ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was able to celebrate his 38th birthday with a win after some big gifts from the Texas Rangers offense.
That came after he had given up something he never had in his previous 262 career starts: a grand slam. And Ty France's big blast in the first came the batter after deGrom and the Rangers thought they had an inning-ending strikeout when there were only two umpires on the field.
It
was a wild night indeed on deGrom's birthday, but happily ended with his 102nd career win after a 9-7 victory over San Diego on Friday. Texas wiped out a five-run deficit and even took the lead by the end of the first inning, then immediately went back ahead to stay when the Padres got even in the fourth.
“That comeback was as good as there was that I’ve been around in the first inning,” manager Skip Schumaker said.
After a 31-pitch first, deGrom made it through six innings and retired 16 of the last 19 batters he faced. He struck out nine while throwing a season-high 106 pitches.
“It’s incredible, and it just shows you prime deGrom those last five,” Rangers third baseman Josh Jung said. “Pretty incredible to watch, and he was just dominating.”
“He ended up going six innings. I would not have thought that after giving up what he gave up in the first,” Schumaker said. “After that five-run first, and get six innings was just as impressive as our offense in the first inning.”
After San Diego went up 5-0 on France's slam with two outs in the first, the Rangers responded with a six-run burst in the bottom half. They led 6-5 when No. 9 batter Elias Díaz had an RBI single after consecutive two-run doubles by Alejandro Osuna and Jake Burger.
France homered again leading off the fourth to make it 6-all, but Wyatt Langford's RBI double in the bottom of the inning put the Rangers ahead to stay.
“Obviously didn’t have a very good first inning and for them to come back and take the lead in the bottom of the first was big,” deGrom said. “Then I gave it back up and then they got the lead again.”
DeGrom and the Rangers thought they had gotten out of the top of the first down only 1-0. Díaz, the Texas catcher, pointed toward first base to appeal when Xander Bogaerts checked his swing on a 2-2 count. But umpire John Bacon — the only ump in the field at the time — was behind the mound and said there was no swing. So instead of strike three, it was a full count and Bogaerts walked on the next pitch to load the bases for France.
“Um, that was close,” deGrom said. “That was tough, but I've still got to make better pitches.”
Because of travel issues, plate umpire Emil Jimenez and Bacon were the only umps who made it in time for first pitch. At the same time umpires Gabe Morales and Mike Muchlinski were coming out in the middle of the first, Bacon was ejecting Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta after an argument over the Bogaerts plate appearance.
“I will say that the two umpires at the beginning of the game wasn’t ideal,” Schumaker said. “I’m not sure what happened there and I've got to find out because that’s not easy for them. ... That was a big moment in the game so I do wonder what happened there.”
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