Rangers' streak continues
Jacob deGrom dominates, Rangers extend 6-game win streak with gift run over Guardians
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Jacob deGrom struck out 11 and retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced, and the Texas Rangers extended their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night. Yahoo Sports reported that the Rangers also caught a huge break when Cleveland rookie catcher Cooper Ingle accidentally tossed a live ball into the stands, handing Texas the go-ahead run.
The win keeps the Rangers (52-34) firmly atop the AL West, now holding a 2.5-game lead over the Houston Astros. Texas is playing its best baseball since its 2023 championship run.
deGrom Looks Like His Old Self Again
DeGrom, 38, gave up a 412-foot, two-run homer to Kyle Manzardo in the first inning. Then he flipped a switch. He retired 18 of the next 19 batters he faced, touching 101.2 mph on the radar gun in the fifth inning. His slider whiff rate hit 54% during the middle innings — the highest single-game mark of the 2026 season, according to Daily Gazette.
"The home run to Kyle was a mistake in location," deGrom said after the game. "After that, I felt my rhythm sync up." Rangers manager Bruce Bochy called it a "vintage" performance. Critics had labeled deGrom's $185 million contract a sunk cost after two elbow surgeries. Tuesday night was his answer.
Rookie Ingle's Blunder Flips the Score
With the score tied 2-2 in the seventh inning, Cleveland catcher Cooper Ingle blocked a pitch and grabbed the live ball. Ingle thought the inning was over. He tossed the ball into the stands for a fan. It wasn't over. Under MLB Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G), throwing a live ball into the stands earns runners two bases. Rangers runner Evan Carter was already on third. He walked home. Texas led 3-2.
"It's a nightmare scenario," Ingle said after the game. "I lost track of the outs. I feel like I let the whole pitching staff down." Guardians manager Stephen Vogt was blunt. "Against a guy like deGrom, you can't give away free bases, let alone runs," he said. Lancaster Online noted the play was one of three "avoidable" losses for Cleveland in the past week.
Veterans Jung and Pederson Provide the Power
Texas trailed 2-0 after the first inning but chipped away. Joc Pederson hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 2-1. Josh Jung tied the game at 2-2 with a solo shot to left field in the sixth. Corey Seager then added an RBI double in the eighth for the 4-2 final, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
Closer Kirby Yates finished the job in the ninth. The Rangers have now won six straight games on a 10-game road trip. Manager Bruce Bochy kept it simple: "That's six in a row. We got a break with the ball in the stands, but you take those wins on the road however they come."
Rangers Surge Reshapes the AL West Race
Texas entered 2026 with questions after a slow April and May. This six-game streak is the longest for the Rangers since their World Series title in 2023. At 52-34, they now have a clear grip on the AL West lead. Ratings for Rangers broadcasts have surged 22% during the streak, signaling renewed fan energy heading into the All-Star break.
Cleveland faces a different kind of pressure. The Guardians may move veteran catcher Bo Naylor back into a primary starting role to calm a young defense that has struggled. Bozeman Daily Chronicle noted the national framing of this game as a possible ALCS preview — veteran poise in Texas versus youthful volatility in Cleveland.
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