deGrom Survives France's Two-Homer Night as Rangers Edge Padres 9-7
Ty France went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI — and still ended up on the losing side. Texas held on for a 9-7 win despite getting torched for six earned runs in six innings by their own starter, Jacob deGrom.
The story of the night was the bizarre disconnect between individual brilliance and team outcome. France was the best hitter on the field — two home runs, five RBI, two runs scored — and San Diego still lost. Gavin Sheets added a 2-for-4 line with a homer and two RBI of his own, giving the Padres three home runs and seven runs total. On most nights, that's enough to win a baseball game. Not this one.
DeGrom's line looks like a disaster on paper — 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB in six innings — but Texas's offense did enough damage elsewhere to bail him out. Wyatt Langford went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI. Alejandro Osuna contributed 2-for-3 with two RBI. Jake Burger drove in two more on a 1-for-4 night, and Brandon Nimmo chipped in a 2-for-5 performance with an RBI. That's five different Rangers hitters with multiple RBI, which appears to be what separated these two clubs when the final out was recorded. DeGrom did punch out nine batters, so even in a rough outing he was missing bats — the Rangers' bullpen then handled the final three innings cleanly, with Jacob Latz going 1.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
On the San Diego side, the pitching staff looks like it had a rough night structurally. Yuki Matsui started and lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out three. Wandy Peralta followed with 1.2 innings of scoreless work. The Padres needed a lot of arms to get through this game, and it still wasn't enough. Worth noting: this game began with only two umpires on the field due to travel issues — an unusual backdrop that, whatever its effect, didn't slow down the offense on either side. Texas takes the win at 9-7, and France's five-RBI performance deserves recognition even in defeat — it's the kind of night that should have been the headline for a winning team.