ANAHEIM -- The visitors' clubhouse at Angel Stadium was quiet on Friday night. At the center sat Jacob deGrom -- the picture of an ace struggling with the frustration of a game that slipped away before it ever truly began.
For a pitcher whose identity is rooted in absolute precision, Friday’s 9-6 loss to the Angels marked a jarring departure from form. Tagged for six earned runs on six hits and three walks over just three innings, deGrom found himself fighting a battle of his own making for the second consecutive start -- a sudden vulnerability for an ace who entered the night holding a 3.02 ERA through his first nine starts of the 2026 campaign.
The trouble began on deGrom’s first pitch of the game, when Zach Neto hammered a 97.1 mph four-seamer for a solo home run. Later, after walks to Mike Trout and Jorge Soler, Wade Meckler hit a three-run blast on another fastball left over the plate, staking the Angels to a 4-0 lead.
"[I] seem to be throwing the ball right down the middle," a visibly frustrated deGrom said, staring at the floor. "I'm not executing and put us in a bad spot. That's where we lost again, giving up six runs in three innings. It's a terrible performance by me. We've got to get back to hitting spots and pitching."
Manager Skip Schumaker noted that even the game's best will pay the price when missing their spots over the heart of the plate.
"I think it's just mislocation," Schumaker said. "Balls are up, out over the plate, and Major League hitters do damage on those pitches. It doesn't matter who's on the mound; even a guy like Jacob deGrom will get hit if those pitches are left over the middle."
Despite the early 6-0 deficit, the Texas offense spent the rest of the night battling to climb back. It was a spirited effort that made the final result particularly difficult to swallow, especially given the performance of Brandon Nimmo. He blasted a fourth-inning home run to ignite the rally, adding an RBI double in the seventh and pairing that production with a defensive clinic that included a home run robbery and a run-saving grab in right field.
"Yeah, I think what stinks about losing tonight's game is Brandon Nimmo's game," Schumaker said. "What an unbelievable swing he had against a tough lefty, a home run and then a robbed home run. And then he ran one down on the line that probably saved a run. Just an outstanding game by Brandon that the loss obviously overshadows."
The urgency of playing from behind took its toll. In the sixth, Justin Foscue singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but was immediately picked off at first by Brent Suter. It was the second time in a week Foscue was caught off guard on the basepaths.
"The only time it's acceptable to get picked off is if you're stealing," Schumaker said, his voice flat. "Otherwise, you should not be picked off at first base. He's not stealing. There's nowhere else to go. If you take your eyes off the pitcher, this stuff happens."
For a club already navigating injuries to rotation pieces like MacKenzie Gore, the lack of length from the starting staff has created a ripple effect. With the rotation failing to reach the middle innings, the bullpen has been forced to cover significantly more ground than anticipated. In the eighth, that workload continued when Chris Martin -- making his first appearance off the injured list -- allowed a solo home run to Neto and an RBI single to Nolan Schanuel, stretching the Angels' lead to 9-5.
Schumaker explained that the decision to use Martin in a 6-4 game was a calculated move to get the veteran necessary work in a right-handed pocket of the lineup.
"He needs to pitch, and we were down a couple of runs trying to keep it tight," Schumaker said. "We didn't want to use our high-leverage guys while trailing. We're trying to get Martin innings to get him back to where we need him to be. We need Martin to be good; he's here for a reason and to get hitters out late. Hopefully, he can get back on track."
That same urgency is echoed by the man who started the night. For deGrom, the focus is simple. He isn’t looking for excuses. He’s just trying to find the release point he lost on Friday.
"I won't be thinking about too many positives from tonight," deGrom said. "I'm frustrated right now. I know that I have to come in tomorrow and try to work to locate the ball a little bit better."