that in in spring training and getting everything ready and where it needs to be.”
DeGrom gave up 11 hits and two runs over 10 2/3 innings in his three starts this month. His fastball touched 98 mph against the Angels.
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“I feel like that was the best one,” deGrom said. “The goal was to get out there and make a few starts. We were able to do that, and everything felt good. Felt like stuff was getting better each time. We go into the offseason feeling good about it.”
Texas manager Bruce Bochy said before the game that deGrom would throw five innings and about 75 pitches, but the Rangers and the star right-hander both decided they had seen enough good things to wrap up his season after four innings and 53 pitches.
“It's nice to know that we're going to have a healthy deGrom next year," Bochy said. “He's got great stuff. We all know how good this guy can be. You've seen one of the best pitchers in the game. At his age, still throwing the ball the way he is, it shows you what this guy can do when he's healthy.”
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Carson Kelly homered, doubled and singled for the Rangers, who are wrapping up their seventh losing season in eight years after winning the World Series last fall. Marcus Semien added his 23rd homer in the ninth for his third hit of the night.
Daniel Robert (4-4) pitched the sixth inning for Texas. Kirby Yates pitched the ninth for his 32nd save in 33 chances.
Niko Kavadas had an RBI double for the Angels, who took their team-record 97th loss in the worst season in franchise history. When the Detroit Tigers clinched a wild-card spot earlier Friday, they left the Halos in sole possession of the majors’ longest postseason drought at 10 years.
Los Angeles has lost four straight and 13 of 16 heading into the final weekend of its major league-worst ninth consecutive losing season.
Reid Detmers (4-9) matched his career high with 12 strikeouts over five innings for the Angels, but the left-hander also yielded four runs on eight hits, including three homers.
Semien singled on Detmers' first pitch, and Langford brought him home with his seventh homer in September and the 15th homer of his standout rookie season. García then connected for his 25th homer, inciting a few boos from the long-suffering Orange County fans.
Jack López doubled and scored on Eric Wagaman's single in the first for Los Angeles. López doubled again in the third, giving him two in his first two career at-bats against deGrom, who entered the game with a .211 opponents' batting average over his 11-year career.
Kelly connected in the fourth inning for his first homer since Aug. 11 and his second since joining Texas in a trade with Detroit two months ago.
After Matt Festa relieved deGrom before the fifth, Gustavo Campero singled, stole second and scored on Kavadas' double.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: LF Ezequiel Duran returned from the paternity list. ... RHP Kumar Rocker and RHP Jack Leiter were optioned to the minors. Both are done for the season because they combined to pitch eight innings Thursday.
Angels: SS Zach Neto (right shoulder irritation) and 1B Nolan Schanuel (lower leg bruise) sat out after getting hurt earlier in the week in Chicago.
UP NEXT
Longtime Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney (5-14, 3.98 ERA) takes the mound for Texas against Griffin Canning (6-13, 5.24), who goes after his third victory in September after an inconsistent season.
