DETROIT — Leody Taveras scored the winning run on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and added an RBI single in the ninth to lead the Texas Rangers to a 9-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
Taveras doubled with one out advanced to third on Marcus Semien’s fielder’s choice grounder and scored on Corey Seager's grounder that broke a 7-all tie. Taveras added an insurce run with a two-out hit in the ninth.
Jose Leclerc (1-2) got the win in relief for Texas, which won three out of four games in Detroit. Kirby Yates, who picked up the win on Wednesday, earned his second save with a perfect ninth innning.
Shelby Miller (3-2), the fifth of six Detroit pitchers, took the loss for the second day in 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.
He is the son of Al Leiter, who won 162 games in 19 major-league seasons.
Jack Leiter got off to a strong start, catching leadoff hitter Riley Greene looking for his first strikeout.
He had a 1-0 lead after Semien, who had three hits, hit 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.
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 Spencer Torkelson.
He allowed seven eared runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
To make room for Leiter, the Rangers optioned pitcher Grant Anderson to Round Rock.
TRAINER’S ROOM
The Rangers moved LHP Brock Burke (broken right hand) from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.
UP NEXT
The Rangers begin a weekend series at Atlanta on Friday. LHP Andrew Heaney (0-2, 5.75 ERA), will start against Atlanta’s Chris Sale (1-1, 4.58).
Detroit begins a weekend series at Minnesota. Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.91), will start against Joe Ryan (0-1, 2.60).
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