NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom received a present in his return to Citi Field: a a six-run lead before he threw a pitch.
He was greeted with applause when he came out to warm up before his first appearance against the New York Mets since leaving in December 2022.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner who went 82-57 in nine seasons for the Mets, deGrom received a somewhat muted response when he took the mound only because fans were stunned when the Texas Rangers knocked out rookie Josh Tong after two outs in a 22-minute top of the first on Friday night.
DeGrom gave up three runs in the third inning but steadied to retire his final 15 batters, leaving him with a 2.82 ERA in a season in which he earned his fifth All-Star selection and first since 2021. He allowed just the three runs and four hits in seven innings.
He averaged 98 mph with his fastball, topping at 99.6 mph.
New York played a video montage of deGrom highlights before the game to Lynard Skynard’s “Simple Man,” his old warmup song, and he tipped his cap when shown on video board when throwing long-toss. “Welcome back Jacob” flashing in large letters. He was given another ovation when the screen showed him warming up on a bullpen mound.
DeGrom entered with a 2.12 regular-season ERA at Citi Field, the second-lowest for a pitcher since 1920 throwing at least 500 innings at a ballpark, trailing only Sandy Koufax’s 1.37 at Dodger Stadium. The Mets scored four runs for him in only 26 of 109 regular-season home games.
“He’s excited to be back. He’s got great memories here, as he should,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said before the game. “I’m pretty sure a lot of things will be going through his mind as he’s heading to the bullpen.”
DeGrom, who turned 37 in June, won the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year and 2018 and ’19 NL Cy Youngs with the Mets. He is the franchise leader in ERA (2.52), WHIP (.998) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.91) among pitchers with at least 500 innings.
“He represented a lot and meant a lot to this organization,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He was a show. He was the guy that people came to the ballpark to watch him pitch.”
He was limited to 26 starts in 2021-22 because of right side tightness, his ’21 season ended before the All-Star break by right forearm tightness and his 2022 debut delayed until August by a right shoulder injury.
DeGrom opted out of his Mets contract after the 2022 season, giving up a $30.5 million salary, for 2023 and signed a $185 million, five-year contract with the Rangers. He made just six starts, had Tommy John surgery that June 12 and didn’t return until Sept. 13 last year.
DeGrom returned to his old self this year, entering the game with a 97.5 mph fastball velocity earned entered Friday with a 97.5 mph fastball velocity, second in the major leagues behind Paul Skenes’ 98.2 mph for those throwing at least 1,000 pitches. DeGrom retired Baltimore’s first 18 batters on June 25 before Colton Cowser’s leadoff single int he seventh.
“We’re looking at the guy that you guys saw here for a long time: electric stuff and his ability to command the baseball,” Mendoza told reporters before the game.”
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