Jacob deGrom has been outstanding this season in his return from Tommy John surgery.
On Wednesday, he showed the Baltimore Orioles the stuff that made him a two-time Cy Young winner.
deGrom pitched seven no-hit innings against Baltimore to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-0 win. Manager Bruce Bochy left him on the mound for the eighth inning with a chance to keep the no-hitter going. But the bid ended with with a leadoff single from Colton Cowser.
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deGrom’s night was done at 89 pitches, and the Rangers bullpen took the shutout home.
While he didn’t secure the no-hitter, there was plenty to like about the 37-year-old’s effort. deGrom entered the seventh inning with a perfect game intact before allowing a pair of walks. Those and Cowser’s single were the only baserunners deGrom allowed.
deGrom had his best stuff going, including a sweeping changeup that bewildered Baltimore’s rising star second baseman Jackson Holliday.
deGrom’s fastball sat in the high 90s and his slider produced repeated swinging strikes. When his night was done, deGrom had allowed one hit, two walks and zero runs. He struck out seven and lowered his season-long ERA from 2.24 to 2.08.
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It’s the type of stuff the Rangers envisioned when they signed him to a five-year, $185 million contract ahead of the 2023 season to lure him from the New York Mets. Disaster struck when deGrom required Tommy John surgery for the second time six games into his Rangers career.
But now that he’s back, he looks very much like the pitcher who earned that $185 million deal.
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