Lack-attack by Jared Carrabis
John Lackey shuts down former team in bulldog effort


Returning to his roots for the first time since the 2009 American League Championship Series, John Lackey reminded Angels’ fans what they were missing out on.

Matched up against the majors’ strikeout leader, Jered Weaver, Lackey went inning-for-inning in terms of shutting down the Angels’ offense, the same way that the Halos’ righty was shutting down Boston’s offense.

Since his arrival to the American League from the Phillies to the Yankees in 2006, Bobby Abreu has been a thorn in the Red Sox’ side. On Tuesday night, he would continue that trend.

Taking the mound to what sounded like mostly boos in the bottom of the first, Lackey punched out Abreu looking, but would not be so fortunate the next time the two would meet.

With a runner aboard in the bottom of the third, Abreu hit a rocket of a double that hit high off the wall in right to drive in the game’s first run.

Silencing the Red Sox’ offense for nearly his entire outing was Weaver, who struck out eight batters on the night, with Hermida accounting for three of his whiffs.

In the top of the seventh, Jed Lowrie came to the plate with two outs and runners at the corners. Weaver was up over a hundred pitches at 111, but his fastball was still hitting as high as 92. With the count even at one, Lowrie drove a two-seam fastball offering up over the head of left fielder Juan Rivera.

Darnell McDonald scored easily from third to tie the game, as Marco Scutaro jetted all the way around from first base to score the go-ahead run for Boston. An infuriated Weaver screamed expletives at the top of his lungs from the Angels’ dugout after the inning, as the Red Sox had taken a 2-1 lead.

Adrian Beltre came to the plate in the top of the eighth with David Ortiz standing at first base. Ahead in the count 1-0, Beltre got a 96 MPH fastball over the heart over the plate and smoked it into the gap in left-center.

Ortiz got on his horse and chugged all the way around from first base to score Boston’s third run of the ballgame.

Manger Terry Francona decided to stick with his horse and sent Lackey back out for the eighth inning, as he was also well up over a hundred pitches.

After getting the first out of the inning on four pitches, Lackey lost an eight-pitch battle to Abreu, who had torched him earlier in the game. Abreu belted his twelfth home run of the year on Lackey’s 124th pitch of the night to bring the Angels within a run.

The home run ended Lackey’s night in favor of Daniel Bard, who probably should have been in there to face Abreu in the first place, as left-handed hitters are hitting just .122 with no homers against Bard this season.

Lackey made it through seven and-a-third, allowing two runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out four on 124 pitches.

Bard finished out the eighth, striking out Torii Hunter on 99 MPH paint on the outside corner.

The Red Sox added another run in the top of the ninth to restore the two-run lead on a base hit by Ortiz and an E4 by Howie Kendrick.

Jonathan Papelbon was called upon in the ninth inning with a save situation in place. The Boston closer retired the side in order, as the Angels went down without a fight.



Final score: Red Sox 4, Angels 2
WP: John Lackey (10-5)
LP: Jered Weaver (9-7)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon (24)
HR: Bobby Abreu (12)

Game notes: The Red Sox improved to 6-0 against the Angels in 2010 with their win on Tuesday night. This season, John Lackey is 2-0 against his former team with a 1.88 ERA with a .837 WHIP. In Jonathan Papelbon’s last 11 outings, the closer has tossed 11.2 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just four hits, while racking up eight saves and holding opponents to a .103 batting average.

Eye on the scoreboard: In a losing effort from CC Sabathia, the Indians defeated the Yankees by a 4-1 score. A day after Matt Garza’s no-hitter, the Rays edged out the Tigers in a 3-2 battle. The Red Sox move within seven games behind the Yankees, but stay five games back of the Rays and the Wild Card lead.

Tweet of the Night: @sportsguy33: Two straight Red Sox home wins. Thanks for letting us rent your park like a summer house, Anaheim. Will we get our security deposit back?

-Jared Carrabis

Published on July 28, 2010

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