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Lackey Outduels Hammel In Angels' Win Over Rays

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By MARC LANCASTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 19, 2007

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A night after they pounded on a 17-game winner but still managed to get saddled with a loss, the Devil Rays cleaned their game up considerably Tuesday.

For their trouble, they had the honor of becoming John Lackey's 17th victim of the season. The Angels' starter came up short of the complete game he sought but was good enough to outduel Jason Hammel for a 2-1 win.

It was a disappointing outcome from a well-played game, but there wasn't much the Rays could do on this evening.

Hammel was stingy once again, surrendering just two runs in six innings as he continued to gain confidence and demonstrate composure on the mound. The lanky right-hander has allowed a total of six runs in 23 innings in his past four starts (a 2.35 ERA) after surrendering 25 runs over his previous five outings, in which he had a 10.23 ERA.

He allowed the first batter he faced Tuesday, Brandon High's Chone Figgins, to single and come around to score but was able to lock things down pretty well after that.

The Rays had a good argument that the second run scored off Hammel shouldn't have counted. The red-hot Garret Anderson led off the sixth inning with his third hit of the day, a double down the right-field line, and moved to third on a groundout. The Rays intentionally walked Seminole High product Casey Kotchman to set up a double play and thought they had it off the bat of Howie Kendrick.

But first-base umpire Brian Runge determined Jorge Velandia's relay throw from Josh Wilson wasn't in time, allowing Anderson to score. Rays manager Joe Maddon argued the call to no avail, and television replays appeared to support the Rays' case on a very close play.

As steady as Hammel was to keep the Rays close, Lackey (17-9) was better. The Rays managed just two hits off the right-hander, and one of those was granted retroactively. Delmon Young's hard smash off shortstop Orlando Cabrera's glove with two outs in the fourth inning was originally ruled an error but later changed by the official scorer.

Tuesday was a far cry from the damage the Rays were able to inflict upon an Angels starter with similar credentials, Kelvim Escobar, the previous evening.

Lackey exerted far more influence over the game as he struck out 10 and didn't allow his two walks to morph into anything troubling.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia gave Lackey, who had 100 pitches through eight innings, a chance to finish off the Rays. But B.J. Upton's leadoff double in the ninth represented the end of the leash, as Scioscia called upon Francisco Rodriguez to close it out. Velandia came up big again with a single that scored Upton, but Rodriguez struck out Wilson on a checked swing for the save.

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