Sun Jun 29 19:20:48 2008

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Lackey leads Angels to blanking of Dodgers

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - John Lackey came within an out of his first shutout this season, yielding just three hits in the Angels' 1-0 victory over the Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series.

Lackey (6-1) walked two batters and had nine strikeouts to win his fifth consecutive start. He's lasted seven or more innings in all nine of his outings this season and has a 5-1 lifetime record against the Dodgers.

Juan Rivera was 2-for-4 and scored the game's lone run on Mike Napoli's single as the Angels snapped a three-game losing streak. They did it a day after losing 1-0, when the Dodgers didn't get a hit.

Francisco Rodriguez came on for Lackey in the ninth with men on first and second. A wild pitch moved Delwyn Young, who singled, to third while Russell Martin, who walked, remained on first. Rodriguez then walked Jeff Kent to load the bases, but got James Loney to ground out on a chopper to second for his major league-leading 32nd save.

Derek Lowe (5-8) pitched seven innings allowing just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven for the Dodgers, who had a modest two-game winning streak halted. They had blanked the Angels in the first two contests of the series.

The Dodgers, who did not record a hit in eight innings of a bizarre 1-0 win Saturday night, had just three singles Sunday by Juan Pierre, Kent and Young.

The Angels scored the only run in the second. Rivera singled with two outs, and Gary Matthews Jr. walked before Napoli singled to right field.

Pierre singled with two outs in the sixth for the Dodgers' second hit of the day. He stole second, but injured his left leg on the play and departed the game. Andre Ethier grounded out to strand pinch-runner Young, who remained in the game to play left field.

Pierre was the only runner to reach second base before the ninth inning for the Dodgers as Lackey retired 14 consecutive batters before Pierre's single.

Game Notes

The Angels have won 10 of their last 14 against the Dodgers...The Angels finished 6-3 on a nine-game interleague road trip...The Dodgers were 4-5 on a nine-game interleague homestand.