one step back

Former Delta State standout Brent Leach, who is being converted back into a starting pitcher by the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his first start for Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday. Not one to remember. In 2 2/3 innings, the 27-year-old left-hander gave up six hits, two walks and six earned runs. He took the loss in an 8-5 defeat at West Tenn. Leach’s first start for the Lookouts had originally been scheduled for Trustmark Park against the Mississippi Braves on Monday, but the Flowood native was scratched. Actually, he was serving out a suspension, reportedly for hitting a batter while at Triple-A Albuquerque. He was shipped to Chattanooga on June 10. Leach, who posted a 5.75 ERA in 38 games out of the bullpen for Los Angeles in 2009, began this season in Triple-A and had made three starts there after 18 relief appearances. His ERA was 6.62. Leach was primarily a reliever at DSU and at Southern Miss before that. The Dodgers made him a starter after picking him in the sixth round in 2005. He converted to the pen in mid-2006 and had been used exclusively in that role until this year. Can Leach, still on L.A.’s 40-man roster, get back to the big leagues as a starter? Well, clearly it’s a long-term project.