A Langston-Witt Gem Dandy : Angels: An unlikely pair combines against Mariners for the team’s first no-hitter at Anaheim Stadium since 1975.

Mark Langston, the Angels’ $16-million man, held Anaheim Stadium enthralled Wednesday night with a pitching performance that was priceless--and hitless.

That he lasted only seven innings against his former Mariner teammates did not diminish his feat, for in a wonderful bit of irony, the finishing touches on the 1-0 victory that was the eighth no-hitter in the Angels’ history were provided by Mike Witt, who 5 1/2 years ago pitched the only perfect game in the club’s history.

In that game, the final one of the 1984 season, Witt blanked the Texas Rangers, who were then managed by current Angel Manager Doug Rader.

“That’s why I knew Witt was the right guy to finish this one,� said Rader. “He’s done it before.�

Langston, in his Angel debut, worked with little margin for error against his former Seattle teammates. The Angels did not score off Erik Hanson over five innings and finally Dante Bichette drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Johnny Ray, who had walked to lead off the inning

Langston who spent his first 5 1/2 seasons with the Mariners before being traded to Montreal last May, has never pitched a complete-game no-hitter. The closest he has come was a one-hitter against Texas on Sept. 24, 1989. He also took a no-hitter into the ninth against Toronto last season but lost the game. He walked four and struck out three Wednesday, making 98 pitches.

Didn’t he want to stay in?

“I basically had hit the wall after the seventh,� said Langston. “This early in the season, I’m lucky to go seven. It’s just wild.�

The crowd of 25,632 booed when Witt came out of the bullpen to take over for Langston at the start of the eighth inning, but his departure was inevitable, given the shortened preparation time he and all pitchers had in the lockout-shortened spring training.

Langston said it wasn’t how he envisioned his Angel debut.

“Believe me, what I pictured wasn’t even close,� he said. “I was hoping to throw five strong innings. I was very fortunate and grateful to be able to go seven. The defense was great behind me.

“I had a problem throwing strikes early on, but I got in a groove from about the third inning on. I was throwing strikes and staying ahead of the hitters.�

Langston may have been nervous in the first inning, and understandably so. But his professionalism triumphed, enabling him to grow stronger as the game progressed.

“The one Mike Witt threw was the most dominating I’ve ever seen,� said Rader. “This was the most satisfying because you’ve got the new kid, Langston, and Mike Witt comes in and finishes it.�

His first deed as an Angel was hardly auspicious. He walked leadoff batter Harold Reynolds on four pitches, but was supported by his defense. The next hitter was Griffey, but left fielder Bichette helped turn Griffey’s sinking liner into a double play when he ran in to catch the ball, saw that Reynolds was most of the way to second and made a fine throw to first to double Griffey off first.

That proved important when Langston walked Alvin Davis, his former roommate. However, Langston got out of the inning when Jeffrey Leonard hit a grounder to short that forced Davis at second.

Langston issued another walk to Brian Giles in the third inning, but the defense again stepped in and turned an inning-ending double play on a grounder hit by Reynolds to second.

The Angels weren’t faring much better against Hanson, who stands an imposing 6-6 but seemed short after the sight of 6-10 Randy Johnson Tuesday. The did get to Hanson for two hits in the second, when Lance Parrish singled with two out and Jack Howell doubled, moving Parris to third, but Mark McLemore ended the threat with a fly to left.

Devon white and Wally Joyner sandwiched singles around Ray’s fly ball to left in the third, but Chili Davis bounced into a double play to end the inning.

The Angels put runners on base in the fourth inning, but again failed to score. Bichette led off with a single to left and advance to second when Claudell Washington walked. Parrish then hit a grounder that hopped under the glove of third baseman Edgar Martinez, but shortstop Giles recovered the ball in time to tag Bichette out at third. Reynolds, the second baseman, bobbled Howell’s grounder, but managed to get Parrish at second. With Washington on third and Howell on first, McLemore struck out swinging.

Langston came close to giving up his first hit in the fifth. Pete O’Brien led off with a grounder that Joyner played deep on the dirt behind first. Langston raced to cover the bag, but Joyner’s throw was high over his head. Parrish retrieved it, and had the presence of mind to get O’Brien involved in a rundown, which ended with O’Brien being tagged by Joyner at first.

Martinez walked, but Langston got Henry Cotto to fly to left and David Valle to look at a third strike.

The Angels again had runners on base in the fifth but failed to score. White swung at a bad pitch on what should have been strike three, but the ball eluded Valle and White reached first. Ray sacrificed him to second, but he remained there. Joyner was walked intentionally and Hanson got out of trouble by striking out Davis and getting Bichette to fly to left.

In the sixth, Howell stroked a one-hop double off the wall in center with two out, but he was stranded there.

Angel Notes

Shortstop Dick Schofield may remain on the disabled list beyond the minimum 15-day period because he experienced increased discomfort in his right hamstring Tuesday after taking ground balls and moving laterally on the field. Trainer Ned Bergert said the muscle discomfort meant Schofield had “regressed a little bit.� Bergert added, “He’s eligible (to come off the disabled list) on the 16th and I don’t think at this time it’s likely he’ll come off on the 16th.� . . . Reliever Bob McClure, whose sore left elbow showed no improvement following a cortisone injection Monday, will undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test today at Centinela Hospital. The test, in which a radio frequency pulse causes electrical elements of injured tissue to react and appear on a computer display, is being done “for peace of mind, to make sure nothing is being missed,� Bergert said.

Catcher Bill Schroeder, who is on the disabled list because of soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow, will see Dr. Paul Jacobs, who performed the arthroscopic procedure, next week in Milwaukee. . . . Jack Howell rejoined the healthy Wednesday, exactly a week after he sprained his left ankle while diving for first base in an exhibition game. “I’m OK, as far as practice situations, ground balls hit pretty much right at you, batting practice, and running pretty much straight ahead,� said Howell, who blooped a double that landed just inside the right-field foul line in his first at-bat Wednesday. “That’s not to say I expect game situations to be all that different. The only way to tell is trying to turn on a good fastball, beating out a grounder or fielding a hard shot hit to your left when you’ve got to make a quick turn. Til those things happen, I don’t know how it feels.� He feels fortunate to be back so quickly. “Looking back, it could have been a lot worse,� he said. “I could have totally ripped my ankle and not been able to come back until June. I’m fortunate it happened early in the season, when I was going through spring training-type drills. It’s not like it was in the middle of a pennant race, where if you miss games it’s hard to get back in.�

ANGEL NO-HITTERS No-hitters thrown by Angel pitchers:

Date Pitcher(s) Opponent Score May 5, 1962 Bo Belinsky Orioles 2-0 July 3, 1970 Clyde Wright Athletics 4-0 May 15, 1973 Nolan Ryan Royals 3-0 July 15, 1973 Nolan Ryan Tigers 6-0 Sept. 28, 1974 Nolan Ryan Twins 4-0 June 1, 1975 Nolan Ryan Orioles 1-0 Sept. 30, 1984 Mike Witt Rangers 1-0 April 11, 1990 Mark Langston/Mike Witt Mariners 1-0

Date Site May 5, 1962 Dodger Stadium July 3, 1970 Anaheim Stadium May 15, 1973 Royals Stadium July 15, 1973 Tiger Stadium Sept. 28, 1974 Anaheim Stadium June 1, 1975 Anaheim Stadium Sept. 30, 1984 Arlington Stadium April 11, 1990 Anaheim Stadium