The Texas Rangers long ago came to terms that they wouldn’t repeat as World Series champions, but three glimpses at Jacob deGrom have provided a hint at a potentially bright 2025.
The Los Angeles Angels (63-97), in the midst of the worst season in team history, are running out of time to find similar reasons to look optimistically at next year.
The Rangers will aim to lock up a series win, and the Angels will hope to avoid adding another loss to the franchise’s single-season record Saturday night when the teams meet in the middle game of a three-game set in Anaheim, Calif.
Left-hander Andrew Heaney (5-14, 3.98 ERA) is slated to start for the Rangers against right-hander Griffin Canning (6-13, 5.24).
Texas’ Carson Kelly came within a triple of the cycle Friday night, and Wyatt Langford and Adolis Garcia hit back-to-back homers in the first inning of a 5-2 win that sent the Angels to their fourth loss in a row.
With the victory, the Rangers (76-84) improved to 12-12 this month. Texas has won three of its last five games after going 3-8 from Sept. 10 through Sept. 21, a span in which it was officially eliminated from playoff contention.
The Rangers finally got a look this month at deGrom, who allowed one run over four innings Friday in his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery. The two-time Cy Young Award winner finished the season with a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings and expects to have a normal offseason program.
“The goal was to get out there and make a few starts, and we were able to do that,” deGrom said. “Everything felt good, and it felt like stuff was getting better each time. So it’s a good feeling going into the offseason and getting ready for next year.”
Good feelings have been in short supply for the Angels, who set the franchise record for defeats in a single season with Thursday’s 7-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Los Angeles, which was only the second team to get swept this season by the 121-loss White Sox, hasn’t led since the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to Chicago.
The Angels fell behind 3-0 in the first inning of Friday’s game, when they were retired in order just once but finished 2-of-16 with runners on base.
“Even though he’s on his way back, he’s still a quality pitcher,” Angels manager Ron Washington said of deGrom. “And when you face that kind of guy, you’ve got to match his zeros. We just couldn’t match his zeros.”
Heaney didn’t factor into the decision in his most recent start last Sunday, when he allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Rangers’ 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners. The southpaw, who pitched for the Angels from 2015-21, is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA in five career games (three starts) against his former club, including 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two starts this season.
Canning also didn’t factor into the decision last Sunday after surrendering four runs over 4 1/3 innings in the Angels’ 9-8 win over the Houston Astros. He is 2-3 with a 5.50 ERA in eight games (six starts) against the Rangers. Opposing them on July 10, he gave up two runs in 4 1/3 innings and took a no-decision as Texas earned a 7-2 win.
