Rangers fall to Mariners 5-4 on Aug 3, 2025, despite Jacob deGrom's 1,800 K record. Julio Rodríguez's historic HR spoiled the milestone moment for Texas.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a day for the MLB record books in Seattle, but unfortunately for the Texas Rangers, the wrong side of history got the final say. While Jacob deGrom etched his name as the fastest pitcher ever to 1,800 strikeouts, a history-making home run from Mariners' star Julio Rodríguez powered Seattle to a tight 5-4 victory, spoiling the ace's milestone moment in a classic divisional battle.
Jacob deGrom is officially the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 1,800 career strikeouts, by both games and innings pitched.
The afternoon's most anticipated moment for Rangers fans arrived in the 2nd inning. Facing J.P. Crawford, Jacob deGrom unleashed a blistering 98.7 mph fastball for the strikeout, his 1,800th in the majors. He achieved the milestone faster than any pitcher before him, a testament to his generational dominance. However, the celebration was tempered in the very next inning when Mariners' superstar Julio Rodríguez answered with history of his own, launching a two-run homer off deGrom. The blast made Rodríguez the first player ever to begin a career with four consecutive 20-homer, 20-stolen base seasons, and it gave Seattle a lead they would not relinquish.
The Rangers' offense didn't go down without a fight, powered by their two biggest bats. Corey Seager briefly gave Texas the lead in the 3rd inning, crushing a 395-foot, two-run homer to center. Not to be outdone, Adolis García continued his hot hitting, launching a solo shot in the 6th and adding a crucial RBI double in the 4th. 'El Bombi' accounted for two of the team's four runs, proving once again he's the engine of this offense. Despite their efforts, the Mariners' three home runs were just enough to outpace the Rangers' power display.
It was a paradoxical outing for the Rangers' ace. DeGrom's stuff was electric, as evidenced by his eight strikeouts and the historic milestone. However, the long ball haunted him. He surrendered three home runs—to Rodríguez, J.P. Crawford, and Jorge Polanco—which accounted for all five of Seattle's runs. His final line of 6 innings pitched with 5 earned runs is a tough pill to swallow on a day his name went into the all-time record books, highlighting the thin margin for error in the big leagues.
Despite the sting of a one-run divisional loss, the Rangers' bats showed plenty of life. With the power of Corey Seager and Adolis García clicking, the key moving forward will be to provide that same run support while preventing the big inning that proved costly today. This series in Seattle is far from over, and every game against an AL West rival is crucial in the playoff hunt.
