Angels' bats back up Lackey's gem in blowout win

CLEVELAND (AP) -- John Lackey and the Los Angeles Angels made it look

easy.

Lackey allowed two hits in seven shutout innings, Vladimir

Guerrero hit one of three homers off Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia

and the Angels routed the Indians 14-2 on Sunday night.

"When you go against a guy like (Sabathia), you better be on

your game," said Lackey (4-3), who won for the first time in seven

starts since April 26.

"It's very rare that you'll get that many runs against a

quality pitcher like him. You better be ready to throw up some

zeros."

Lackey did just that and more, not allowing a hit until Jason

Michaels' fourth-inning single. The other hit off the right-hander,

who walked four and struck out four, was a single by Ben Broussard

in the seventh.

Travis Hafner reached on catcher's interference in the second

inning but was erased on one of three double plays turned by Los

Angeles.

Kendry Morales had three hits and three RBI for the Angels, who

took two of three in the series and have won eight of 11. Los

Angeles has won four consecutive series after going winless in its

previous eight.

"It's good to see our bats come alive," Angels manager Mike

Scioscia said. "And we pitched well against a team that is

terrific offensively."

The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Sabathia

(5-2), who had complete games in his two previous starts. The

left-hander was 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA since Aug. 5 and had

surrendered only five earned runs in his last 40 innings.

"You look back to last year, C.C. has been as good as a

starting pitcher can be," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He

was just missing, but more towards the middle of the plate."

Chone Figgins opened the game by hitting a 3-2 pitch over the

wall in left for his third homer for Los Angeles. Two outs later,

Guerrero reached down and pulled a low pitch out to left for his

16th homer -- despite breaking his bat.

"That's the first time I ever hit a homer with a broken bat,"

said Guerrero, who has 37 RBI in his last 37 games.

Sabathia wasn't surprised by Guerrero hammering a low-and-away

changeup.

"Vlady is Vlady," Sabathia said. "He swings at anything. He

hit that ball hard, but he does that all the time."

Tim Salmon followed with a single and scored on Morales' double

to left-center. Grady Sizemore got to Morales' flyball with a

leaping effort, but dropped it when he crashed into the wall.

In the second, Figgins drew a two-out walk, stole second and

scored on a single by Orlando Cabrera. A sacrifice fly by Juan

Rivera and two-run homer by Mike Napoli, his third, made it 7-0 in

the third.

"Those homers to Figgins and the catcher (Napoli), I put those

pitches over the plate," Sabathia said. "I got two strikes on

them and couldn't put them away."

Sabathia gave up seven runs, eight hits and four walks over five

innings in his worst outing since allowing eight runs in only 2 1-3

innings at Oakland on July 25.

Morales had a two-run double and Rivera a two-run single off

Jason Davis in the sixth to make it 11-0.

Pinch-hitter Dallas McPherson hit his ninth homer in the eighth

off Guillermo Mota, who allowed three runs in 1 2-3 innings.

Victor Martinez and Ben Broussard hit back-to-back homers off

Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth. It was Martinez's

sixth homer and first since April 27. Broussard has eight homers.

Game notes
Angels pitchers have a 2.49 ERA at Jacobs Field since 2001,

the best of any team. ... Cabrera had two hits and has reached base

safely in 35 consecutive games. ... Indians SS Jhonny Peralta went

0-for-3 and is in a 1-for-19 slump. ... Mota has allowed nine

homers in 24 2-3 innings. ... All fans 14 and under got a hand

puppet resembling Sabathia.