Josh Smith of Texas Rangers celebrates his goal against the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Detroit.
9:35 JST, April 19, 2024
DETROIT (AP) — 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 and advanced to third base on Marcus Semien’s fielder’s choice grounder and scored on Corey Seager’s grounder, which broke a 7-all tie. Taveras added an insurance run with a two-out hit in the ninth.
Jose Leclerc (1-2) took the win in relief for Texas, which won three of the four games in Detroit. Kirby Yates, who won on Wednesday, earned his second save with a perfect ninth inning.
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 comes from Triple A Round Rock, where he was 1-1 with 25 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings, spread 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 in search of his first strikeout.
RAYS 2, ANGELS 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Pepiot allowed one run and three hits in six strong innings, Amed Rosario hit an RBI triple in Tampa Bay’s first two-run as Tampa Bay defeated the LA Angels on Thursday to split their four-game series.
Pepiot (2-2) struckout seven and walked three. He was acquired in a trade that dealt Rays ace Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Colin Poche, the third Rays reliever, worked out of trouble 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, which made it 1-0 in the Rays’ opening inning against Griffin Canning (0-3). He has nine RBIs overall.
Harold Ramírez’s sacrifice fly to right set up Rosario to make it 2-0.
The Angels pulled within 2-1 in the sixth when Mike Trout walked, stole second and third base and scored on Miguel Sanó’s sacrifice fly. Trout has five steals this year after recording just six in the previous four seasons.
GUARDIANS 5, RED SOX 4
BOSTON (AP) — Carlos Carrasco gave up two runs in 5 2/3 solid innings and Andrés Giménez had two RBIs to lead Cleveland over Boston on Thursday.
Ramón Laureano, Josh Naylor and José Ramírez also added points 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 ahead 5–1.
Emmanuel Clase pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
After starting the season with seven wins in ten road games, the Red Sox went 3-7 in 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’ three-run sixth inning.
