ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom allowed a second-inning single in seven shutout innings while bouncing back from one of his worst major league starts, and the Texas Rangers beat the Athletics 8-1 on Monday night.
Brandon Nimmo had two hits, two RBIs and scored a run, and Justin Foscue added a solo home run for the Rangers (68-70), who trail Cleveland by 1 1/2 games in the race for the final AL wild-card spot.
Lawrence Butler led off the second inning with a sharp hit to right field off DeGrom (10-9), who struck out eight and faced the minimum 21 batters in his seven innings. After his leadoff single, Butler was retired on an inning-ending double play. The 38-year-old right-hander was coming off an outing in which he matched career highs by allowing six runs in the first inning and eight total in 3 2/3 innings last Tuesday at the Chicago White Sox.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is 7-2 at home this season with a 2.42 ERA, compared to 3-7 with a 5.86 ERA away from Globe Life Field. In his previous home start, deGrom allowed one hit in six shutout innings against Washington while matching a season high with 10 strikeouts.
Rookie Gage Jump (6-9) allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings for the Athletics (53-85), who have lost four straight. They finished August 8-20, their worst performance in the month since going 7-21 in 1978.
Nimmo – one of two left-handed hitters in Texas’ starting lineup against the left-handed Gage – scored in the Rangers’ two-run second inning after leading off with a swinging-bunt single that Jump bobbled. He singled home Corey Seager – the other lefty – in the third inning and brought home Ezequiel Duran with a sacrifice fly in the three-run fifth.
Foscue hit his 10th homer leading off the fourth.
Carlos Cortes singled off Ben Peoples to begin the Athletics’ ninth and scored on Darell Hernaiz’s sacrifice fly.
Up next
Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (7-10, 4.40 ERA) is scheduled to start against Athletics LHP Brady Basso (0-1, 4.50) on Tuesday.
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