The Mets signed Aaron Harang last September, seeing the journeyman make four starts, but never seeing anything like he displayed on Friday night.
Now with the Braves, the soon-to-be 36-year-old continued his unexpected resurgence with one of the best starts of his career, pitching seven innings of no-hit ball in the Mets’ 6-0 win at Citi Field, before being pulled because of a high pitch count.
After Harang allowed four walks in his last two innings to reach 121 pitches, manager Fredi Gonzalez said it wasn’t a difficult decision to remove the right-hander.
“If it was the ninth inning, you know what? Yeah, maybe you can think about it a little bit, but he’s 35 years old, with 121 pitches. He had no chance,” said Gonzalez. “I’m pulling for him, I want to see him throw a no-hitter, but you get to the point you got to worry about 25 more starts and his longevity.
“There’s no sense going out there. Next thing you know you have 140 pitches and you’re still trying to chase that dragon, and then you can’t make the next start.”
In an offseason that saw the free agent receive little interest after he posted a 5.40 ERA with the Mariners and Mets, Harang said he waited around for a call, unsure when or where he would get another shot. He was signed by Cleveland, but released before the season began.
Then, a litany of injuries to Atlanta’s staff opened the door for redemption — a 3-1 record with a 0.70 ERA this season.
Even Harang isn’t sure what is happening, having gone from a player nearing the end of his career and reverted back to his ace status of seven years ago.
“God, I don’t know. I really don’t,” Harang said laughing, trying to figure out what everyone else is trying to figure out. “I’ve just been able to locate really well and keep the ball down in the zone.”
Harang finished Friday’s game with six walks and five strikeouts, with two ending the sixth and seventh innings, when the Braves clung to a one-run lead and the Mets had two runners on in each at-bat.
After his strikeout of pinch-hitter Andrew Brown, Harang briefly battled with Gonzalez, though ultimately realized his night needed to end.
“If I’m through eight right there, I’m going back out, but Fredi wants me to pitch the rest of the year,” Harang said. “He knows I want to go out there and keep pitching, but I know as a manager it’s probably the hardest decision he’s ever going to have to make. … You look back and appreciate those things when your manager looks after you and takes care of you.”
Reliever Luis Avilan then allowed a two-out single to David Wright in the eighth inning, sparing the Mets from being no-hit for the first time in more than 20 years.