CLEVELAND (AP) -- John Lackey and the Los Angeles Angels made it look
easy.
Lackey allowed two hits in seven shutout innings, Vladimir
Guerrero hit one of three homers off Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia
and the Angels routed the Indians 14-2 on Sunday night.
"When you go against a guy like (Sabathia), you better be on
your game," said Lackey (4-3), who won for the first time in seven
starts since April 26.
"It's very rare that you'll get that many runs against a
quality pitcher like him. You better be ready to throw up some
zeros."
Lackey did just that and more, not allowing a hit until Jason
Michaels' fourth-inning single. The other hit off the right-hander,
who walked four and struck out four, was a single by Ben Broussard
in the seventh.
Travis Hafner reached on catcher's interference in the second
inning but was erased on one of three double plays turned by Los
Angeles.
Kendry Morales had three hits and three RBI for the Angels, who
took two of three in the series and have won eight of 11. Los
Angeles has won four consecutive series after going winless in its
previous eight.
"It's good to see our bats come alive," Angels manager Mike
Scioscia said. "And we pitched well against a team that is
terrific offensively."
The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Sabathia
(5-2), who had complete games in his two previous starts. The
left-hander was 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA since Aug. 5 and had
surrendered only five earned runs in his last 40 innings.
"You look back to last year, C.C. has been as good as a
starting pitcher can be," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He
was just missing, but more towards the middle of the plate."
Chone Figgins opened the game by hitting a 3-2 pitch over the
wall in left for his third homer for Los Angeles. Two outs later,
Guerrero reached down and pulled a low pitch out to left for his
16th homer -- despite breaking his bat.
"That's the first time I ever hit a homer with a broken bat,"
said Guerrero, who has 37 RBI in his last 37 games.
Sabathia wasn't surprised by Guerrero hammering a low-and-away
changeup.
"Vlady is Vlady," Sabathia said. "He swings at anything. He
hit that ball hard, but he does that all the time."
Tim Salmon followed with a single and scored on Morales' double
to left-center. Grady Sizemore got to Morales' flyball with a
leaping effort, but dropped it when he crashed into the wall.
In the second, Figgins drew a two-out walk, stole second and
scored on a single by Orlando Cabrera. A sacrifice fly by Juan
Rivera and two-run homer by Mike Napoli, his third, made it 7-0 in
the third.
"Those homers to Figgins and the catcher (Napoli), I put those
pitches over the plate," Sabathia said. "I got two strikes on
them and couldn't put them away."
Sabathia gave up seven runs, eight hits and four walks over five
innings in his worst outing since allowing eight runs in only 2 1-3
innings at Oakland on July 25.
Morales had a two-run double and Rivera a two-run single off
Jason Davis in the sixth to make it 11-0.
Pinch-hitter Dallas McPherson hit his ninth homer in the eighth
off Guillermo Mota, who allowed three runs in 1 2-3 innings.
Victor Martinez and Ben Broussard hit back-to-back homers off
Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth. It was Martinez's
sixth homer and first since April 27. Broussard has eight homers.
Game notes
Angels pitchers have a 2.49 ERA at Jacobs Field since 2001,
the best of any team. ... Cabrera had two hits and has reached base
safely in 35 consecutive games. ... Indians SS Jhonny Peralta went
0-for-3 and is in a 1-for-19 slump. ... Mota has allowed nine
homers in 24 2-3 innings. ... All fans 14 and under got a hand
puppet resembling Sabathia.