ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jacob deGrom lasted two innings Thursday before right triceps fatigue ended his start in the Texas Rangers‘ 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas dropped three of four in Anaheim and left Angel Stadium at 60-62. Detroit is a half-game ahead for the final American League Wild Card spot, and Houston leads the Rangers by two games in the AL West.
deGrom allowed 2 runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. Five of those hits came in the second inning.
“We needed to win,” deGrom said. “I take blame for tonight.”
Texas never scored behind him.
Jacob deGrom Runs Into Trouble Against Los Angeles Angels
deGrom escaped trouble in the first. The Angels got to him an inning later.
Denzer Guzmán started the second with a single. Josh Lowe doubled, putting both runners in scoring position.
A one-out single from Adam Frazier scored Guzmán. Lowe also went for the plate, where Wyatt Langford threw him out from left field.
Wade Meckler singled with two outs. Mike Trout came up next and singled in Frazier.
The inning cost deGrom 32 pitches. He has had only one longer inning this year, a 34-pitch first on May 22 at Angel Stadium.
It was also his first inning with at least 5 hits allowed since Sept. 5, 2017.
Nothing obvious showed up in the velocity. deGrom reached 99 mph, got 10 whiffs and had all five pitches come in above their season-average velocity, according to Statcast.
The triceps was another matter.
deGrom said it tightened during the second and never really loosened. He thought he could go back out for the third. The Rangers did not take the chance.
“I’m not too concerned,” deGrom said. “Hopefully I’ll make my next [start], we’ll see. Tonight, it just — there in the second it was tight and just didn’t want to loosen up. I haven’t really had that before.”
Texas will send deGrom for an MRI Friday.
Texas Rangers Leave Anaheim With Rotation Questions
The Rangers were already down one starter before deGrom came out Thursday.
Nathan Eovaldi went on the 15-day injured list Monday with right posterior elbow inflammation. Now deGrom is being checked for the triceps issue.
Manager Skip Schumaker addressed both after the game.
“The starting pitching has taken a hit,” Schumaker explained. “That is reality with our two guys going down. We’ll see what it looks like, obviously. Jack Leiter threw today, so that’s good news. But it’s never easy when your No. 1 and No. 2 guys are down, but they’re here [with the team]. Evo’s here. And they can still be a voice and still lead in different ways.”
Jack Leiter made his first Triple-A rehab start Thursday and can come off the 60-day injured list Aug. 18.
The offense had its own problems in Anaheim.
Angels rookie Walbert Ureña gave up 2 hits in 6 scoreless innings Thursday. Texas finished with 5 hits, none for extra bases, and did not get a hit with a runner in scoring position.
The Rangers went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position over the final three games of the series.
Joc Pederson had a short assessment afterward.
“It wasn’t good,” Pederson said. “It was not good baseball at all on our part.”
Texas heads to West Sacramento next for three games against the Athletics. Kumar Rocker starts Friday’s opener.
First pitch at Sutter Health Park is 8:40 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
