The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Los Angeles Dodgers scored six runs.
Even after turning a corner last season, Jack Leiter remains a work in progress. Or, perhaps a better way to say it is he’ll likely always be prone to having nights like this as long as command is never his strong suit.
Leiter collected swinging strikeouts for each of the outs in the first inning. The only problem is he also allowed two home runs in that inning, including a leadoff homer by Shohei Ohtani and a two-out, three run blast off the bat of former Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernandez.
Texas was in a 4-1 hole like 15 minutes into this game which isn’t where you want to be against the best team money has bought.
Leiter also walked four in his wildest appearance of the season which lasted only 3 2/3 innings on 93 pitches. In addition to the fact that Leiter’s command regressed and he simply wasn’t good tonight, the lack of innings meant the bullpen was forced to absorb more frames and they’ve already faced heavy usage in the early going.
With eight more games without an off day on this road trip, the arms will be tested.
Player of the Game: Brandon Nimmo decided to make an attempt at singlehandedly beating the Dodgers himself as the Texas right fielder homered to lead off the game, doubled later, and then hit a two-run bomb to pull Texas to within a couple of runs.
Other than Nimmo’s feats, the Rangers lineup produced just one other hit with No. 9 hitter Josh Jung singling before Nimmo’s second home run.
The fact that Leiter was neither good nor long for this game, and the fact that facing this Dodgers squad with a big early lead felt like a death sentence, the game being reasonably close late was all thanks to Nimmo until Chris Martin entered like the grim reaper to kill this one with the Dodgers tacking on their final run in the 8th.
Up Next: The Rangers close out this series trying to get off the swept-sweep-swept roller coaster counting on RHP Jacob deGrom in the finale while facing RHP Roki Sasaki for Los Angeles.
The Sunday afternoon first pitch from Dodgers Stadium is scheduled for 3:10 pm CDT and you can view it on the Rangers Sports Network.
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