Thoughts on a 7-1 Rangers loss

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DETROIT, MI - MAY 03: Texas Rangers Jack Leiter (22) pitches in the first inning during the game between Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on May 3, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Tigers 7, Rangers 1

• Detroit. Dee-Troit. D Troit.
• The Tigers.
• They won.
• Jack Leiter gave up 5 runs in 6.2 innings, which sounds bad.
• Which is bad, really.
• But he did pitch better than the line would indicate, to use that old cliche.
• Leiter allowed a total of six baserunners in the game. The problem is that five of them scored.
• Leiter walked just one batter — Riley Greene, to lead off the fifth. It was the first baserunner he allowed all game.
• The next batter, Spencer Torkelson, put an 0-2 hanging slider into the bleachers, and that, for all intents and purposes, was that.
• The Torkelson homer was the only ball in play over 100 mph that Leiter gave up in the game. Or any other Ranger pitcher, for that matter.
• In the sixth, Jake Rogers led off the inning with a ball to the outfield that should have been a single. Evan Carter tried to make a diving catch on it, however, and it got past him for a triple. Kevin McGonigle then hit a flare that fell in for a single to drive in the third run off of Leiter.
• Leiter had Kerry Carpenter on second with two outs in the seventh and got a ground ball from Hao-Yu Lee that snuck through the infield for an RBI hit. Leiter was then lifted for Tyler Alexander, who allowed a pair of singles and a double before the inning ended.
• So that was the five runs off of Leiter.
• He was still really good, though. 10 Ks on the game. 73 strikes on 100 pitches, including 16 swings and misses.
• If Leiter pitches like that regularly the Rangers will be in good shape.
• Gavin Collyer pitched the eighth and once again didn’t allow any runs. That’s nine games, and 7.1 innings, in Collyer’s major league career without a run being scored.
• The bats, meanwhile, were not good, despite the Tigers rolling with a bullpen game.
• The only run came off former Ranger Ricky Vanasco in the seventh, when an Ezequiel Duran double, a Josh Smith walk, a wild pitch, and a Kyle Higashioka ground out cut the lead to 3-1.
• Duran’s double was the only extra base hit the Rangers were able to muster.
• The team was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. Both the hitlessness and only having five at bats with runners in scoring position are problems.
• Josh Smith was 2 for 3 with a walk, at least. That’s the offensive highlight for the Rangers.
• Jack Leiter topped out at 99.4 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.5 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 91.3 mph with his sinker. Gavin Collyer’s fastball maxed out at 97.9 mph.
• Jake Burger had a 108.7 mph ground out and a 101.9 mph fly out. Kyle Higashioka had a 105.9 mph ground out. Corey Seager had a 103.9 mph single. Andrew McCutchen had a 103.2 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.2 mph ground out. Brandon Nimmo had a 101.7 mph single. Josh Smith had a 101.6 mph single.
• On to New York to play the Yankees. Things will maybe be better there.

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