Julio Rodríguez hit a crucial three-run home run in the eighth inning, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 comeback win against the Texas Rangers on Friday night, spoiling Jacob deGrom’s much-anticipated return to the mound after Tommy John surgery.
DeGrom, pitching for the first time since April 2023, left the game after 3 2/3 innings with the Rangers holding a 2-0 lead.
Texas eventually built a 4-0 advantage, but Seattle rallied in the later innings, sparked by Rodríguez, who first doubled in the seventh to set up two runs.
Rodríguez hit his 15th home run of the season, launching the ball deep into left field with two outs in the eighth off Rangers reliever David Robertson (3-4).
“I feel like that’s every player’s dream,” Rodríguez said of his game-winning homer. “You want to be in the batter’s box in those moments.”
JT Chargois (3-1) struck out three batters in the eighth to earn the win, while Andrés Muñoz closed out the ninth inning with one strikeout for his 21st save of the season.
DeGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, struck out four and allowed four hits during his 61-pitch outing, showing flashes of his previous form but leaving with two runners on base after reaching his pitch count.
“The last thing I’m trying to figure out is my slider,” deGrom said. “It’s not as consistent as it normally is.”
Texas built an early lead, with a critical mistake from Mariners starter Emerson Hancock leading to a 2-0 edge.
Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung delivered two-out RBI singles in the first inning, and Wyatt Langford added a solo home run in the fourth to extend the Rangers’ lead.
Seattle’s offense picked up in the seventh inning when Rodríguez’s double set the stage for two runs.
Cal Raleigh’s sacrifice fly and Randy Arozarena’s RBI single brought the Mariners within two runs before Rodríguez’s eighth-inning blast completed the comeback.
“That home run was crushed,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “It was a big blow at a crucial moment.”
On Saturday, Max Scherzer is scheduled to return for the Rangers after a stint on the injured list, while Logan Gilbert will start for the Mariners.
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