LOS ANGELES — Mark Leiter Jr. urged his dad to secure tickets in 2008 when his beloved Phillies reached the playoffs.
Leiter — whose father pitched for the Phillies in the 1990s — used to complete his homework in the clubhouse at Veterans Stadium and grew up in Toms River, N.J. as a diehard Phillies fan. He attended three playoff games during that memorable October, including Game 4 of the World Series.
So consider it a thrill that when Leiter made his major-league debut on Friday night, the second batter he faced was Chase Utley. And an even bigger thrill that Leiter got Utley, one of the heroes of that 2008 team, to fly out to right field in the seventh inning of a 5-3 loss to the Dodgers.