Inside The Rangers

Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Part of History in Pitcher’s Duel With Astros Hunter Brown

Jacob deGrom and Hunter Brown had a pitcher's duel for the ages.

Kenneth Teape

May 15, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field.
May 15, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
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The Texas Rangers were set to add another chapter to the Lone Star Rivalry in a series against the Houston Astros during MLB’s Rivalry Weekend.

The four-game began with a massive matchup on the mound with the Rangers sending two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom out against Astros’ emerging ace, Hunter Brown.

One of the better pitching matchups of the year certainly did not disappoint, with both pitchers bringing their "A game."

Texas ended up winning the game 1-0, with the only run coming courtesy of a Jake Burger solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

deGrom was dealing, throwing eight shutout innings while allowing only five hits and one walk while striking out seven. Shawn Armstrong finished the game off for his second save of the campaign.

Houston’s star did everything he could to keep up, recording the first complete game of his career. Brown allowed only three hits and zero walks while striking out nine. It was the fifth straight start he has recorded nine strikeouts.

What History Was Jacob deGrom Part Of?

With their dominant outings, the starting pitching duo made some impressive MLB history.

As shared by OptaSTATS on X, since pitches were tracked for the first time in 1988, Thursday’s matchup between deGrom and Brown is the first in which both starting pitchers threw eight-plus innings, allowed no more than one run, struck out at least seven batters and did it all while throwing fewer than 100 pitches.

Both players had incredibly efficient outings, showcasing why they are going to be in the mix for some accolades this year.

Staying healthy has been an issue for deGrom over the last few seasons, with 2019 being the last time he made more than 15 starts in a single year.

So far so good on the health front, as he is tied for the MLB lead with nine starts made. His form is as good as ever on the mound despite a slight change in his approach, decreasing his velocity a little bit to help ensure better durability.

It hasn’t impacted his production.

deGrom has a 2.29 ERA and 0.980 WHIP across 51 innings with 53 striketous and a 1.5 WAR. His production, along with the rest of the starting rotation, has kept the team afloat this season.

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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.

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