Jordan Montgomery Claims MLB First in Texas Rangers Loss to Diamondbacks
Buzz surrounded the Texas Rangers when they acquired pitcher Max Scherzer a few days before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
But the other starter the Rangers acquired at the deadline — Jordan Montgomery — has been one of the most effective pitchers since joining the club.
The Rangers gave up two prospects — infielder Thomas Saggese and pitcher Tekoah Roby, along with pitcher John King — to get Montgomery and reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Montgomery ended up with the no-decision against Arizona on Monday night, throwing eight scoreless innings of four-hit baseball, with six strikeouts and a walk.
This was the same Arizona team that battered him for 10 hits and seven earned runs on April 18.
“That’s baseball,” Montgomery said after the Rangers’ 4-3, 11-inning loss Monday. “Sometimes you make pitches and they get hits.”
Montgomery was more reliant on his change-up on Monday, as it became clear early the pitch had swing-and-miss potential against the Diamondbacks.
For his first four Rangers starts, just about everything has worked for the left-hander.
Montgomery is 2-1 in 26 innings pitched, as he’s given up five earned runs, three walks and struck out 26.
How rare is that sort of start? He’s the first left-hander to ever do it in his first four starts with a team.
He’s also just the fourth pitcher in Major League history to record at least two wins and 26 innings pitched, along with five or fewer earned runs, three or fewer walks and 26 or more strikeouts.
The other three pitchers are right-handers — San Diego’s Joe Musgrove in 2021, Los Angeles Angels’ Dylan Bundy in 2020 and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay in 2010.
It’s rare company. But it’s also appeared meaningless to Montgomery, who watch the Rangers lost their fifth game in a row after he left the game after the eighth with the Rangers up 1-0.
“I couldn’t care less about (getting) the win — as long as the team wins,” Montgomery said. “Honestly I’d rather give up six (runs) and us win. So, really, my outing doesn’t really matter as long as we win.”
But at least Montgomery has stepped into the Rangers rotation and given them a chance in every outing.
“What a game,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just a beauty. He had everything going. He kept the ball down, lots of ground balls. He was on top of his game and he gave us what we needed.”
Montgomery lost out on the win when Aroldis Chapman gave up a solo home run in the ninth. Chapman and Will Smith both blew saves in the game.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
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