This anticipated pitchers' duel fully lived up to expectations, with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom getting the win for the Texas Rangers over the blossoming Houston Astros standout who is 10 years younger and threw his first career complete game.
Even before the Rangers won 1-0 , manager Bruce Bochy talked about how deGrom will go down as one of the best pitchers ever in the game. He also said Hunter Brown was getting established as one of the best with what he has done over the last year for the Astros.
"Everything we thought this game would be, runs would be at a premium," Bochy said. "I didn't know it'd be one."
Jake Burger led off the sixth with a homer and Texas beat the Astros on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.
The 36-year-old deGrom 4-1, who missed most of the past two seasons after joining Texas because of Tommy John surgery, struck out seven over eight innings and walked just one. The right-hander threw 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.