Jacob deGrom gets present in Citi Field return: a 6-run lead before throwing his first pitch

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom received a gift in his Citi Field return: not just a video tribute but a six-run lead before he threw a pitch.

A montage of the slender star’s highlights flashed across the ballpark video board Friday night as he started to throw long toss to Lynard Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” his old warmup song. He tipped his cap as “Welcome back Jacob” flashed in large letters.

“I looked at it for a second, then I had to kind of look down, gather myself and continue playing catch to get ready for the game,” he said after pitching the soaring Texas Rangers over the skidding New York Mets 8-3.

A two-time Cy Young Award winner who went 82-57 in nine seasons for the Mets, DeGrom gave up three runs in the third inning on a homer and a pair of sacrifice flies but steadied to retire his final 15 batters. He allowed four hits over seven innings and is 12-7 with a 2.82 ERA in a season in which he earned his fifth All-Star selection and first since 2021.

“The mound felt the exact same,” he said.

DeGrom had not been to Citi Field since leaving the Mets in December 2022 for a $185 million, five-year contract with the Rangers. His return was a focal point since the schedule was issued in July 2024.