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Matthews Jr.'s double lifts Angels over Orioles

Jun 2, 2007 - 5:07 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- Gary Matthews Jr. made the Baltimore Orioles pay for intentionally walking Vladimir Guerrero.

Matthews doubled home a pair of runs and John Lackey turned in his usual dominant performance to lead the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles.

Chone Figgins went 3-for-3 and scored a pair of runs for the Angels, who squandered bases-loaded opportunities in the first and the fifth before finally breaking through in the seventh frame.

"I've been feeling a lot better at the plate and it's a good feeling to help the team out win games," Figgins said.

Anaheim entered the home half of the seventh trailing, 2-1.

"That was the inning of the game," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It was a game where runs were hard to come by and we got that big hit we needed."

Shea Hillenbrand singled to lead off the inning off Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera before being replaced by pinch-runner Nathan Haynes. Figgins followed with his third hit of the night and Reggie Willits sacrificed to move the runners to second and third.

"They did the little things they needed to win the game tonight," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said.

With first base open, Perlozzo elected not to pitch to Guerrero, issuing the All-Star slugger his 16th intentional pass of the season to bring Matthews to the plate.

"It was the decision any team would make in that situation but it turned out the wrong way for us," Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said.

Matthews wasted little time making Perlozzo's strategy backfire, taking Cabrera's first-pitch fastball over the outside corner into left field to score Haynes and Figgins and forge a 3-2 lead.

"There has been a lot of times where teams try to pitch around Vlad and we get that hit that we need," Lackey said.

Matthews' hit made a winner out of Lackey (9-3), who now leads the majors with nine wins. The Angels' ace allowed five hits and two runs in 7 1/3 innings, striking out four and issuing two walks.

"I don't worry about my wins," Lackey said. "I just know if I pitch my game then my team will put runs on the board."

Lackey has allowed more than three runs in just one of his 12 starts this season. The lone blemish on Lackey's resume Friday night was a two-run homer by Miguel Tejada in the first inning.

"We know that we have to score early against a guy like Lackey 'cause he is one of the best pitchers in the league," Tejada said.

Cabrera (4-6) almost made Tejada's homer stand up, baffling Anaheim's hitters for most of the game. After loading the bases with one out in the first, Cabrera struck out Casey Kotchman and Howie Kendrick to end the threat.

"He (Cabrera) went out and pitched a good game and kept us in it," Orioles catcher Ramon Hernandez said. "He located all of his pitches and kept them off balance."

The 26-year-old righthander surrendered a run in the fifth, but forced Matthews into a bases-loaded double play to end the threat. Cabrera was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs and nine hits in 6 2/3.

Scot Shields got the last two outs of the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez escaped a small jam in the ninth to earn his 19th save.

"Our pen did a great job coming and closing out the game for us," Lackey said.