News
Aybar lifts Halos after Lackey's gem
Postseason-worthy duel dominates tight extra-innings win
By Rustin Dodd / MLB.com
09/06/09 12:20 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- The Angels got a small dose of October baseball in the most unlikely of settings.There was a pitchers' duel -- an eight-inning staredown between John Lackey and Zack Greinke -- and there were clutch hits and defensive highlights.
Even the weather felt a little bit like fall.
In the end, the Angels found a way to close, edging the Royals, 2-1, in 11 innings on another cool night at Kauffman Stadium.
The Angels didn't lead until Erick Aybar singled home Torii Hunter in the top of the 11th and they didn't score until Hunter ripped a two-out RBI single off Greinke in the eighth.
But the Angels' scuffling offense was rendered a footnote by virtuoso performances from Lackey and Greinke.
Greinke allowed just one unearned run in eight innings, while Lackey tossed nine innings and surrendered just one earned run.
"Both those guys -- they're bulldogs," Hunter said. "They pitched well enough to win. I don't think either one of those guys got the win -- or the loss. It was a pitchers' duel today. That's what you see in the playoffs."
The win went to reliever Kevin Jepsen, who pitched a scoreless 10th, while closer Brian Fuentes pitched the 11th and recorded his 39th save.
The Angels improved to 8-0 against the Royals in 2009, and they moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the division-rival Rangers, who fell to Orioles in a 5-4 contest.
And, for one night, the Angels could pin some of their offensive struggles on the opposing pitcher.
The Halos have now scored just five runs in their past four games, but most teams have struggled against Greinke -- who lowered his Major League-leading ERA to 2.22.
Greinke certainly made things difficult early. After seven innings of nothing, the Angels finally manufactured a run in the top of the eighth.
First, Chone Figgins ripped a screaming one-hopper that skipped past second baseman Willie Bloomquist. The play was scored an error, much to the dismay of Angels manager Mike Scioscia and Figgins.
Next, Maicer Izturis sent Figgins to third on a single to right. After a strikeout from Bobby Abreu and a popout to the catcher from Vladimir Guerrero, Hunter tagged Greinke with an unearned run on a scorched single to left-center.
"If I could have him on my side, I'd love it," Hunter said of the Royals' ace. "You're going up there with first and third, and two great hitters and one strikes out and one pops up, and now you're next -- I was like: 'I gotta try to do something.' "
There wasn't much else the Angels could do against Greinke. Los Angeles had runners on base in every inning from the second through the seventh, but each time Greinke escaped trouble. There wasn't much the Royals could do to bother Lackey, either.
"Those two guys were going pitch for pitch," Scioscia said. "They're not going to beat a guy like [Lackey], and we're not going to beat a guy like Greinke unless you're pitching with them. We were able to do that and then chipped away for a run, and the bullpen did a good job."
Lackey, who threw 106 pitches, tied his season high of nine innings. He also continued a string of seven consecutive quality starts from the Angels' pitching staff.
The only blemish came in the first inning when the Royals pinched Lackey for a run on back-to-back hits from Bloomquist and Billy Butler. Butler drove Bloomquist in with a single.
Lackey quickly settled down and retired the Royals in order for the next five innings.
In all, Lackey would retire 17 consecutive hitters before Butler broke the streak with a leadoff single in the seventh.
"They were pretty aggressive against me," Lackey said. "I was getting ahead with my fastball, locating my fastball really well, and I kind of rode it for three or four innings."
Bloomquist corroborated Lackey's analysis.
"He locates his fastball really well," Bloomquist said. "He rarely gives you anything over the plate, he's always on the corners and throws his offspeed pitches for strikes when he wants to."
The Angels had plenty of early opportunities though.
The best came in the fifth with the Royals still leading, 1-0.
The threat started with one out when Aybar singled to right. Jeff Mathis followed with a single to center, sending Aybar to third. But Greinke slipped out of the jam when Figgins hit a medium-depth fly ball to left, and left fielder David DeJesus threw out Aybar on a close play at the plate.
The early misses were easier to swallow once Lackey locked in and the Angels locked up another win.
The offense is going to come, Scioscia asserted. It's been carrying the Angels all summer. But for one night, the Angels could lean on Lackey.
"If it wasn't for what John did, that's a game you're not gonna win," Scioscia said.
Rustin Dodd is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
