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Lackey gets 14th win as Angels top Athletics

Aug 6, 2007 - 12:36 AM By Tom Kent PA SportsTicker contributing writer

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) - John Lackey joined an elite group.

Lackey pitched 6 2/3 quality innings and Garret Anderson drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim posted a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Lackey (14-6), who entered fresh off a complete-game shutout in his last start against the Seattle Mariners, tied Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, Victor Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs and Boston's Josh Beckett for the major league lead in wins.

"It means a lot to me to be in first place in the American League West," said Lackey, when asked about his 14th victory. "That's all I care about."

The righthander yielded three runs and nine hits while walking two and striking out five. A pair of relievers bridged the way to closer Francisco Rodriguez, who pitched around a pair of two-out walks to nail down his 27th save of the season.

The Angels have won 130 consecutive games when leading after eight innings, the longest active streak in the majors.

"I thought (Lackey's) stuff started out really good," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "As the game went on, maybe he got a little frayed, but he pitched a great game. They made him work for every out."

With the Angels trailing, 3-2, in the seventh, Chone Figgins singled to right off Athletics reliever Kiko Calero (1-5) and Orlando Cabrera doubled. After Anderson's RBI sacrifice fly to center, Casey Kotchman drove in the winning run with a single to center.

"I wasn't counting on too many runs today," Lackey said. "(Oakland starter Dan Haren) is having a great year and pitching well. For the guys to come back and pick me up like that, it was big."

Anaheim opened the scoring in the first inning off Haren when Vladimir Guerrero drew a four-pitch walk and Anderson followed with an RBI triple for a 1-0 edge.

With two outs and the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning, Cabrera reached first on a bunt single down the third base line. Guerrero walked and Anderson lined an RBI single to center field for a 2-1 advantage.

Haren, who entered with an American League-low 2.44 ERA and a three-game winning streak, yielded two runs and seven hits in six innings while walking three and striking out six.

"They worked me pretty good," Haren said. "They got my pitch count up so I couldn't go that deep. I wanted to go seven or eight but in that last inning I was all over the place."

Dan Johnson belted a two-run, go-ahead blast in the sixth for a 3-2 Oakland advantage. It was the 11th home run of the year for Johnson, who entered with just two hits in his last 32 at-bats.

"John pitched great today," Cabrera said. "Even the home run he gave up was a good pitch. He just got beat the other way. It was good that we could get the lead back for him after that."

Despite being in third place, 10 games behind Anaheim in the American League West, the Athletics have taken eight of 13 from the first-place Angels this season.