For six innings, Jacob deGrom gave Texas everything it needed to win. The game was close, the pitching was sharp, and the Rangers held a lead. Then the eighth inning happened, and Miami walked away with a 4-2 victory.
deGrom worked 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts on 91 pitches. It was the kind of start that wins most nights. He took the loss, falling to 6-5 with a 3.55 ERA. John King, who threw a scoreless seventh inning, earned the win to improve to 5-1. Peter Fairbanks recorded his 12th save, allowing 1 run in the ninth.
Texas struck first. Wyatt Langford homered to center — 437 feet — in the fourth inning to put the Rangers ahead 1-0. Miami answered immediately in the bottom half when Griffin Conine doubled to right, scoring Lopez to tie the game at 1-1. The Marlins took the lead for good in the fifth, when Xavier Edwards singled to right and Caissie scored to make it 2-1. In the eighth, Otto Lopez homered to left center — 427 feet — with Navarreto scoring on the play, extending Miami's lead to 4-1. Joc Pederson hit a solo shot to center in the ninth, but it only trimmed the final margin to 4-2.
Langford finished 2-for-4 with the home run and 1 RBI. Lopez went 2-for-3 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. Pederson was 1-for-4 with his 11th home run of the season.
Miami improved to 41-39. Texas fell to 38-41. Pederson is 2 doubles away from 200 career doubles.