Harrison pitched seven strong innings when the Rangers needed it most and Josh Hamilton provided the difference with his major leagues-leading 87th runs batted in a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Morrison, a 22-year-old left-hander, was just a little better than All-Star lefty Joe Saunders, who was trying to become the Angels’ first 13-game winner before the All-Star break since Ryan in 1977. Ryan, the Hall of Famer who is now the Rangers’ president, watched every pitch from a seat near his team’s dugout.
Ryan was waiting in the tunnel after Harrison’s postgame television interview.
“It’s everything I’ve worked for all my life,” said Harrison, who was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma earlier in the day. “I can’t really explain how happy I am right now to be here.”
Saunders (12-5), pitching with his wife three days past the due date for their first child, had to settle for an eight-inning complete game after he couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead.
“Once the game got started, I was locked in,” said Saunders, who figures to be a father within a day or two. “I was more worried about the team on the other side. I haven’t pitched well here in the past. I wanted to put up some zeroes.”
Harrison did that through four innings, facing the minimum 12 batters. But he ran into trouble in the fifth when Torii Hunter walked and Howie Kendrick doubled with one out. Garret Anderson’s two-run single followed.
Chris Davis, another Rangers rookie, answered in the bottom of the fifth, tying the score at 2 with his fourth homer in four home starts. It was his fifth of the season.
After Ian Kinsler doubled in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games, Hamilton put the Rangers ahead with an RBI single. Kinsler scored his major leagues-best 81st run.
Harrison made it stand up with two more shutout innings. He allowed five hits with a walk and a strikeout in the longest outing for a Rangers starter in his debut since 2000.
“He’s a Carolina boy,” Hamilton said. “He grew up about an hour from me. So it felt good to help him by driving in that run. Hopefully I can drive in a few more for him.”
Harrison boosted a Rangers rotation in shambles because of injuries. Today, Texas is likely to become first team since the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002 to have major league debuts from consecutive starters when Michael Ballard comes up from Double-A Frisco for tonight’s game.
“He threw a great game is what he did,” Kinsler said. “He commanded all three of his pitches. He worked down in the zone. He threw in effectively. He did all that in his debut, which is special.”
The Angels had a chance to spoil Harrison’s debut when they loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth against Rangers closer C.J. Wilson, but Juan Rivera grounded out with the bases loaded. It was the 22nd save in 24 chances for Wilson.
“Both pitchers went pitch-for-pitch,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t get anything going early."
