WASHINGTON (AP) — Jacob deGrom allowed two hits in seven shutout innings and Marcus Semien drove in three runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday that snapped a four-game skid.
DeGrom (6-2) threw 81 pitches and struck out eight while lowering his ERA to 2.12. Luke Jackson and Chris Martin each pitched a scoreless inning to close it out.
Sam Haggerty and Josh Jung singled off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker in the first inning. Semien drove in Haggerty with a single and Jung scored from first when the ball got by center fielder Robert Hassell III for an error.
Parker retired 14 straight after Semien's hit until Haggerty beat out a grounder to third to begin the sixth. Hassell made a catch on the warning track on Wyatt Langford's fly ball and threw to second to get Haggerty trying to advance for the double play and his second career assist.
Texas added three insurance runs off reliever Eduardo Salazar in the eighth. Haggerty and Langford led off with singles and Semien hit a two-run double. Adolis García singled in the final run.
Parker (4-6) allowed two runs — one earned — and four hits in six innings.
Washington beat Texas 2-0 in the opener.
Key moment
Jackson replaced deGrom to begin the eighth and allowed a single and a walk. But he came back to get Keibert Ruiz to ground into a double play before retiring José Tena on a groundout.
Key stat
DeGrom has made 14 starts this season — already more than he had in any of the past three seasons. He hasn't made more than 15 in a season since 2019, when he had 32 with the Mets.
Up next
The Rangers hadn't announced a starter for Sunday, while the Nationals will send out RHP Trevor Williams (3-6, 6.03)
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The Associated Press
