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Angels keep rolling with sixth straight win

May 23, 2007 - 3:52 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- Coming off the Freeway Series, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim stayed in the fast lane.

John Lackey continued his dominance against the Detroit Tigers and Orlando Cabrera hit a two-run homer as the Angels posted their sixth straight win with a 6-3 victory over the defending American League champions on Tuesday.

Mike Napoli and Robb Quinlan also homered for Anaheim, which was coming off a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend.

"This was a good game for us, you know," Quinlan said. "Our pitchers have carried us for a long time. They hit some hard balls, and Lackey didn't have his best stuff tonight."

Lackey struggled through five innings to get his third straight victory and improve to 6-0 lifetime against the Tigers, including 4-0 at Comerica Park.

After surviving a 41-pitch second inning, Lackey (7-3) worked five innings, allowing one run and three hits. He walked four and struck out three in his 101-pitch effort.

"I didn't have god stuff at all," Lackey said. "I didn't locate anything. Guys played great defense behind me."

Lackey has yielded just 10 runs in his last 39 2/3 innings. He dug a hole for himself in the bottom of the second, walking the bases loaded with two out, but was bailed out when center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. picked a fly ball by Brandon Inge off his shoe tops to end the threat.

"It was a sinking liner," Matthews said. "There's no background in center field. You look out into the street, maybe some trees. ... Either got to lay out and catch it or keep it in front of you.

"It was a tough play because there's no one backing me up. You either catch it or you've got the Detroit Invitational breaking out with everybody running."

Dustin Moseley pitched two scoreless innings before giving way to Darren Oliver, who loaded the bases with no out in the ninth on a walk and singles by Craig Monroe and Inge.

That forced manager Mike Scioscia to bring in closer Francisco Rodriguez, who earned his 14th save despite allowing an RBI single to Placido Polanco and walking in a run to make it 6-3.

Cabrera made a leaping catch on a scorching line drive by Carlos Guillen to end it.

"It was very frustrating (ninth-inning rally)," Tigers designated hitter Gary Sheffield said. "We hit the ball well but they came up with great defense. We just came up short."

"OC (Cabrera) ending the game line that was kind of appropriate tonight," Lackey said. "You've got to give those guys credit for winning the game."

The Tigers also were coming off an interleague sweep, dispatching the world champion St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game weekend set.

Detroit was looking to remain perfect in games started by Mike Maroth (3-1), who missed his last scheduled outing with flu-like symptoms. The Tigers had won each of his first seven starts this season.

"We hit the hard tonight," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "But we didn't have much to show for it. We couldn't get the ball to fall in and they played great defense. That's why they are a good team."

Maroth, who was out three months in 2006 due to elbow surgery, started off strong and had already registered a season-high four strikeouts in his first two innings.

Los Angeles turned things around in the third as Napoli led off with a homer to center for a 1-0 lead.

After Chone Figgins doubled, Cabrera took Maroth over the fence in left field for a 3-0 advantage.

"They were swinging at pitches that I threw on the outside of the plate in the first couple of innings," Maroth said. "Then in the third, I started getting the ball over the plate. You just can't do that, they got a lot of hitters that can do a lot of damage.

"I wish I could have kept us in the game better."

Magglio Ordonez cut the lead to 3-1 with a solo shot - his 10th of the season - off Lackey in the fourth, but the Angels responded with a pair of runs in the fifth.

Napoli started things off with a walk and moved to third on a bunt by Figgins and an error. Reggie Willits and Cabrera delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies for a 5-1 cushion.

Quinlan built the lead to 6-1 with a solo homer in the sixth.

Maroth lasted seven innings, yielding six runs - five earned - and seven hits. He struck out four and walked two.