‘Incredible’ deGrom outduels Brown as Rangers win
ARLINGTON, Texas — This anticipated pitchers’ duel fully lived up to expectations, with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom getting the win for the Texas Rangers over the blossoming Houston Astros standout who is 10 years younger and threw his first career complete game.
Even before the Rangers won 1-0 on Thursday night, manager Bruce Bochy talked about how deGrom will go down as one of the best pitchers ever in the game. He also said Hunter Brown was getting established as one of the best with what he has done over the last year for the Astros.
“Everything we thought this game would be, runs would be at a premium,” Bochy said. “I didn’t know it’d be one.”
Jake Burger led off the sixth with a homer in the opener of a four-game series.
The 36-year-old deGrom (4-1), who missed most of the past two seasons after joining Texas because of Tommy John surgery, struck out seven over eight innings and walked just one. The right-hander threw 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
His first career start against Houston, on the 11th anniversary of his big league debut with the Mets, was his longest start since a shutout for New York against Washington on April 23, 2021.
“The goal is just to try to take the ball as much as I can, try to stay out on the field, do what I can in between to get ready for the next one,” deGrom said. “You miss that much time, you really miss this game. … Being able to come back and pitch some [late] last year, that gave me a little peace of mind going into this season. So I was able to prepare well this offseason and try to go out there as many times as they let me.”
Brown (6-2) entered the game tied for the major league lead with wins. He struck out nine without a walk in a 91-pitch effort, throwing 65 strikes. He retired the first 12 batters before Adolis García lined a sharp double to left to start the fifth, the inning before Burger went deep.
“They both know it’s a pitchers’ duel and sometimes in a pitchers’ duel, one pitch sometimes is all it takes. That’s what happened in today’s game,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.
“That one just stinks, you know? You want to come out on top of those games, and it didn’t fall our way,” Brown said. “There’s a handful of pitches throughout the course of the game that got foul balls or guys popped them up or hit a groundball. [Burger] was able to put a really good swing on it and make us pay for it.”
Brown had gone 6-0 in seven starts since losing his season debut in a 3-1 defeat to the Mets. Over exactly a year, since May 15, 2024, Brown is 17-7 with 26 quality starts and a 2.18 ERA. Only Paul Skenes has a better ERA in that span.
For deGrom, he has a 1.49 ERA over his past six starts.
He got plenty of help from his defense in the latest one. Rangers right fielder García made a sliding catch of a sinking liner by Mauricio Dubón for the final out of the seventh, when Houston had a runner at second base. García also had another sliding catch near the line after running a long way to open the fourth, and center fielder Evan Carter had a nice running catch against Jake Meyers to start the fifth.
“Probably my defense behind me,” deGrom responded when asked what allowed him to have the longest of his 18 starts for Texas since signing a $185 million, five-year contract in December 2022.
“He’s one of the best ever in this game,” Bochy said. “He’s just incredible with the stuff, his command and everything, and his competitive nature.”
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
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