Leake has near-perfect outing; Mariners rout Angels
SEATTLE — A week after the worst start of his career, Mike Leake came back with his best.
Shockingly so.
Leake took a perfect game into the ninth inning, losing his bid at baseball immortality when rookie Luis Rengifo hit a leadoff single as the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 10-0 Friday night.
“It was fun,” Leake said. “As you get closer, you get the shakes and you have to calm yourself down. Other than that, it’s just a matter of making pitches.”
There were hugs all around the clubhouse after Leake finished off a one-hitter and stopped Seattle’s six-game losing streak.
It was an amazing turnaround from his previous outing — the Angels tagged him for seven runs on eight hits and a walk last Friday while he got just two outs, the only time he’s been pulled from a start without getting through the first inning. Seattle lost that game 13-0 as two Angels pitchers combined for a no-hitter on a day their club wore the jerseys of late teammate Tyler Skaggs.
“Wow,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It’s baseball, it’s just crazy. Just five, six days ago, he was pitching and they were on everything. So you just never know what you’re going to see when you come to the park.”
Leake hadn’t come close to
The Los Angeles Angels gave up on their $11 million investment in
Matt Harvey, designating the 30-yearold right-hander for assignment on Friday.
Harvey was
3-5 with a
7.09 ERA in
12 starts. He gave up six runs, seven hits and five walks over six innings in a 6-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday.
giving up a hit before Rengifo sent his 79th pitch cleanly between the first and second
Once dubbed The Dark Knight, Harvey was among baseball’s most dominant starters for a time with the New York Mets. He started the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field but hurt his elbow later that summer and never consistently regained his 98 mph fastball or his command following Tommy John surgery.
Harvey lost his spot in the Mets’ rotation after four starts last year and had a 10.50 ERA in four relief appearances. When he refused to accept a minor league assignment, the Mets traded him to Cincinnati. Harvey went 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 24 starts for the Reds, became a free agent and signed
basemen. He hadn’t gone to a three-ball count on any batter and had reached two balls on with the Angels.
He did not pitch for Los Angeles between May 23 and July 13 because of a strained back, and his fastball velocity averaged 92 mph in the two starts after his return. He gave up 48 runs and 63 hits in 59 2/3 innings this season with 39 strikeouts and 29 walks.
YANKEES: New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was suspended for one game Friday for his rant that followed his ejection in a doubleheader opener against Tampa Bay.
In announcing the suspension, MLB executive Joe Torre also said that Boone had been fined.
Boone was ejected in the just six until the ninth.
The fans gave Leake a standing ovation after the hit and he quickly waved to acknowledge their cheers.
“I had confidence because we’d faced him two times in the game,” Rengifo said.
After a walk to Kevan Smith, Leake (8-8) retired the next three batters, striking out Mike Trout on a full-count pitch to end it. Leake fanned six and walked one.
Though all smiles, the bearded, 31-year-old righty admitted he was disappointed.
“Oh, yeah, to get that close,” Leake said. “Hopefully there’s another shot, though.”
Daniel Vogelbach hit two three-run homers and drove in a career high-tying six runs against Angels reliever Jaime Barria (3-3). second inning Thursday for arguing from the dugout with rookie umpire Brennan Miller, who had called a third strike on Brett Gardner. Torre said Boone made contact with Miller during his profane rant, which was captured by television microphones.
“Sometimes you try to divert attention from your players, so that’s going to happen,” said Boone, who served the suspension Friday during New York’s series opener against Colorado. “But also understanding that I don’t want to just let it rip, especially language-wise. My kids look at me funny, and you do have a responsibility.”