BALTIMORE (AP) — Jack Leiter struck out eight in six strong innings and Jake Burger drove in two runs to lead the Texas Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
Leiter (1-0) had a stretch of five straight strikeouts and appeared to have a sixth for the second out in the fifth, but Colton Cowser won an ABS challenge on a called third strike and turned it into a base hit. Blaze Alexander singled and Gunnar Henderson had a two-out
single to cut it to 4-2 before Leiter struck out Pete Alonso to end the inning with runners at the corners.
Leiter allowed five hits and a walk in leading Texas to its third straight win. Jakob Junis and Jalen Beeks each pitched a scoreless inning before Tyler Alexander struck out two in the ninth for his second save.
Brandon Nimmo singled leading off the game against Chris Bassitt (0-1) — making his first start for the Orioles — before scoring on a fielder's choice by Burger for a 1-0 lead.
Henderson hit his first home run of the season to tie it in the first.
Kyle Higashioka walked following a leadoff double by Evan Carter in the second, and Nimmo singled for a 2-1 lead. Burger had an RBI single and Joc Pederson added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
Burger doubled and scored on a one-out single by Josh Smith in the ninth off Tyler Wells.
The 37-year-old Bassitt needed 60 pitches to get through the first two innings. He was done after 4 1/3 innings and 100 pitches, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks.
Orioles RHP Zach Eflin will make his first start of the season Tuesday. The Rangers hadn't announced a scheduled starter.
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