HOUSTON -- Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom marched off of the mound Wednesday night after a lengthy and errant first inning, strode down the visitor's dugout steps and hurled his glove into the tunnel.

It was the most visible frustration that the 37-year-old had expressed on the field of play this season.

It's a shared emotion if you ask those who'd pitched before him.

The Rangers, in their series loss to the Houston Astros at Daikin Park, were stung by the year-long backbone of their team at the most critical juncture yet this season. The Texas rotation -- which has been baseball's best and, on the whole, the sole reason why the Rangers have remained in the hunt despite and off-and-on-again offense -- put forth its statistically worst series of the year in the sweep.

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On Wednesday, in a 5-2 loss that let Houston retain the Silver Boot Series trophy, deGrom allowed five earned runs (tied for a season high) on six hits, two home runs and a walk. That, paired with an offense that failed to rally, dropped the Rangers to 4.5 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third American League Wild Card berth with nine games left to play in the regular season.

"We needed a win," deGrom said. "I go out there and put us in a hole."

Rookie right-hander Jack Leiter allowed three earned runs and three unearned runs in Monday's loss. Merrill Kelly, the veteran righty who'd cruised since the Rangers acquired him at the July 31 deadline, allowed six runs in Tuesday's loss. The 14 total earned runs are the most amount that the league-best Texas rotation has allowed in any series -- be it three games or four games -- this season.

"They got to our starting pitching the whole series," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "Give them credit, they threw out some good at-bats. Any mistake that Jacob made today, they hit it."

The first two Houston hitters that deGrom faced Wednesday night reached base before he struck out both Jose Altuve. But, against designated hitter Victor Caratini, deGrom sprayed his pitches and walked the bases loaded. The 35-pitch first inning was then ripped open when catcher Yainer Diaz lined a middle-middle slider into left field for a two-run single.

In the third inning, after third baseman Carlos Correa led off with a single, deGrom threw a fastball up above the strike zone that second baseman Jose Altuve crushed into the left field Crawford Boxes for a two-run home run. Shortstop Jeremy Peña hit another fastball up in the zone for a solo home run to start the fifth inning and give the Astros a three-run lead.

"I didn't make pitches when I needed to," deGrom said. "I was not very good and we lost the game because I was not very good."

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After being Rangers' backbone all season, starting pitching fails them in do-or-die series