While backing up home plate on a base hit into the outfield, Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter tripped on a weighted bat in the on-deck circle.
After cruising through the first four innings of the Texas Rangers' matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, Jack Leiter found himself in a tough spot in the fifth.
The inning was ultimately the one that derailed his outing and, more importantly, threw Globe Life Field into a brief scare.
While backing up home plate on a base hit into the outfield, Leiter tripped on a weighted bat in the Pirates' on-deck circle.
Just based on the video alone, things did not look good, but Leiter says he thinks he dodged what could have been a major bullet.
“[It was] a freak kinda play,” Leiter said after the game. “I think I got lucky. I re-watched the video, and it looked bad on my knee, but my knee feels good. My ankle kinda got tweaked a little bit, so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow, but I think I got pretty lucky.”
Naturally, pitchers' instincts are to back up throws to prevent extra bases, and Leiter says he went into autopilot mode trying to make a play to help the team.
“You don’t see much. When you give up a base hit with a runner in scoring position, you’re kinda just brainwashed into going and backing up home,” Leiter said.
“I kinda thought there would be no play at the plate so I kinda shut it down and then I see the loose ball and immediately worry it’s gonna find a hole in the dugout which is an extra base so kinda try to protect that at all costs and looking at the ball, sprinting after it, it didn’t even cross my mind there was stuff in the on deck circle” Leiter finished.
Prior to the fifth inning, Leiter was cruising, allowing just one of his last 10 Pirates batters to reach base.
Combine that with the fact that Leiter had his pitch count in check, and it looked like it could be a very successful night for the Rangers' young righty.
However, the Rangers will certainly leave the night just relieved that, for now, it appears Leiter dodged what could have been a big blow.
Leiter expects that, barring some negative news upon his arrival at the ballpark on Thursday, he should be good to go for his next start.
“It’s obviously a flukey thing where you don’t know until tomorrow kinda thing, but as of now, I feel confident in that. [making his next start],” Leiter said.
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