NEW YORK -- Jacob deGrom received a present in his return to Citi Field: a six-run lead before he threw a pitch.
He was greeted with applause when he came out to warm up before his first appearance against the New York Mets since leaving in December 2022.
A two-time Cy Young Award winner who went 82-57 in nine seasons for the Mets, deGrom received a somewhat muted response when he took the mound only because fans were stunned when the Texas Rangers knocked out rookie Josh Tong after two outs in a 22-minute top of the first on Friday night, starting Texas to an 8-3 victory.