Final
Mathis, Kotchman lead Angels over Indians
Jul 24, 2008 - 12:08 AM ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The best team in the major leagues did not need a dominant outing by ace John Lackey. Instead, it was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's offense that helped them build a 10-game lead in the American League West Division.Jeff Mathis had four hits and six RBI, while Casey Kotchman went 5-for-5 as the Angels pounded out a season-high 19 hits and took the rubber match of the three-game set against the Cleveland Indians, 14-11, on Wednesday.
"We are close to being a productive offense and we are heading in the right direction," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We just need to concentrate on how we play on the field and not worry about anyone else."
Trailing, 6-5, in the fifth, the Angels used a five-run rally to secure their fifth win in six games after the All-Star break.
Tom Mastny relieved Indians starter Aaron Laffey and surrendered a grand slam by Mathis after Gary Matthews Jr. had walked with the bases loaded to force in the tying run.
"I have been working hard and it's finally good to see some results the last two days," said Mathis, who homered and drove in two runs in Tuesday's victory. "I have just been tweaking and making some adjustments in my swing. Right now, it feels good, and (I'm) just trying to get into a rhythm. I'm just happy that I helped contribute to the win today for our team."
Laffey (5-7) was tagged for eight runs and 12 hits in four-plus ineffective innings.
"I made good pitches, but they placed the ball where the defense wasn't," Laffey said. "It was the best command I had in my past few starts, but it was just one of those games when whatever I threw, it was hit. Today just wasn't my day."
Howie Kendrick, who collected four hits, added a two-run single in the seventh to extend Anaheim's lead to 14-7 before Cleveland scored three in the eighth and one in the ninth.
"Those guys didn't quit and we ended up needing every hit today to hold them off," Kendrick said. "I was just trying to be patient today and drive the ball into gaps and get on base."
Relievers Darren O'Day and Jose Arredondo combined to surrender five runs in 2 2/3 innings, but Francisco Rodriguez got the final out in the ninth to notch his major league-leading 42nd save.
"We played all the way through and it was a good moral victory for the guys in the clubhouse after having an opportunity to get back in the game," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.
Lackey (8-2) allowed six runs and eight hits in five pedestrian innings but notched his seventh win in eight decisions.
"I didn't do a very good job getting ahead of their hitters, and today I just didn't locate my fastball," Lackey said. "The guys picked me up and swung the bats great today."
Ryan Garko blasted a two-run homer off Lackey to snap a 2-2 tie in the fourth before the Angels rallied for three runs in the bottom half.
Andy Marte and Sal Fasano each delivered an RBI single in the fifth, but the Angels' uprising in the bottom of the frame gave them the lead for good.
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CLEVELAND 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 3 1 11 14 0
LA ANGELS 0 2 0 3 5 2 2 0 x 14 19 2 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: CLE - AARON LAFFEY, TOM MASTNY (5TH), JENSEN LEWIS (6TH), JUAN
RINCON (8TH) AND SAL FASANO
LAA - JOHN LACKEY, JUSTIN SPEIER (6TH), DARREN O'DAY
(7TH), JOSE ARREDON
Jul 23 6:49 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY DAVID DELLUCCI SCORED JAMEY CARROLL.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, D DELLUCCI ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 11
LA ANGELS 14 TOP, 9TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: B FRANCISCO (.285, 1-FOR-4, HBP)
Guardians 11, Angels 14 Top 9, 0 OutsJul 23 6:46 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY RYAN GARKO SCORED DAVID DELLUCCI AND JHONNY
PERALTA.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, R GARKO ON FIRST, S CHOO ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 10
LA ANGELS 14 TOP, 8TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A MARTE (.186, 1-FOR-3, BB, RBI)
Guardians 10, Angels 14 Top 8, 0 OutsJul 23 6:27 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY GRADY SIZEMORE (25) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN
THE 8TH OFF DARREN O'DAY.
