Rangers vs Cardinals Recap: Duran, deGrom Lift Texas to 2-1 Win

The Texas Rangers rolled into St. Louis with momentum on their side. They'd won four straight games and stood at 29-31 on the season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were stumbling at 31-27 after losing their last game. You could feel the Rangers' confidence walking into Busch Stadium on this Monday night. Star pitcher Jacob deGrom took the mound for Texas, and he looked dominant from pitch one. The Cardinals' Michael McGreevy started for St. Louis, ready to battle. Both teams knew this game mattered. One team would leave feeling great. The other would go home frustrated. Final score: Texas 2, St. Louis 1. The Rangers' ace made all the difference. deGrom's arm was a weapon. His pitches painted the corners. Cardinals bats stayed silent early. St. Louis hitters couldn't time his throws. Texas smelled blood in the water.

In the fourth inning, the Rangers got going. Ezequiel Duran stepped up against McGreevy with two outs on the board. The pitch came in—a 78-mile-per-hour curve that hung just enough. Duran's bat connected with a crack. The ball sailed to left field and dropped in for a double. Brandon Nimmo raced home from first base, and Texas led 1-0. One inning later, the Rangers struck again. Joc Pederson came up with a runner on third. McGreevy threw an 87-mile-per-hour cutter. Pederson slapped it toward center field for a single. Danny Jansen scored easily. Lopez advanced to third. Now Texas led 2-0. The Cardinals' bats were quiet. St. Louis hitters couldn't catch up to deGrom's fastball. Texas' pitching was suffocating. St. Louis needed answers fast.

The Cardinals finally woke up in the sixth inning. Masyn Winn stepped into the box against reliever Peyton Gray. The Rangers pitcher wound up and released an 88-mile-per-hour slider. Strike one, called. Gray came back with an 84-mile-per-hour changeup. Winn fouled it off. He wasn't giving up. The next pitch—Winn was ready. His bat whipped around and the ball exploded off his bat. It rocketed toward left field like a missile shot from a cannon. The ball traveled 384 feet. It soared over the wall. The crowd at Busch Stadium roared. One-zero became two-one. St. Louis had life. But time was running out. deGrom's brilliant pitching held strong. Texas' relievers shut the door. Jansen, Tyler Alexander, Jakob Junis, and Jacob Latz combined to keep the Cardinals quiet. No more runs crossed the plate. Texas hung on tight. Final: Rangers 2, Cardinals 1.