Leiter debuts as Rangers beat Tigers
DETROIT — Leody Taveras scored the go-ahead run on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and added an RBI single in the ninth as the Texas Rangers beat the Detroit Tigers 9-7 on Thursday.
Taveras doubled with one out and went to third on Marcis Semien’s fielder’s choice, eluding a tag by Detroit third baseman Gio Urshela. Seager then grounded to first and Taveras scored to break a 7-all tie.
Jose Leclerc (1-1) got the win in relief for Texas, which won three out of four games in Detroit. Kirby Yates earned his second save
Shelby Miller (3-2), the fifth of six Detroit pitchers, took the loss for the second day in a row.
The game marked the major league debut of Texas starter Jack Leiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. He was brought up from Triple A Round Rock, where he was 1-1 with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings over three appearances.
Jack Leiter got off to a strong start, catching leadoff hitter Riley Greene looking for his first strikeout.
Semien, who had three hits, gave Leiter an early run with a leadoff homer. The Rangers added three runs in the second, highlighted by Jonah Heim’s two-run homer, but the Tigers evened things with four in the bottom of the second on RBI hits by Javier Baez, Carson Kelly and Riley Greene and a run-scoring ground out.
Adolis Garcia homered to give the Rangers the lead in a two-run third, and Texas added another run in the fourth, when Semien doubled and reached third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Seager.
Bochy’s day ended early, He was ejected in the eighth inning for arguing whether a ground ball down the third base line was fair or foul.
Leiter’s day ended in the bottom of the fourth. With two out and two on, Kerry Carpenter drove home both runners with a triple to center field, then scored on a double by Torkelson.
He allowed seven runs, all earned, on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three.
RAYS 2, ANGELS 1
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Ryan Pepiot allowed one run and three hits in six strong innings, Amed Rosario hit an RBI triple in Tampa Bay’s two-run first as the Rays beat Los Angeles to split their fourgame series.
Pepiot (2-2) struck out seven and walked three. He was acquired in a trade in which Rays ace Tyler Glasnow was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Colin Poche, the third Rays reliever, worked out of a jam with two on and two outs in the ninth for his second save in three chances. Struggling closer Pete Fairbanks, who has a 9.00 ERA, pitched in the previous two games.
Rosario extended his hitting streak to 10 games with his RBI triple that made it 1-0 in the Rays’ opening inning against Griffin Canning (0-3). He has nine RBIs over the stretch.
Harold Ramírez’s sacrifice fly to right drove in Rosario to make it 2-0.
The Angels got within 2-1 in the sixth when Mike Trout walked, stole second and third and scored on Miguel Sanó’s sacrifice fly. Trout has five steals this year after having just a combined six over the previous four seasons.
GUARDIANS 5, RED SOX 4
In Boston, Carlos Carrasco gave up two runs in 5 2/3 solid innings and Andrés Giménez had two RBIs to lead the Cleveland over the Red Sox on Thursday.
Ramón Laureano, Josh Naylor and José Ramírez also drove in runs for Cleveland, which took three of four from Boston and improved to a Central Division-best 13-6.
Carrasco (1-1) threw 56 of his 89 pitches for strikes and allowed two hits while striking out five and walking three. He left after allowing a two-out single to Reese McGuire in the sixth with Cleveland leading 5-1.
Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
After starting the season with seven wins in 10 road games, the Red Sox went 3-7 on their first homestand of the season.
Trailing 5-1, Boston cut into Cleveland’s lead behind Jarren Duran’s two-run triple in the Red Sox’s three-run sixth inning.
GIANTS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 0
In San Francisco, Logan Webb retired 19 straight batters on his way to seven smooth innings and the Giants beat Arizona.
Webb (2-1) struck out five and induced 13 groundball outs, allowing just two hits and a walk in a game that took only 2 hours, 12 minutes.
Wilmer Flores had a pinch-hit, two-run double in the eighth and Mike Yastrzemski added a two-run single. LaMonte Wade Jr. delivered a sacrifice fly in the third.
Jung Hoo Lee singled twice to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.