Mariners' Mike Leake loses perfect game in ninth inning vs. Angels, settles for a Maddux

Tom Gatto

Mariners' Mike Leake loses perfect game in ninth inning vs. Angels, settles for a Maddux image

Mike Leake had almost the perfect comeback to his previous outing.

The Mariners right-hander came up three outs short of throwing the 24th perfect game in MLB history Friday night. The Angels' Luis Rengifo ended the bid with a single to lead off the ninth inning.

SIGN UP for a FREE trial of DAZN and watch LIVE baseball games and programming on MLB Network

Leake then allowed a walk to Kevan Smith but recovered to retire the next three batters and complete a 10-0 shutout. He struck out Mike Trout to end the game.

Leake needed just 98 pitches to blank the Halos in his second complete game and first shutout of the season, meaning he fashioned a "Maddux" (as in Greg Maddux), a shutout in fewer than 100 pitches.

Had Leake completed the perfecto, it would have been the first in the majors since his Seattle teammate Felix Hernandez threw one Aug. 15, 2012, vs. the Rays.

Leake did not get out of the first inning in his last start, which occurred exactly one week ago. He was facing the Angels in the club's first home game since the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Leake allowed seven runs (four earned) and eight hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Angels pitchers Taylor Cole and Felix Pena combined to throw a no-hitter that night.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.