{"id":17397,"date":"2025-05-11T01:59:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T01:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/17397\/"},"modified":"2025-05-11T01:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T01:59:09","slug":"jacob-degroms-gem-in-detroit-epitomizes-rangers-upside-down-season-to-this-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/17397\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacob deGrom\u2019s gem in Detroit epitomizes Rangers\u2019 upside-down season to this point"},"content":{"rendered":"

DETROIT – This will sum up everything you need to know about the Rangers<\/a>\u2019 upside-down season to this point, which on Saturday reached the one-quarter mark:<\/p>\n

Against the team sporting the best record in the American League, Jacob deGrom<\/a> looked more like Jacob deGrom than at any point since his 2023 elbow surgery. He had his best fastball velocity of the year, his filthiest slider and even a little bit of a sneer. He struck out six batters in a row at one point and had 10 by the end of the fourth. When umpire Andy Fletcher missed a pair of calls on his final batter of the night, leading to deGrom\u2019s exit, the pitcher even offered a little bit of feedback.<\/p>\n

And you know what? It was only the second-biggest development of the day.<\/p>\n

In a 10-3 win over Detroit, the Rangers offense looked like it was supposed to look. They walked and they slugged, though it actually started the other way around. That, as you may be aware, has been the exception this season. It was only the seventh time they\u2019d scored more than five runs in a game. They hit a season-high five home runs. They walked six times. They turned walks into runs with more walks and – will you look at that – a productive out.<\/p>\n

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They put themselves in position to both win a series and leave their first week after an offensive shakeup with a .500 road trip against two pretty good teams. When they get home late Sunday, they might just find their whole expected offense all together for the first time all season. With Colorado and the worst record in baseball coming to Arlington next week, there might be a chance at honest-to-goodness momentum.<\/p>\n

And, on top of everything else, they have a chance to start changing the narrative of the first quarter of the season in which the offense either looked out of synch or out of touch. At 40 games, the \u201cslow start,\u201d explanation fades into \u201cwell, this might be who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to this point and you get a fairly accurate picture,\u201d manager Bruce Bochy<\/a> said before the game, maintaining that the offense isn\u2019t actually what it had been. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re trying to tweak some things and change things. This is when you start to get a good feel for who the club is, the culture, all of that. It doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t change, but you have a pretty good idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ll say this: This isn\u2019t what they are. Granted, it\u2019s been a while. But we got some guys hitting what they\u2019re not going to hit. I can promise you, [Joc] Pederson is not going to hit what he\u2019s hitting. Marcus [Semien] is not going to hit what he\u2019s hitting. You have to keep believing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a change, the Rangers backed up his words. To that point, it wasn\u2019t so much that Josh Smith homered to lead off the game or that Corey Seager homered in his first at-bat after missing a pair of games<\/a>. Then Seager doubled and homered again. Nice. But they\u2019ve been the two most consistent hitters this season. Rather, it was that Pederson hit a two-run homer in the third inning and walked to help advance a run scoring opportunity the next inning and Semien took a pair of walks, including one that followed Pederson\u2019s in the fourth, then bounced a ball up the middle for an RBI in the ninth.<\/p>\n

Related:Corey Seager continues to show why Rangers desperately need him on the field more often<\/a><\/p>\n

It was that Evan Carter<\/a>, whose spent the first month of the season in the minors rather than in center field, hit his first homer of the season in the second inning<\/a>. It left the bat at 111 mph. It\u2019s the hardest ball he\u2019s hit in the majors, including that magical 2023 playoff run.<\/p>\n

Evan Carter was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock and made his season debut Tuesday vs. Boston<\/p>\n

Today he launches a homer into right field vs. the Tigers to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the second inning<\/p>\n

Things you love to see#AllForTX<\/a> (via @Rangers<\/a>)pic.twitter.com\/ZAENoheK9K<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SportsDay Rangers (@dmn_rangers) May 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

It was that Wyatt Langford, in a funk this week, recovered from a three strikeout game against Tarik Skubal to take three walks on Saturday. And scored on each of them. On the last one, in the ninth-inning of an already-decided game, he hustled to second to beat the throw on a fielder\u2019s choice (later changed to a hit), then stole third and scored on Semien\u2019s single. <\/p>\n

It was Adolis Garc\u00eda driving in two runs without a hit. His sacrifice fly in the fifth drove home Seager, who\u2019d moved to third after his double thanks to consecutive walks. <\/p>\n

\u201cWyatt scored three runs without a hit, Adol\u00eds drove in two without a hit,\u201d Bochy said. \u201cThere were a lot of productive outs. There were a lot of good things out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

It brought the clubhouse to life in a way that\u2019s not been very visible in this first stretch of the season. It brought out the snark in Pederson and it brought out Seager\u2019s literary soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really takes the pressure off,\u201d Pederson said and then, when asked about a difference in his approach over the week added \u201cYeah, I\u2019m hitting balls how I usually hit: Hard. So that feels good.\u201d <\/p>\n

Said Seager about the last week: \u201cYou have to find a little light in the dark times. I feel like the light is starting to peak through. And we\u2019re hoping more light is going to open up.\u201d <\/p>\n

Corey, we didn\u2019t know you had that in you. <\/p>\n

How the cutter has made Texas Rangers starter Patrick Corbin a comeback story<\/a>Corey Seager continues to show why Rangers desperately need him on the field more often<\/a><\/p>\n

Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n