Jacob deGrom, fresh off what was arguably his worst start in a decade, absolutely carved up the Athletics last night, pitching seven dominant innings and giving up just one hit in the Rangers’ convincing 8-1 victory. This team needed a jolt, especially against a division rival they’ve been bafflingly bad against all season, and deGrom delivered a performance that finally started to match what everyone expects.
The Offense Showed Up When It Mattered
It was a total beatdown, man. The Rangers piled on eight runs, making the A’s starter Gage Jump wear seven of those in just 4 1/3 innings. This kind of offensive explosion has been missing for most of 2026, especially in games against teams trailing them in the AL West standings. After being held off the board in the first inning, Texas just hammered away. They put up a couple runs in the second, another in the third, one more in the fourth, and then exploded for three more in the bottom of the fifth. Just to rub it in, they grabbed a final run in the eighth. Five different guys in the starting lineup got an RBI, and it was great to see guys like Brandon Nimmo and a suddenly red hot Cody Freeman each smack two hits and drive in two runs. Even Corey Seager, who didn’t get a hit, worked two walks and scored two runs. This is the kind of bullying against lesser teams the Rangers have needed all year, especially while trailing for an AL playoff spot.
DeGrom’s Vintage Performance Gives Hope
But let’s be real, the story of the night was Jacob deGrom. Last week in Chicago, he gave up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings, easily his worst start with the Rangers, and probably his worst in like ten years. Everyone was wondering if the “old man hip thing” was catching up to him, making him prone to those Jekyll and Hyde outings. But last night? He was straight-up vintage. Seven innings pitched, one measly hit allowed, zero walks, and he punched out eight batters. That lone hit was just a leadoff single by Lawrence Butler in the top of the second. The Rangers are going to need more of *that* deGrom if they want to make any noise down the stretch, and he definitely delivered one of his best performances.
This win gives the Rangers their second in a row, finally giving them five victories in eleven games against that Northern California team. It also closes out what was a pretty trying month of August on a high note. Can they get a real streak going? Tomorrow night, they’re back at it against these same A’s at 7:05 pm CDT. MacKenzie Gore is set to take the mound for Texas, so let’s see if they can keep this momentum rolling into September!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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