OAKLAND — Texas Rangers prospect Jack Leiter's second major league start, although the defense behind him hasn't helped much and his tendency to allow a home run or two is still a bit problematic. was an improved version of the first start.
Reiter pitched four innings against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum on Wednesday, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks. He threw 44 of his 60 pitches for strikes. Reiter, the 27th player on the roster for Wednesday's doubleheader, pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs in his major league debut last month against the Detroit Tigers.
Unless the Rangers make a formal roster change, Reiter will return to Triple-A on Thursday.
“In the end, it definitely had a similar feel,” Reiter said. “It's frustrating, but we got a lot better because we won. I wish I could have done a little bit more to help the team, help the bullpen. Just take the positives, learn from them and keep moving forward.” ”
The 24-year-old pitched an efficient 1-2-3 against Oakland, converting nine of 11 pitches into strikes in that inning, but Rangers killer Shea Langeliers pounced on his mid-middle fastball. He smashed the ball 454 feet into the left field seats. He gave the Athletics a 2–1 lead with a two-run home run. Langeliers, a Keller native and Baylor alumnus, hit three home runs in one game against the Rangers in April and hit a home run off Michael Lorenzen in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader.
Reiter allowed a single by Abraham Toro to lead off the third inning, and a single by Brent Rooker with one out before Seth Brown hit a double play to first baseman Nathaniel Rowe. Lowe, last season's Gold Glove Award winner, misfired on a throw to shortstop Josh Smith, sending the ball flying into the outfield and scoring Toro. Langeliers grounded out to Leiter in his next at-bat, who started a 1-4-3 double play attempt, but Langeliers struck out second baseman Marcus Semien's throw to first base to extend the inning and score Rooker. Both of those runs were unearned.
“Jack was very good at times, but just made a few mistakes in the nitro zone,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “They took advantage of his mistake.”
In the fourth inning, he allowed his second two-run homer to Tyler Soderstrom, who hit a belt-high cutter into left-center field. Reiter retired the next three batters to end the inning, but the Rangers replaced him with left-hander Jacob Lutz, who started the fifth inning.
“I think we did a better job this time by not trying to do too much,” Reiter said. “Maybe we tipped the scales a little too much in the other direction and gave him too many pitches to hit.”
