SEATTLE (AP) — Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom struck out four in 3 2/3 scoreless innings at Seattle on Friday night in his return from Tommy John surgery.
“I told (a teammate) I'm like a baby deer out here: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’" deGrom said. “I almost fell over. I had quite a bit of nerves, so getting back out there was big. My legs were shaking a little bit.”
DeGrom allowed two hits in the fourth and was removed after he retired Jorge Polanco on a flyball to center. Walter Pennington then came in and got J.P. Crawford to bounce to second, leaving runners on the corners.
The 36-year-old deGrom threw 61 pitches, 41 for strikes, in his first major league appearance since April 28, 2023. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner allowed four hits and walked none.
He graded his performance as a C.
“It’s big to get out and pitch in a major league game, so you don’t feel like you’re in rehab mode for two straight years,” deGrom said. “And now let’s just try to get things back where they were executing pitches like you normally do and get ready to play next year.”
DeGrom agreed to a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas in December 2022 after beginning his big league career with the New York Mets. He made six starts for the Rangers last year before he got hurt.
He had surgery to replace the ligament in his elbow in June 2023. He also had the same procedure in 2010 while in the minor leagues.
DeGrom allowed Victor Robles' leadoff infield single in the first, but got out of the inning with the help of two strikeouts. After hitting Luke Raley to lead off the second, he induced three easy popouts to the edge of the infield. In the third, he deflected a Robles liner back to the mound with his glove, and then made the throw for the out.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he saw nothing that concerned him about the performance.
I wanted to see “exactly what I saw: the fastball, the velocity, the slider,” Bochy said. “He threw some changeups, used all his pitches. That’s what you want to see, just somebody that’s healthy out there.”
DeGrom made four rehab starts for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, allowing one earned run over 10 2/3 innings for a 0.84 ERA. He struck out 15 batters and walked one.
Bochy said he'll install a six-man rotation the rest of the season to make room for deGrom and Max Scherzer, who makes his return Saturday.
“The goal for the next two is to really dial things in,” deGrom said. “And then you can treat it like a normal offseason.”
Texas Rangers' Jacob deGrom delivers against the Seattle Mariners during a baseball game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)
SEATTLE (AP) — Aaron Judge drove in four runs in his first two at-bats, Juan Soto hit his 40th homer of the season and 200th of his career, and the New York Yankees moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff berth with an 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
The Yankees can clinch at worst a wild-card spot in the American League with a victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The win in the opener of New York’s six-game road trip pushed the Yankees lead in the AL East to four games over Baltimore, their largest lead since holding a 4 1/2-game lead when play started on June 7.
“We know we're facing another tough pitcher and hopefully we can go out and get it done and cross off that first goal,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But it hasn't been done yet. We just got to kind of keep going.”
Judge laced a two-run double three batters into the game and added a two-out, two-run single the next time he was up an inning later. Judge now has a league-leading 136 RBIs.
Soto joined the offensive outburst in the third inning with a two-out, two-run opposite field blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo. It’s the first time in his career Soto has reached the 40-homer mark and he’s now homered in all 30 parks in baseball.
“To get to another goal in my career is just a great feeling. All the work that I've been putting in and get the results is really cool,” Soto said.
Soto and Judge are the third set of Yankee teammates to each hit 40 home runs in a season, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (1927, 1930, 1931), and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris (1961).
“It's an honor. It's tough to really put into words. Those are baseball legends you're talking about,” Judge said.
The top three hitters in New York’s order — Judge, Soto and Gleyber Torres — were a combined 7-for-8 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs against Woo.
In two previous career starts against the Yankees, Woo had not given up a run. This time, he was tagged for a season-high seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and was knocked out after giving up Jasson Dominguez’s first homer since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September.
Woo (8-3) struck out seven and walked one. Austin Wells added a bases clearing double in the sixth inning as New York reached double figures in runs for the 14th time. Seattle had gone 107 consecutive home games without allowing 10 or more runs — the longest active streak in the majors.
“Not very good. Just made some mistakes,” Woo said.
Yankees starter Luis Gil struggled badly with his control early, but escaped trouble in the first inning thanks to a questionable decision by Victor Robles to try stealing home with the bases loaded, two outs and Justin Turner with a 3-0 count at the plate.
“Vic is an aggressive player, no doubt. That's part of his game. That's a situation you have got to know you're going to make it,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.
Robles was out and Gil (14-6) ended up working five innings, giving up one run and striking out five. Jorge Polanco and Luke Raley hit solo homers and Julio Rodriguez — wearing crystal-embellished shoes — had four hits for Seattle.
The Mariners lost for just the second time this season in their “City Connect” uniforms, dropping to 15-2.
Marcus Stroman worked three innings of relief for the Yankees as part of his move to the bullpen for this road trip. It was the ninth relief appearance of his career. He gave up five hits including Raley's homer.
UP NEXT
Yankees: LHP Nester Cores (9-10, 3.90 ERA) threw five innings and allowed one run with nine strikeouts against Boston in his last start.
Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (11-8, 3.12) has allowed one earned run and struck out 11 in his last two starts combined.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez wears cleats featuring Swarovski crystals during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees starter Luis Gil delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Seattle Mariners starter Bryan Woo delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge gestures to the dugout after hitting a two-run double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells tags out Seattle Mariners' Victor Robles attempting to steal home plate during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a two-run single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Jasson Dominguez, right, celebrates with Anthony Rizzo after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez wears cleats featuring Swarovski crystals during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Jasson Dominguez hits a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a two-run designated hitter during the first inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
