John Lackey Dominates as Angels Win

John Lackey has flown under the radar for a long time. The Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher has been very consistent over the years but doesn’t get an abundance of praise. On Thursday, the Seattle Mariners got a first-hand look at how well Lackey can pitch as he lead the Angels to a 3-0 victory.

Lackey went all nine innings for a five-hit shutout. The win was his tenth of the season and his ERA lowered to 3.53. Lackey now has at least ten victories in each of the last seven seasons. As a rookie in 2002, he had nine victories in 18 starts.

The big hit for the Angels was a two-run blast by Torii Hunter in the fourth inning. In the 7th, Erick Aybar added a run scoring double.

With the win, the Angels now have three straight victories and hold a three-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West. Los Angeles’ record of 84-55 is the secnd best mark in the American League — only behind the 91-50 New York Yankees.

While Lackey may fly under the radar now, he won’t in the offseason. He’s hitting the free agent market and many league experts believe he’ll receive the largest contract of any free agent pitcher.

John Lackey - Los Angeles Angels (Image: Zuma Press)