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Lackey records first win as Angels top Blue Jays

May 21, 2008 - 4:06 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- John Lackey pitched seven stellar innings en route to his first win of the season as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim posted a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday in opener of a three-game series.

Casey Kotchman and Vladimir Guerrero each drove in a run for the Angels, who managed just five hits as they opened a six-game road trip with a victory.

Brad Wilkerson hit his first home run of the campaign - a solo shot - for the Blue Jays, who had won five of their previous six contests.

Lackey (1-0), who missed the first six weeks of the season with a strained triceps, yielded just one run and seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts in his second start this season.

"I felt pretty good," Lackey said. "I was able to make pitches when I needed to. I got myself into trouble a couple of times, but was able to get out of it."

Lackey, who allowed a home run against the first batter he faced in this one, had to pitch out of jams all night. He induced a pair of double plays and did not allow a hit with runners in scoring position.

Scot Shields had to work his way out of a jam in the eighth after loading the bases with no outs. Shields then struck out Matt Stairs on three pitches before inducing Shannon Stewart to ground into a double play.

Francisco Rodriguez also pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, collecting his major league-leading 18th save of the season.

"I was being too fine with the hitters," said Rodriguez, who walked the bases loaded with one out before getting Aaron Hill to pop out and striking out Alex Rios to end the game. "That's why I walked three guys. But I made pitches at the right moment when I needed to."

"That's been the story - us not getting the guys in," Hill added. "We're going to talk about it until we're blue in the face, but we got to get the job done."

Cesar Izturis scored the game's first run when Garret Anderson grounded into a double play in the opening frame. But Toronto tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning on Wilkerson's blast.

"Just the situation - I was 3-1, looking for a pitch to drive," Wilkerson said off his leadoff home run. "I got a pitch up in the zone and over the plate, just tried to hit it hard. It was a good start after giving up a run."

Anaheim reclaimed the lead in the third inning on Kotchman's RBI double and Gary Matthews Jr. scored on Guerrero's sacrifice fly in the seventh for a 3-1 advantage.

Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan (2-4) surrendered two runs and five hits with four walks and four strikeouts over 6 2/3 frames.