Jack Leiter had a tough major league debut Thursday, but his team still managed to pull out a win.
The Rangers’ 23-year-old right-hander, the son of former Mets and Yankees left-hander Al Leiter, allowed seven runs (all earned) on eight hits in 3/3 innings in Texas’ 9-7 win. Detroit Tigers.
He had three walks and three strikeouts.
“Obviously, it’s a surreal experience,” Reiter said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid. Today is a special day because I’m always around the game. I know I’m getting better, and I need to be better, and I’m going to get better. And it’s like some pitches I left on the table and some mistakes I made and it’s like frustration.”
Reiter, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, was developed out of Triple-A Round Rock and posted a 1-1 record with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings over three appearances.
“He was fine,” Texas coach Bruce Bochy said. “He had a little bit of trouble getting into his position in the second inning, but he bounced right back in the third and got two quick outs before running into trouble in the fourth.”
Despite Reiter’s struggles, the Rangers pulled out the win, thanks in large part to Leody Taveras’ game-winning hit on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and an RBI.
Taveras hit a double with one out in the eighth inning and entered third base on Marcus Semien’s fielder’s choice, avoiding a run from Detroit third baseman and former Yankees Gio Urshela.
Seager then grounded out to first base and Taveras scored to break the 7-all tie.
“He played great,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch said of Tavares’ play. “I made a lot of mistakes today, but that wasn’t one of them. It was an athletic play of baseball that didn’t go my way.”
Jose Leclerc (1-1) won in relief for Texas, and Shelby Miller (3-2), the fifth of Detroit’s six pitchers, suffered a loss for the second consecutive day.
It wasn’t a great debut for Reiter, but he did have support from one member of the Yankees.
Anthony Volpe, a former teammate of Reiter at New Jersey’s Delbarton School, said Wednesday he was looking forward to spending his Yankees off day watching “all the pitches” of his friend’s major league debut.
“I couldn’t be happier for him and his entire family and all of you. I’m so excited,” said Volpe, who won the New Jersey state championship with Reiter during his senior year at Delbarton. “I think his cell phone was going crazy, and all of our friends and family friends are really excited.”
— With AP
