Leiter’s shaky debut doesn’t stifle Rangers
Texas overcame right-hander Jack Leiter’s rough major league debut to topple host Detroit 9-7 on Thursday to win three games in a fourgame series.
Leiter, the No. 2 draft pick in 2021 and the son of former major league left-hander Al Leiter, struck out two in a scoreless first inning but struggled afterward. The 23-year-old lasted 3⅔ innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
“It’s a surreal experience,” said Jack Leiter, whose father was in attendance. “Being around the game always, it’s a special day. I know I’m better, and I need to be better, and I will be better.”
Jack Leiter’s appearance, coupled with cousin Mark Leiter Jr.’s major league career, made their fathers the majors’ first brothers with sons joining them as major league pitchers. Al Leiter, 58, went 162-132 in 19 seasons. Mark Leiter Sr., 61, went 65-73 in 11 seasons.
The Rangers won behind a 13-hit outburst that included a two-run homer from Jonah Heim and solo shots by Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia.
The Tigers scored four runs in the second to forge a 4-4 tie, but Texas retook the lead in the third on Garcia’s homer and went ahead
7-4 in the fourth on Evan Carter’s sacrifice fly. Detroit again tied the score in the fourth on Kerry Carpenter’s two-run triple and Spencer Torkelson’s RBI double.
Texas went ahead to stay in the eighth when Leody Taveras scored on a fielder’s choice. Taveras added an RBI single in the ninth.
■ Giants 5, Diamondbacks 0: At San Francisco, Wilmer Flores hit a two-run double and Mike Yastrzemski a two-run single in San Francisco’s four-run eighth, backing Logan Webb (2-1), who pitched seven shutout innings.
■ Rays 2, Angels 1: At St. Petersburg, Fla., Amed Rosario hit an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly in the first to back Ryan Pepiot (22), who allowed one run while striking out seven in six innings, as the teams split a four-game set.
■ Guardians 5, Red Sox 4: At Boston,
Andres Gimenez had two RBI singles for Cleveland to back Carlos Carrasco (1-1), who allowed two runs in 5⅔ innings, as the Guardians won three games in a four-game set.
■ Marlins at Cubs, ppd., rain: The game was rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader Saturday.
NOTES
■ Angels: Reliever Robert Stephenson will undergo season-ending right elbow surgery.
The 31-year-old right-hander was the team’s biggest free-agent acquisition this offseason, signing a three-year, $33 million deal in January. He sustained the elbow injury at Triple-a Salt Lake while rehabilitating from a shoulder issue. Stephenson had a 2.35 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings for Tampa Bay last season after being acquired from Pittsburgh in June.
■ Red Sox: Outfielder Tyler O’neill was placed on the seven-day concussion list. The 28-yearold two-time Gold Glove winner has hit .313 with seven homers through 15 games in his first season with Boston after six with St. Louis. He leads the majors in slugging percentage (.750) and OPS (1.209).
PCL
■ Aviators 4, Rainiers 2: At Las Vegas Ballpark, Daz Cameron hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth and doubled and scored in the seventh for the Aviators (6-11). Joey Estes held Tacoma (13-5) to two runs in six innings.