Texas Rangers rookie Jack Leiter gets 1st big league victory after taking a couple of 'hits'

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers rookie starter Jack Leiter took a couple of “hits” before getting his first big league victory.

Leiter got hit on the head by a ball while in the outfield during batting practice on opening day. Then when starting in the second game Friday night, he got thumped again — this time by a ball tossed at him when he looked down, and struck him in a more sensitive spot below his waist.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy hopes Leiter has a much better memory after a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

“That he can win up here, that’s what I hope he takes from this game. He's a major league pitcher and he can win ballgames up here,” Bochy said. “He can get through a tough lineup, which they have. And, you know, that should really do a lot for his confidence, with what he did tonight.”

Leiter got the win after allowing only one run over five innings. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out four, walked one and allowed five singles. The second overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and son of former big leaguer Al Leiter made his big league debut last season, going 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA in nine games (six starts).

“Honestly, just winning’s nice,” Leiter responded when asked if a burden had been lifted.

After Leiter got done throwing in the outfield before Thursday's game, a ball hit by teammate Josh Jung struck him on the head.

“That was a memorable opening day, probably not for the right reason,” Leiter said with a grin.

In the second inning of his season debut, after Leiter made his first opening day roster, Boston had a couple of runners on base in the second inning after a walk when catcher Jonah Heim went out to talk with him.

As Heim approached the mound, he tossed the ball at the same time Leiter put his head down.

“Hey, it made him laugh,” Heim said.

“Just tough timing, honestly,” Leiter said. “I guess he thought I was looking, but I thought he wasn’t going to throw the ball at that point.”

After the batterymates shared a laugh, Leiter got out of the inning without allowing a run. He got help from Wyatt Langford's running and lunging catch of Connor Wong's liner to deep left.

Heim hit two solo homers, the second coming in the bottom of the fifth for a 2-1 lead after Leiter had thrown the last of his 82 pitches. Five Texas relievers then finished it off with four scoreless innings.

“This was his day ... that was really fun to watch,” Leiter said of Heim.

“It’s good to get Jack a win. Good stuff,” Bochy said. “Just a great job, keeping his poise out there, and I’m sure the nerves were going on his first start out there."

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter throws to the Boston Red Sox in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jack Leiter throws to the Boston Red Sox in the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tyler Glasnow tossed five shutout innings in his season debut, Teoscar Hernández hit a two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the winless Atlanta Braves 6-1 on Monday night.

The defending champions are 6-0 for the first time since 1981, when they won the World Series.

Atlanta fell to 0-5 for the first time since starting 0-9 in 2016.

Glasnow (1-0) gave up singles to Jarred Kelenic and Michael Harris II in the fifth — and that was it. The right-hander struck out eight and walked three in a series opener between perennial National League pennant contenders.

Hernández's 436-foot shot to center field in the first scored Shohei Ohtani, who walked. Ohtani has scored in all six games this season.

The Dodgers extended their lead to 4-0 in the third on Michael Conforto's RBI double and Tommy Edman's sacrifice fly. Will Smith added an RBI single in the fifth.

Kiké Hernández homered leading off the sixth against 41-year-old Jesse Chavez, called up from Triple-A earlier in the day for his fifth stint with Atlanta since 2021.

Braves starter Grant Holmes (0-1) gave up four runs and four hits over four innings in his season debut. He struck out three and walked four.

Atlanta put right-hander Reynaldo López on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Harris’ homer to center in the eighth off Tanner Scott snapped a streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings for Atlanta.

Ohtani went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and two walks, dropping his batting average under .300.

LHP Chris Sale (0-0, 5.40 ERA), last season's NL Cy Young Award winner, starts Tuesday night for the Braves.

Dodgers RHP Dustin May pitches in the majors for the first time since May 2023. May had Tommy John surgery that year and last summer underwent emergency surgery to repair a tear in his esophagus caused by a salad.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Atlanta Braves Grant Holmes throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in, Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Atlanta Braves' Ozzie Albies, left, turns a double play at second base after forcing out Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in, Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in, Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández hits a two-run home run against Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, March 31, 2025, in, Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)