Jacob deGrom Breaks Another Nolan Ryan Record for Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom is off to a historic start through his first three games, setting a franchise record in the process.

Jacob deGrom is looking every bit the staff ace the Texas Rangers were hoping for, even if he officially only has one win to show for his first three starts.

deGrom took his second no-decision of the young season Tuesday night, as the Rangers rallied past the Kansas City Royals in the 10th inning to win 8-5 at Globe Life Field. Texas scored four with two outs after falling behind 5-4, with the deciding blow being Jonah Heim’s three-run walk-off blast into the right-field seats.

The Rangers (7-4) are in position to sweep the three-game series Wednesday night (7:05 p.m.) with Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 4.22) on the hill. Kansas City (3-9) counters with Brad Keller (1-1, 2.61).

Though deGrom didn’t get the win on his ledger, he was certainly stoked to his battery mate delivered the game winner.

“It’s just picking each other up and playing good baseball,” deGrom said. “So it’s definitely exciting. You’d like to win by a lot every time, but it’s big. It’s definitely huge. It brings the guys together and everybody’s out there trying to just keep going and going and that’s what they did there in the 10th and we got a win.”

deGrom had the Rangers primed to win before going into extras. The two-time Cy Young winner left after seven innings with a 4-2 lead, having struck out nine and allowing seven hits without a walk on 98 pitches.

“It all started with the job Jacob did on the mound,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He just threw a wonderful game there and left with the lead that we couldn’t hold on for him.”

Since a mediocre outing on Opening Day (3 2/3 innings, five earned runs) that included a career-high six extra-base hits, deGrom has gone 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 20 strikeouts, two walks and .191 opponent’s batting average in his last two starts.

And he also added his name to the Rangers record books one night after Andrew Heaney broke Nolan Ryan’s for consecutive single-game strikeouts. Against the Royals again, deGrom erased another Ryan mark.

With 27 strikeouts through his first three starts, deGrom surpassed the previous high of 26 set by the Hall-of-Fame Texas icon in 1989. It’s also the third-most punchouts ever by a Rangers pitcher through his first three outings of a season, bested only by Yu Darvish in 2013 (28) and Ryan in 1991 (28).

“He just has this amazing command with the kind of stuff he has,” Bochy said of deGrom. “You just don’t see it. He’s special. And that’s it. I just enjoy watching Jacob when he pitches.”

deGrom also became the first pitcher in Washington/Texas franchise history with at least 27 strikeouts and two-or-fewer walks over his first three outings of a season. It’s just the 15th instance in the modern era (beg. 1901) of a MLB pitcher recording at least the 27-2 line through three games. deGrom has done it twice, also pulling the trick last season with the New York Mets. Curt Schilling (2001-02) is the only other pitcher with at least two.

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