The Texas Rangers are drawing inspiration from right-hander Jacob deGrom, who recently exercised his no-trade clause to block a move to the Atlanta Braves. Riding a four-game winning streak, the Rangers aim to complete a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
On Saturday, Corey Seager’s three-run homer and deGrom’s five solid innings—allowing just one run on three hits while striking out nine—helped the Rangers secure a 5-1 victory over Baltimore. This marked deGrom’s first start since affirming his commitment to stay with the Rangers and lead the team toward the postseason and a World Series title.
Seager emphasized the impact of deGrom’s decision, stating, “When somebody goes out and says that and says that’s why he wanted to stay, that means a lot. That goes a long way in a clubhouse. I think people are rallying behind that, and that’s exciting.” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker praised both players, calling them “aircraft carriers” for the team’s success.
Currently, the Rangers hold the third and final wild-card spot in the American League, trailing the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West by just half a game. Meanwhile, Baltimore has dropped three consecutive games, falling three games behind Texas in the wild-card race. The Orioles have struggled offensively, scoring only one run in each of their last three contests.
Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz acknowledged the team’s challenges, noting the need to return to small-ball tactics to advance runners and generate offense. The Orioles went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position on Saturday and are hitting just 3-for-25 over their last seven games.
For the series finale, Baltimore will start left-hander Cade Povich (2-1, 3.91 ERA), who recently made his first start in nearly three months. On Tuesday, Povich struck out seven over six scoreless innings in a 3-1 home victory against the Los Angeles Angels. The 26-year-old threw 60 of 88 pitches for strikes and recorded two pickoffs, which Albernaz described as “huge” in controlling the game.
Povich will face the Rangers for the second time in his career, having allowed two runs over five innings in a 6-5 win on June 29, 2024. The Rangers will counter with right-hander Kumar Rocker (4-8, 4.08 ERA), who last pitched against the Houston Astros, allowing three runs and a career-high 10 hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-3 loss.
Rocker, 26, has struggled with control recently, issuing multiple walks in each of his last four starts, though he maintains a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio of 98-to-40 over 108 innings this season. He is set to make his first career appearance against Baltimore in Sunday’s game.
