Rangers’ Jacob deGrom faces Astros in search of 100th career win

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom looks to bounce back from a pair of rough starts when he takes the mound against the Houston Astros on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.

Houston opened the four-game series on Monday with three pitchers throwing a combined no-hitter in a 9-0 victory. The Rangers responded with eight runs in the first inning on Tuesday and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 10-7 win.

Joc Pederson belted a three-run homer and Evan Carter fell a double shy of the cycle and drove in three runs for the Rangers, who snapped the Astros' four-game winning streak.

Texas recorded its season high for runs in an inning and matched its season-best run total for a game.

"It doesn't make any sense sometimes," Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. "You're trying to think of different ways to win games (after Monday's loss) and then we come out and walk and slug. It's just kind of a crazy game, but the first inning set the tone. ... It was a good day for the offense."

After allowing 16 runs in the last two games, the Rangers could use a quality outing from deGrom (3-4, 3.86 ERA). The two-time Cy Young Award winner is seeking his 100th career victory.

The right-hander has given up a total of 10 runs in his last two starts, including six runs over three innings in a 9-6 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Friday.

"It's just the missed location," Schumaker said. "It's just up and middle. You see where the glove is, and where the pitch ends up, major league hitters do damage on mistakes. Right now, the last couple of starts, some of the mistakes are getting hit."

Christian Walker is 2-for-21 with two homers against deGrom, who is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA in five career starts versus Houston.

The Astros will counter with right-hander Mike Burrows (2-6, 5.75), who allowed four runs over six innings in a 4-1 road loss to the Minnesota Twins last Wednesday.

Burrows has given up 12 home runs in 10 starts this season covering 56 1/3 innings. He is making his second career start against the Rangers.

Burrows yielded four runs over 4 2/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Texas while pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 20, 2025.

Houston has won seven of its last 11 games despite missing starting pitcher Hunter Brown (right shoulder strain), closer Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis), outfielder Joey Loperfido (right quad strain) and second baseman Jose Altuve (left oblique muscle strain).

Brown, Hader and Loperfido have begun their minor league rehab assignments, while Altuve is expected to increase his baseball activities this week.

The Astros' offense has been led by designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, who had two homers with four RBIs on Tuesday and has gone deep three times in the last two games. Alvarez leads Houston with 18 homers and is one behind American League leader Munetaka Murakami.

"Right now, anytime he goes up there, you feel like he can cut the lead in half with one swing of the bat," Astros manager Joe Espada said of Alvarez.

--Field Level Media