Mark Leiter Jr. didn’t get a chance to gradually ease into the postseason. Just hours after being added to New York’s roster to take the place of injured Ian Hamilton, the right-handed pitcher was thrust into a crucial game with the Yankees.
Leiter was brought in July to support the AL East champions in October. He pitched 1 1/3 innings on Friday night, earning the win in Game 4 of the AL Championship Series as the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians 8-6, moving within one win of their first World Series since 2009.
Leiter hadn’t pitched since September 29. “Booney kept telling me to be ready for anything and that there was a chance I was going to be used to get big outs, and that’s the way it kind of fell,” Leiter said about manager Aaron Boone.
“So I was just trying to stay ready and stay sharp, and when my name was called, go out there and do my job.” Boone was happy with how Leiter performed.
“He did a great job, managed contact,” Boone said. “I thought he was really good. Unfortunately, he didn’t complete a play on the tough little squibber, but I thought he threw the ball excellently and obviously in an enormous spot.”
Leiter helped New York’s bullpen handle another comeback attempt by the Guardians, who tied the game after trailing 6-2.
Leiter came in during the seventh inning to replace an ineffective Clay Holmes. His first batter was rookie Jhonkensy Noel, who had hit a homer in Game 3 and gave the Yankees a scare by flying out to the warning track.
In the eighth, Leiter allowed a leadoff double to Bo Naylor and seemed ready to get out of the inning when he had David Fry hit a slow roller toward first. However, Leiter knocked the ball down and underhanded it in one motion through first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s legs.
Despite the mistake in the game, Leiter’s performance might give Boone confidence to use him more since the Yankees will be without Hamilton for the rest of the ALCS and possibly the World Series if they make it. Hamilton injured his left calf in Game 3 on Thursday night.
Boone mentioned that Hamilton suffered a low-grade calf strain while covering first base in the sixth inning. The Yankees lost their 5-3 lead in the ninth and ended up losing 7-5 to the Guardians, who tied the game with a homer from Noel and won with Fry’s walk-off homer in the 10th.
Hamilton had a record of 0-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 35 games this season. He missed almost three months due to a strained side muscle, returned in mid-September, and pitched in the ALDS against Kansas City.
In the sixth inning, Guardians rookie Daniel Schneemann hit a ground ball to first baseman Jon Berti, who bobbled it. Hamilton rushed to the base and seemed to step awkwardly. He threw a wild warmup pitch before Boone decided to replace him.
Major League Baseball had to approve the Yankees’ request to substitute Hamilton, and an independent doctor reviewed his medical information. By rule, Hamilton will not be eligible to play in the World Series if New York advances.
Leiter had a tough time after being traded to New York from the Cubs in July. He recorded a 2-1 record with a 4.98 ERA in 21 games and was not included on the ALDS and ALCS rosters. The 33-year-old had a 2-4 record with a 4.21 ERA in 39 games for Chicago.
Before the game, Boone said he considered adding left-hander Nestor Cortes but mentioned that Cortes is still recovering from an elbow strain and is not quite ready.
“I felt like it would be unfair to him to skip some steps to get him back,” Boone said, adding that Cortes could be ready for the World Series roster if the Yankees advance.
