The hype surrounding the acquisition of Mark Teixeira was soon and briefly overshadowed as John Lackey was just two outs away from a no-hitter of the Red Sox. Lackey did earn the complete-game win as the Angels clinched the series with Boston and are now an astounding 12 games up in the division.
In the last game with this lineup before Teixeira arrives, the Angels put up six runs on seven hits. They took a 2-0 lead in the third when Robb Quinlan scored on Chone Figgins’ RBI-single before Jeff Mathis scored on a bases-loaded walk to Maicer Izturis. They added two more in the fourth on Garret Anderson’s two-run blast. Two more insurance runs came in the seventh when Quinlan tripled and scored off Howie Kendrick’s sacfly. Mathis then scored on Izturis’ infield single.
John Lackey came to Fenway on Tuesday with a 1-4 record and 7.46 ERA there. He turned those numbers around by not allowing a hit until one out in the ninth. He only allowed two baserunners through six, a walk in the sixth before he hit J.D. Drew in the second. Dustin Pedroia ended Lackey’s no-hit bid with a single through the left side before Kevin Youkilis drove a two-run homerun to end the shutout. Lackey got his ninth win while helping the Angels improve to 7-1 against the Red Sox this season.
The Angels go for the sweep on Wednesday, with Joe Saunders taking the hill to look for his 14th win, which would tie him for most wins in the AL. He will face ace Josh Beckett, who is 9-7 with a 3.83 ERA and lost his last start against the Angels on July 19, giving up four runs in eight innings.
