Aces on mound as Rangers clash with Blue Jays

The Texas Rangers will have a modicum of momentum when they host the swooning Toronto Blue Jays on Monday afternoon in the opener of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

The Memorial Day matinee will begin with a pair of ace right-handers on the mound. Kevin Gausman (4-4, 4.03 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays while Texas will counter with Jacob deGrom (4-1, 2.33).

Monday's game is the start of a six-game homestand for Texas, which heads home after dropping series in New York to the Yankees and in Chicago to the White Sox. The Rangers snapped a season-worst six-game losing streak when they scored three runs in the ninth to come from behind for a 5-4 win on the Windy City's South Side on Sunday afternoon.

The holiday afternoon clash is the fourth outing of a six-game road trip for the Blue Jays, who were swept in a three-game set in Tampa Bay while scoring two total runs against the Rays over the weekend. Toronto, which fell 13-0 on Sunday after losing 3-1 on both Friday and Saturday, has dropped three of its past four series, with the outlier a three-game sweep of San Diego at home May 20-22.

Gausman was fabulous in his most recent start, pitching seven scoreless innings in a 14-0 win over the Padres on Wednesday. He allowed just three hits, struck out nine and did not issue a walk.

"If Gausman can do that every game, that's big," Toronto manager John Schneider said. "You think back to a few years ago where he was that (almost) every night out. He still has the ability to be that. Hopefully, this is something he can build on. That would be a big stabilizing force for us."

The performance was a nice bounce back from Gausman's previous appearance in which he surrendered six runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a May 15 game the Blue Jays lost 8-3 at home to the Rays.

Gausman has faced the Rangers 13 times in his career, with 12 of those starts. He has compiled a 7-3 mark with a 3.42 ERA in 76 1/3 innings pitched against Texas, allowing 29 runs on 72 hits and 25 walks with 75 strikeouts.

The Rangers' deGrom has been more than solid this year in his return from missing more than a year following a second Tommy John surgery in June 2023. He had won four straight starts until a no-decision in his most recent outing, allowing two runs on three hits over seven innings in a contest Texas lost 4-3 to the host New York Yankees on Wednesday.

"I'm just really happy for Jacob," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. "I know he was getting tired of sitting on the sidelines. And now he's back healthy. It's exciting to see one of the best pitchers ever back in the game."

A two-time Cy Young Award winner while in the National League, deGrom has just one lifetime appearance against Toronto, earning a win in 2020 while with the Mets in a game where he allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine in six innings.

--Field Level Media