ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Drew Rasmussen has the weapons to get hitters out after the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander held Texas to 3 hits over 7 innings in Saturday’s 6-3 Rays win in 10 innings at Globe Life Field.
Texas took better at-bats later in the game, Schumaker said after it was over. The early innings were the problem.
“Drew’s really good,” Schumaker said. “He’s had a great year. He’s had a really good couple years in a row now. Fastball’s at 98 miles an hour with a really good cutter and a really good changeup. He’s got weapons to get you out. I thought we took some good at-bats a little bit later, but early on was obviously really challenging. He had a no-hitter through three, I think, and Joc finally got us on the board. Seager got a hit, and then Joc got us on the board, but he was really, really good on his game.”
“Really tough at-bats, but deGrom battled him,” Schumaker continued. “It was back and forth with two really good pitchers, kind of a pitcher’s duel towards the end. And then they added on another run. We fought back. Foscue, huge hit, huge hit. And Carter with the home run. But unfortunately, they had another home run that cost us the game.”
How Drew Rasmussen Held The Texas Rangers To 3 Hits
The first nine Rangers went down in order. Texas got a one-out single in the fourth and another in the fifth, and Rasmussen stranded both. He retired the side in order in the seventh and left with a 2-1 lead.
His line: 7 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, no walks, 7 strikeouts. He did not get a decision.
The run came on one pitch. Joc Pederson hit a first-pitch curveball out with one out in the sixth for his team-high 25th home run.
Drew Rasmussen’s Season Entering Saturday
Rasmussen came in 14-5 with a 2.95 ERA and had won his previous seven decisions. That tied him with Nick Martinez for the Tampa Bay lead in wins.
Since July 21, a span of nine starts, he has a 2.17 ERA with 58 strikeouts and 10 walks in 54 innings, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Rasmussen was meticulous in the way he navigated the strike zone through the Texas lineup.
“The changeup has been a big pitch for him here lately,” Cash told Berry. “You marvel at a guy that’s so talented and so good already without it. And then he just adds that to his repertoire to come into August and September, and really lean on it heavy this year.”
Jacob deGrom’s Side Of The Pitchers’ Duel
Jacob deGrom went 6 innings for Texas and allowed 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and 1 walk with 7 strikeouts. Both runs were solo homers, Junior Caminero in the first and Richie Palacios in the fifth.
deGrom has given up 10 first-inning home runs this season, the most in the majors. His ERA in 27 first innings is 9.00. From the second inning on, it is 2.79.
Neither starter factored in the decision. Texas tied it at 3 in the eighth on Evan Carter’s leadoff homer and Justin Foscue’s double. Jonathan Aranda hit a three-run homer off Jacob Latz in the 10th.
Texas sees another Rays left-hander Sunday. Ian Seymour (9-6, 4.21 ERA) starts the finale against MacKenzie Gore (8-10, 4.31). The two met July 29 at Tropicana Field, when Seymour worked 4 2/3 innings in bulk relief and allowed 2 hits in a 3-0 Rays win. First pitch is 2:35 p.m. CT on Rangers Sports Network.
