Jacob deGrom haunted by familiar demons as Yankees beat Rangers

The ghost of October pasts and the specter of a single swing of the bat. For Jacob deGrom, Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium was a masterclass in dominance undone by the one pitch he cannot have back. The Texas Rangers ace watched a 3-0 lead evaporate into a 7-4 loss to the New York Yankees, a defeat that felt less like a bad outing and more like a recurring nightmare.

DeGrom was electric through the first inning, striking out the side and looking every bit the two-time Cy Young winner the Rangers hoped they were getting. But baseball is a game of millimeters and moments. In the sixth inning, with the score tied, Jazz Chisholm Jr. turned a 98 mph fastball into a souvenir, sending it into the right-field seats for a go-ahead homer that broke the Rangers’ back. It was the second career homer off deGrom for Chisholm, a fact that underscores the growing list of hitters who have solved the enigma, if only for a split second.

The Yankees, winners of five straight and 15 of their last 17, continue to look like a team of destiny. But this win was about more than just a streak. It was about exposing the fragility that still clings to deGrom like a shadow.

The deGrom conundrum: elite stuff, fragile results

Let’s be clear: Jacob deGrom is still throwing 99 mph with movement that defies physics. Through the first four innings, he allowed just two hits and struck out six. The problem? The two hits he allowed were both home runs. The first came in the second inning when Ryan McMahon crushed a two-run shot to left field, tying the game at 3-3. McMahon became only the fourth player in history with at least three career homers off deGrom, joining an elite club that includes Giancarlo Stanton (four), Freddie Freeman, and Austin Riley.

This is the deGrom conundrum that has haunted him since his Mets days. He can carve up a lineup for 18 outs, but one mistake—one elevated fastball or a hanging slider—turns a masterpiece into a moral victory. Against a Yankees lineup that is red-hot, there is no room for a single error.

Expert analysis: DeGrom’s release point has been inconsistent in his last two starts. When he drops his arm slot, his fastball flattens out, and elite hitters like Chisholm and McMahon can square it up. The Rangers’ coaching staff needs to watch the tape closely. If deGrom cannot maintain his vertical angle, he will continue to give up hard contact in the middle of the zone.

The Yankees, to their credit, did not panic. After falling behind 3-0 in the first inning—thanks to a two-run double by Cody Bellinger that scored Aaron Judge—they chipped away. Bellinger was the offensive engine all night, finishing with three RBIs. His two-run double in the seventh inning off Jalen Beeks came immediately after the Yankees intentionally walked Judge, a decision that backfired spectacularly.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: the spark the Yankees needed

When the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins, the narrative was about athleticism and energy. What they got was a clutch performer who thrives under the bright lights. His go-ahead homer in the sixth inning was not just a home run—it was a statement.

Chisholm turned on a 1-0 fastball that was supposed to be up and away. Instead, deGrom left it middle-in, and Chisholm did not miss. The ball landed in the right-field seats, and the Yankee Stadium crowd erupted. For Chisholm, it was his second career homer off deGrom, a remarkable feat considering deGrom’s career .220 opponent batting average.

Key moment: The pitch sequence leading up to the homer was telling. DeGrom threw a first-pitch slider for a strike, then tried to blow a fastball by Chisholm. It was the same approach that has worked for years, but Chisholm was sitting on the heat. The adjustment by the Yankees’ hitters—sitting fastball and reacting to the slider—is a blueprint that other teams will now study.

Chisholm’s energy is infectious. He is the kind of player who makes the Yankees dangerous in October. With Judge, Stanton, and now Chisholm, the Bombers have three legitimate threats who can change a game with one swing.

Cody Bellinger: the quiet engine of the lineup

While Chisholm gets the headlines, Cody Bellinger was the steady hand that kept the Yankees in the game. His RBI double in the first inning cut the deficit to 3-1, preventing the game from getting out of hand early. Then, in the seventh, with the game still tight at 4-3, Bellinger delivered the knockout blow.

After the Rangers intentionally walked Aaron Judge—a decision that made sense on paper—Bellinger stepped to the plate against Jalen Beeks. He ripped a two-run double into the gap, scoring Judge and Chisholm. The lead swelled to 7-3, and the game was effectively over.

Bullet points of Bellinger’s impact:

• First inning: RBI double to score Judge, cutting the lead to 3-1.
• Seventh inning: Two-run double after Judge was intentionally walked, making it 7-3.
• Defensive play: Made a sliding catch in center field to rob Adolis García of extra bases in the fifth inning.

Bellinger is the kind of player who does not always show up in the box score as a star, but his presence in the lineup lengthens the Yankees’ attack. With Judge drawing intentional walks, Bellinger makes teams pay. That is the mark of a championship-caliber lineup.

The Rangers’ bullpen: a familiar weakness

Texas cannot pin this loss entirely on deGrom. The bullpen, which has been a sore spot all season, failed to hold the line. After deGrom exited with the game tied, reliever Jalen Beeks immediately surrendered the two-run double to Bellinger. The Rangers’ relief corps has a collective ERA north of 4.50, and that is not sustainable for a team with playoff aspirations.

Prediction: The Rangers will need to make a trade for a high-leverage reliever before the deadline if they want to compete in a brutal AL West. The Yankees exposed a bullpen that lacks a true shutdown arm. If Texas cannot get outs in the seventh and eighth innings, deGrom’s quality starts will continue to go to waste.

For the Yankees, the bullpen is a strength. Clay Holmes closed the door in the ninth, striking out two and preserving the win. New York’s relief corps has a 2.89 ERA over the last 17 games, a major reason for their surge.

What this means for the season

The Yankees are rolling. They are 15-2 in their last 17 games, and they are doing it with a mix of power hitting and timely pitching. Aaron Judge is still the MVP frontrunner, but the supporting cast—Chisholm, Bellinger, Stanton—is clicking at the perfect time. This team looks like a legitimate World Series contender.

For the Rangers, the loss is more concerning. Jacob deGrom is supposed to be the ace who stabilizes a rotation full of question marks. Instead, he is still haunted by the same demons: one bad pitch per game that costs him a win. At 35 years old, deGrom’s margin for error is shrinking. He cannot afford to give up three homers in a single start, especially against a team as hot as the Yankees.

Final prediction: The Yankees will win the AL East. The Rangers will win the AL West, but only if they fix the bullpen and deGrom learns to limit the damage. If deGrom continues to give up homers in key moments, Texas will be a first-round exit. The Yankees, on the other hand, look like they are built for a deep October run.

Conclusion: The ghost of greatness

Jacob deGrom is still one of the most talented pitchers in baseball. His stuff is elite, his work ethic is legendary, and his resume speaks for itself. But Tuesday night was a reminder that talent alone is not enough. The Yankees showed that they can wait, they can adjust, and they can strike when it matters most.

For deGrom, the familiar demons are not about velocity or movement. They are about the one pitch that gets away. Until he can exorcise that ghost, the Yankees—and the rest of baseball—will keep coming for him.

The Rangers lost the game, but the story is bigger than one night in the Bronx. It is about whether Jacob deGrom can still be the pitcher he once was, or whether the game has finally caught up to him. The answer, for now, remains as elusive as his fastball.

Source: Based on news from Deadspin.

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