News
Lackey taking aim at Dodgers
LA Angels (22-19) at LA Dodgers (29-14), 7:10 p.m. PT
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
05/23/09 2:59 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- It certainly won't find a place on his list of priorities on Saturday night, headed by fastball command, getting ahead in counts and getting early-count outs. But John Lackey really could use a hit, just for the sake of conversation, if nothing else. |
He owns 92 victories but not a single base hit, having gone 0-for-22 at the plate in his Major League career.
What you should know about Lackey, who takes the mound for the third time this season in an Interleague matchup against Dodgers southpaw Randy Wolf, is that he once was known for his ability to swing a bat. Those who watched him crush balls for Grayson County College in Denison, Texas, couldn't decide if his future was as a first baseman or a pitcher. Playing for Grayson's 1999 Junior College World Series championship team, Lackey batted .428 with 15 homers and 81 RBIs while going 10-3 with a 4.23 ERA. He elevated his game at the World Series, hitting two homers with seven RBIs on eight hits. Dismissive of any talk about his hitting prowess, Lackey refers to it as ancient history, not even worth discussing. Sure, but he really could use a hit. A pitcher who actually has shown he can hit deserves at least one base knock on his resume. Lackey has nailed a few balls on the screws, but he hasn't found a hole. Jered Weaver, who pitched the series opener on Friday night, has one hit -- and almost legged out a second on a disputed call at first in the second inning. Ervin Santana has two hits in 13 at-bats. Kelvim Escobar has three hits in 27 at-bats. The Angels have one pitcher who has done some serious raking. Middle reliever Darren Oliver, a starter for much of his career, is a .221 career hitter in the Majors with a homer and 20 RBIs in 217 at-bats. Lackey? He's due. Overdue. With more serious business to deal with, the Angels, naturally, are more concerned with Lackey's arm than his bat. The big man recovered from his weird debut -- two pitches to Ian Kinsler and an ejection in Texas -- with a winning effort in Seattle. Going five innings on Monday night, Lackey yielded five runs (four earned) on seven hits and no walks, striking out three men to claim the win. "We're going to monitor him closely," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "If he has to stay in the 90- to 100-pitch range the rest of the year, fine. He maintained his stuff very nicely and got deep in the game the other night. That was a good sign." A hit against Wolf might not influence the outcome in any way, but it would certainly feel good for Lackey. Once a hitter, always a hitter -- even if he doesn't care much for those who do it against him now. Pitching matchupLAA: RHP John Lackey (1-0, 9.00 ERA)
Lackey wasn't sharp vs. the Mariners in his second outing of the season last time out, but he lasted for a lot more than two pitches, which is more than could be said for his return from the disabled list two days earlier. Lackey lasted five innings in Seattle, giving up five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits. The good news is the big right-hander got his first victory of the season and struck out three batters while not issuing a walk. LAD: LHP Randy Wolf (2-1, 2.72 ERA)
Wolf got another tough-luck no-decision against the Mets last time out. Wolf allowed only two runs in 7 2/3 innings, his longest start of the year. One of the runs scored on a groundout, the other with reliever Cory Wade on the mound. It was Wolf's sixth no-decision in his last seven starts, but it lowered his ERA to 2.72 and was his sixth quality start. Tidbits
Making his first appearance in a game since tearing his left pectoral muscle, Vladimir Guerrero had a single and an RBI, scoring a run, in three at-bats in a California League game on Friday night, playing for high Class A Rancho Cucamonga at Lake Elsinore. In that same game, Kelvim Escobar -- on the mend from shoulder surgery -- delivered 4 2/3 quality innings, yielding one unearned run on one hit and one walk, striking out four. Guerrero is expected to be back in the Angels' lineup as their DH when they return home on Monday night to face the White Sox. Escobar is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on June 4. ... The Angels are 13-7 in May and have won 11 of their past 15 against the Dodgers, outscoring them by 67-30. ... When Jered Weaver kept the Dodgers scoreless in the first inning despite two hits and a walk when Torii Hunter made a spectacular play in center on Russell Martin's two-out drive against the wall in left-center, it was news. The Dodgers had scored in the first inning five straight games and lead the Majors with 44 first-inning runs. Tickets
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• Sunday: Angels (Matt Palmer, 5-0, 4.26) at Dodgers (Chad Billingsley, 6-1, 2.51), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Angels (Ervin Santana, 0-1, 3.09) vs. White Sox (John Danks, 3-3, 4.60), 6:05 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Angels (TBD) vs. White Sox (Bartolo Colon, 2-4, 4.23), 7:05 p.m. PT
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
