All-Star starter battle turns sour
The Texas Rangers scored five runs but the Anaheim Angels scored six runs.
All-Star starting pitchers Jacob deGrom and Yusei Kikuchi were supposed to be locked in a pitchers’ duel tonight but deGrom had his worst outing (5 IP, 3 R) since May and Kikuchi seemed hurt a couple of times and also last only five innings while allowing four runs.
Still, the Rangers had a lead when deGrom exited but it lasted exactly until the next inning when the Angels scored two, two-out runs off of Shawn Armstrong.
The usually rally repellant Rangers did even the score in the eighth thanks to a stroke of good fortune when Jake Burger reached on a wild pitch while striking out. He came home on a Josh Smith RBI double.
Tied in the ninth, with their 178th extra inning game in the last couple of weeks looming, the Rangers avoided extra frames but not a loss as the Angels walked it off on a bases loaded walk.
Player of the Game: Corey Seager had a couple of hits, including a two-run home run in the first inning that gave Texas an early lead.
Up Next: The Rangers and Angels are back at it again tomorrow at west coast hours with RHP Nathan Eovaldi set to pitch for Texas against RHP José Soriano for Anaheim.
First pitch from the Big A is scheduled for 8:38 pm CT and will be shown on the Rangers Sports Network.