Rangers get exactly what they need as Jacob deGrom makes history with 2,000th strikeout

When Jacob deGrom blocked a trade to the Atlanta Braves, he made it clear that he wanted to win with the Texas Rangers. That set up a series of conditions the Rangers must meet in order to truly contend. Several of them directly had to do with deGrom.

Health has been an issue for Texas all season, and while the typically brittle deGrom has managed to stay healthy for the most part, there have been scares. Right before the All-Star break, deGrom suffered from glute and hip soreness and likely only avoided an IL stint thanks to the break in the action the Midsummer Classic provided. Then, there was his recent triceps injury, which fortunately turned out to be nothing serious.

With deGrom avoiding an IL stint for the second time, he took the mound last night against the Washington Nationals, looking to make history. The 38-year-old was just two strikeouts shy of 2,000 Ks, and he got there right away, striking out the first two batters he faced.

The two-time Cy Young winner is the 95th pitcher in history to reach the 2,000 strikeout milestone and the second-fastest in history by both games (272) and innings pitched (1,661). Only Randy Johnson needed fewer games (262), and Chris Sale needed fewer innings (1,626).

deGrom cruised through six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while shutting down the Nationals' lineup in the 2-0 victory. His 10 strikeouts on the night were a season high.

It was a reminder of just how dominant deGrom has been and still can be, despite his advanced age, while also making it painfully obvious just how much time he's been robbed of during his injury-plagued career.

Rangers stars like Jacob deGrom and Corey Seager are stepping up, but the team needs more

While we need to see more from deGrom for this to become a trend, it was an encouraging sign from a hurler who has been flirting with a 4.00 ERA all year, rather than pitching like the ace Texas really needs. If he can continue dominating, it will be huge for the club's playoff hopes.

Combine that with Corey Seager, who has been on a tear since returning from the IL for the third time in July 31. The star shortstop has raised his line to .218/.315/.415 after such a miserable start, thanks to a .929 OPS since returning.

Last night was Seager's fourth straight multi-hit game, and his homer broke the 0-0 tie. While an Ezequiel Duran triple set up a Nicky Lopez sac fly in the bottom of the eighth to add an insurance run.

Getting the two cornerstones on track during the stretch run is huge, but the Rangers will need more. The bats have gone silent around Seager, and Texas is averaging just 3.11 runs scored per game over 18 August contests.

They're going to need guys like Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo, Jake Burger, and others to step up in the lineup, while the pitching staff will need to see MacKenzie Gore keep up his hot streak and the bullpen bridge to Jacob Latz to give the club stability.

But it all starts with deGrom and Seager. They are the Rangers' respective engines, and if they're running hot, the team's outlook is very different. They can't do it alone, but right now, things are starting to trend in the right direction despite the current frustrations.

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