Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom will look to continue his impressive form when he takes the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. DeGrom, who celebrated his 37th birthday just a day ago, has been a bright spot in the Rangers’ uneven season, delivering steady performances while remaining durable in an injury-riddled rotation.
DeGrom has made 14 starts this season and has not had more than 15 starts in a year since 2019. Despite concerns about his long-term health, deGrom has been feeling good and is focused on maintaining his durability over the course of the season. “I think based on long-term health and probably what’s best for me and the team would be to not try to get to 200 innings this year,” deGrom said after his most recent outing.
DeGrom is on a franchise-record streak of 11 consecutive starts of five or more innings while allowing two or fewer runs. He extended that stretch on Saturday when he threw six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked none, and struck out six against the Chicago White Sox in a game Texas won 5-4 in 11 innings. DeGrom has a strong record against the Pirates, going 2-3 with a 2.39 ERA in eight career starts.
The Rangers are looking to snap a three-game skid after being swept by the visiting Kansas City Royals. Meanwhile, the Pirates will be counting on rookie Mike Burrows to build some momentum after a rough road trip. Burrows has shown marked improvement in June, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts, allowing three runs in 15 innings while striking out 20 and walking three.
The Pirates concluded a rough road trip by splitting a long, weather-delayed doubleheader with the Tigers in Detroit on Thursday. Burrows will try to lead his team to a victory against deGrom and the Rangers. With both teams looking to turn their fortunes around, this promises to be an exciting matchup .