As Red Sox Starter, Harris’ Success Is Nearly Complete

Two more innings against the Angels Saturday and Greg Harris would have pitched a complete game for the first time in his youngest daughter’s life.

And Lindsey is 5 years old.

Harris, a reliever for much of his career, hasn’t finished a game he has started since 1982, two years after the birth of his first daughter, Shannon.

But with the form he showed in Boston’s 7-1 victory over the Angels Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium, Lindsey might not have to wait much longer.

Harris held the Angels to one run on four hits over seven innings and needed only 73 pitches.

“What can you say? We got a helluva game from Harris,” Boston Manager Joe Morgan said.

With the victory, Harris improved to 4-1 and lowered his earned-run average to 2.96.

Four victories in mid-May isn’t bad--especially considering the Angels’ Bert Blyleven, Jim Abbott and Mark Langston have only that many between them.

“It was the best I’ve pitched yet,” Harris said.

And better yet, he got to do it at home.

Harris, 34, attended Los Alamitos High School, played baseball at Long Beach College and lives in Laguna Niguel.

“Today, there was pressure playing in front of the home crowd,” he said. “Everybody in the world was here.”

Harris has been a reliever for so much of his career that a starter’s schedule is taking some adjustment.

“It’s kind of like a different world for me,” he said. “Everything had to change. I’ve got to find a way of killing three days between starts, instead of knowing I might pitch every day.”

Harris started this season in a relief role, as he had the past two seasons. His best season was with Texas in 1986, when he went 10-8 as a reliever and picked up 20 saves. In 1987, the Rangers needed him to start, and he started 19 games but finished 5-10.

This season, he was slated to come out of the bullpen, but the Red Sox were pressed for starters, particularly when John Dopson went on the disabled list with an elbow injury.

The complete game seems only a matter of time as he builds up stamina.

“I still think I need to be stronger,” Harris said. “It’s going to get awful hot pretty soon, and humid. It was cool out there tonight. I felt like I could go all day.”

It probably looked that way to the Angels, who put two runners on in the fourth, only to see Harris strike out Dante Bichette, who was batting .302. The Angels got their only run in the seventh, on Chili Davis’ triple and Bichette’s sacrifice fly.

In four other innings, Harris faced only three batters.

“Like I say, I got my goal, which is to go as hard as I can for as long as I can,” Harris said. “Seven strong innings is almost for me a complete game, then we bring in our bullpen to finish up.”

And in sharp contrast to what the Angel staff is feeling, Harris knows that a good performance will be rewarded.

“All I’ve got to shoot for is keeping close. This club will score runs.”

Harris has spent more than eight years in the major leagues, during which he has played for seven teams--the Mets, Reds, Expos, Padres, Rangers, Phillies and Red Sox.

And before his career is over, he would like to make his mark by pitching left-handed, even though he is a right-hander. He has an 80-mile-an-hour fastball left-handed, and a glove that fits both hands.

“It’s a matter of waiting for the right time,” Harris said. “I’ll do it, I think, before my career is over. Even if it’s just one batter.”