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 8, LA ANGELS 14
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: D DELLUCCI (.221, 0-FOR-4)
Guardians 8, Angels 14 Top 8, 0 OutsJul 23 6:17 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY HOWIE KENDRICK SCORED CASEY KOTCHMAN AND ERICK
AYBAR.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, H KENDRICK ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 7
LA ANGELS 14 BOTTOM, 7TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: G ANDERSON (.267, 1-FOR-3, BB)
Guardians 7, Angels 14 Bot 7, 0 OutsJul 23 6:12 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY SHIN-SOO CHOO SCORED JHONNY PERALTA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, S CHOO ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 7
LA ANGELS 12 TOP, 7TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: R GARKO (.241, 2-FOR-3, HR, 2 RBI)
Guardians 7, Angels 12 Top 7, 0 OutsJul 23 5:58 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JEFF MATHIS SCORED JUAN RIVERA AND GARRET
ANDERSON.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J MATHIS ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 6
LA ANGELS 12 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: C FIGGINS (.271, 0-FOR-4)
Guardians 6, Angels 12 Bot 6, 0 OutsJul 23 5:49 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
GRAND SLAM BY JEFF MATHIS (8) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN THE 5TH
OFF TOM MASTNY SCORED HOWIE KENDRICK, GARRET ANDERSON AND GARY
MATTHEWS.
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 6, LA ANGELS 10
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: C FIGGINS (.272, 0-FOR-3)
Guardians 6, Angels 10 Bot 5, 0 OutsJul 23 5:21 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO GARY MATTHEWS SCORED JUAN RIVERA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, G MATTHEWS ON FIRST, G ANDERSON ON SECOND, H
KENDRICK ON THIRD, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 6
LA ANGELS 6 BOTTOM, 5TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: J MATHIS (.220, 2-FOR-2)
Guardians 6, Angels 6 Bot 5, 0 OutsJul 23 5:20 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY SAL FASANO SCORED RYAN GARKO.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, S FASANO ON FIRST, A MARTE ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 6
LA ANGELS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A CABRERA (.190, 0-FOR-1, HBP)
Guardians 6, Angels 5 Top 5, 0 OutsJul 23 5:05 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ANDY MARTE SCORED JHONNY PERALTA.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A MARTE ON FIRST, R GARKO ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 5
LA ANGELS 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: S FASANO (.278, 0-FOR-1, SAC)
Guardians 5, Angels 5 Top 5, 0 OutsJul 23 5:03 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ERICK AYBAR SCORED JEFF MATHIS.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, E AYBAR ON FIRST, C KOTCHMAN ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 4
LA ANGELS 5 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: V GUERRERO (.286, 1-FOR-2)
Guardians 4, Angels 5 Bot 4, 0 OutsJul 23 4:52 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CASEY KOTCHMAN SCORED GARY MATTHEWS.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C KOTCHMAN ON FIRST, J MATHIS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 4
LA ANGELS 4 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: E AYBAR (.281, 0-FOR-2)
Guardians 4, Angels 4 Bot 4, 0 OutsJul 23 4:50 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GARY MATTHEWS SCORED HOWIE KENDRICK.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, G MATTHEWS ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 4
LA ANGELS 3 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: J MATHIS (.216, 1-FOR-1)
Guardians 4, Angels 3 Bot 4, 0 OutsJul 23 4:45 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY RYAN GARKO (8) TO LEFT WITH 0 OUT IN
THE 4TH OFF JOHN LACKEY SCORED SHIN-SOO CHOO.
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 4, LA ANGELS 2
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A MARTE (.179, 0-FOR-1)
Guardians 4, Angels 2 Top 4, 0 OutsJul 23 4:33 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
WILD PITCH BY AARON LAFFEY ALLOWED HOWIE KENDRICK TO
SCORE.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, G MATTHEWS ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
LA ANGELS 2 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: J MATHIS (.211, 7 HR, 28 RBI)
Guardians 2, Angels 2 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 23 4:14 PM - AL
AT LA ANGELS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY HOWIE KENDRICK SCORED VLADIMIR GUERRERO.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, H KENDRICK ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CLEVELAND 2
LA ANGELS 1 BOTTOM, 2ND
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: G ANDERSON (.267, 9 HR, 49 RBI)
Guardians 2, Angels 1 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 23 4:09 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CLEVELAND 2 2 2 0
LA ANGELS 0 0 1 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: CLE - AARON LAFFEY
LAA - JOHN LACKEY
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: C FIGGINS (.276, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
C KOTCHMAN (.279, 9 HR, 47 RBI)
E AYBAR (.283, 3 HR, 24 RBI
Guardians 2, Angels 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsJul 23 3:52 PM
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