PHOENIX -- Jack Leiter has grown up in a hurry.
The 25-year-old right-hander shook off early trouble to finish strong on Wednesday, but the Rangers’ silent bats proved to be too much to overcome in a 2-0 loss to the Diamondbacks in the series finale at Chase Field on Wednesday.
Zac Gallen earned the win by stifling the Rangers’ lineup over six innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five.
Leiter allowed a run in each of the first two innings, but rebounded to shut the D-backs down the rest of the game. He allowed just three hits while striking out eight and walking three over six innings of work, ending his day by working out of a jam in the sixth.
He has not allowed more than three runs in any start since June 17 against the Royals.
“What a great job Jack did,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He was a little bit off with his command, but he regrouped, and it just shows you his growth.”
That growth is something that has been evident since he made his MLB debut in 2024, and he has steadily improved throughout the 2025 season.
The former 2021 second overall Draft pick has been stellar since the All-Star break, and he strung together yet another quality outing on Wednesday. Leiter had thrown 56 pitches through three innings, but finished the day at 99, settling down as the game wore on.
Despite taking the loss, he’s still 4-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 47 1/3 innings of work since the break.
“Every time you get out there for a big league game there’s added experience,” Leiter said. “This was another learning and growth game, and obviously this time of year the most important stat is the one in the win column. We weren’t on that side today.”
He likely could have earned another win on Wednesday had the Rangers’ bats not gone silent for a second consecutive game. Texas finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position just one game after going 0-for-9, and has left a combined 16 runners on base over the past two games.
“We lost just a little bit of the magic,” Bochy said. “It’s been missing the last two games, and that’s what wins ballgames for you.”
Leiter threw his four-seamer on 46 of his 99 pitches on Wednesday, an offering that touched 98.7 mph and averaged 97 mph. He also induced nine whiffs on 23 swings with his heater, though statistically his best pitch was his slider, against which Arizona missed on half of its 10 swings.
He said he truly settled into the game in the fourth inning by directing his focus on being aggressive and looking to get ahead in the count early. He mixed up his pitches a little more and worked to keep the D-backs’ hitters “on their toes,” but was only able to do that by drawing upon previous experiences.
“I need to be on the attack and be aggressive the whole way through,” Leiter said. “I’m glad we were able to find it at some point in the game, but I wish I could have found it from pitch one and given my team a chance to win.”
There will be ample opportunity to make up for it this weekend.
Texas has dropped two straight following a six-game winning streak, but it finished this road trip 4-2 and remains within striking distance in the AL Wild Card race. The Rangers have an off-day on Thursday before opening a three-game set against the Astros, who lead the AL West.
They are five games back in the division, and as luck would have it, they have six left to play against Houston.
Talk about opportunity.
“It’s a big series,” Leiter said. “This time of year, a lot of our guys put it in another gear, especially the guys on our starting staff and in our bullpen. They’re a bunch of dogs.”
Leiter has been part of a resilient group that continues to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt despite an ongoing parade of injuries, and in some ways, his determination has mirrored the team’s.
Where that could lead is an exciting thought for Leiter and his teammates.
“It’s been, hopefully, the start of something special,” Leiter said. “ We know we’re capable of doing some special things, and to do that you have to just win today. We’re already moving past this road trip and we’re on to the next one.”