Mark Leiter Jr. has been with the Yankees for less than a week, but the team is leaning heavily on the No. 2 pitcher.
The 33-year-old took the mound on Sunday against the Blue Jays with two outs and a runner on first and three outs in the top of the ninth inning after storm clouds hovered over Yankee Stadium and the game was halted for an hour and 49 minutes.
Leiter didn’t seem to mind much of that, as the Yankees won the series finale against Toronto, 4-3 after 10 innings, striking out three, allowing no hits and assisting on a walk-off hit by DJ LeMahieu.
“He loves the action,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He loves to be there when it matters. He seems really competitive. Obviously, the split is a really good pitch. And when you look at the meat of the batting order today, [Vladimir Guerrero Jr.] The first batter of the 10th inning, runner on second, let’s go. For a moment I thought he’d walk the ball, but… [Steward] “Velour will probably stay because that’s what they brought him,” so we had to go after him.
“Clearly there has been a big success. [George] “Springer came in and had a big game. He continued to pitch today and did a great job of making a lot of high-impact pitches.”
After striking out Joey Loperfido to send the game into extra innings, Leiter struck out Blue Jays slugger Guerrero, who hit two pitches down the center line.
The Yankees were able to call a hit-pitch call on Dalton Varshaw, but Leiter got two strikes with a 92 mph sinker and then knocked out Alejandro Kirk with another sinker.
LeMahieu finished the job, giving the Yankees their first home series win since the first week of June.
“I felt more like myself today,” Leiter said when asked if his splitter was working. “That’s your role. You’ve got to make those high-leverage pitches and you’ve got to make your best pitch when you’re in a pinch. So you just have to stay calm and take it one pitch at a time, knowing you’re always one pitch away from winning.”
“I think that’s a good mindset and we knew if we didn’t concede a goal we had a chance to win.”
Reiter, who the Yankees acquired from the Cubs in exchange for infielder Ben Cowles and pitcher Jack Neely, said he tried to stay mentally ready to play during the rain stoppage and not let anything get in his way.
This is Leiter’s fourth time pitching for the Yankees, and each time he has won.
Leiter threw five pitches using his signature splitter, striking out four times and getting one strikeout.
“I thought it was his best day ever,” Boone said. “A big part of why we got him is because of his pitching. I thought he pitched the sharpest he’s ever pitched.”
