Cleveland, OH (Best E Casino) - Vladimir Guerrero knocked in two runs as the LA Angels of Anaheim took advantage of four Indians errors to top Cleveland, 4-3, in the middle test of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
John Lackey (10-2) lasted six innings while serving up three runs on six hits and three walks to pick up the win for the Angels, who have won six of their last eight games. Garret Anderson had two of the club's six hits en route to extending his hitting streak to 20 games.
Fausto Carmona (5-5) had his longest outing since coming off a two-month stint on the disabled list July 26, but was still saddled with the loss as a result of giving up four runs -- two earned -- on six hits and three walks in seven innings.
Ryan Garko hit a two-run homer while David Dellucci went 2-for-5 with a solo blast for Cleveland, which stranded 13 runners on its way to dropping its third game in four tries.
Each team plated a run in the first as Guerrero's RBI groundout was countered by Dellucci's solo shot to straightaway center.
The Angels took the lead for good in the third thanks to some suspect defense from Cleveland. After a out-out walk to Erick Aybar, Mark Teixeira poked a single to right. Ben Francisco attempted to gun down Aybar at third, but the throw skipped passed the bag and out of play to bring in a run and put Teixeira 90 feet away.
Guerrero then grounded to third to score Teixeira, and Andy Marte's errant throw allowed Guerrero to advance to second base. Carmona then uncorked a wild pitch while Guerrero was stealing third and the heady veteran raced home to make it a 4-1 game.
"It was ugly early on," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "I don't think we could play any worse than we did in those first couple of innings. And that was the difference in the ballgame."
Garko lined a two-run shot off Lackey that barely cleared the left field wall to make it a one-run game in the fourth, and the first baseman threw out Mike Napoli at the plate in the seventh inning to keep the home team within striking distance.
Lackey was pulled after needing 106 pitches to get through six innings, and Darren Oliver quickly loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a base hit. The veteran somehow wiggled out of the jam, however.
After Kelly Shoppach fanned on a high fastball, Aybar made a diving grab in shallow left field from his shortstop position to record the second out on a ball hit by Garko. Pinch-hitter Jamey Carroll then grounded back weakly to Oliver to squander the bases-loaded opportunity.
"We had opportunities late," Wedge said. "We had bases loaded nobody out and you got to get a run across there."
In the ninth, Francisco Rodriguez shut the door by working around Jhonny Peralta's lead-off single for his 47th save of the season, tying his own franchise record set in 2006.
Game Notes
Each team was hitless with runners in scoring position. The Angels left six on base while going 0-for-9 with RISP, while Cleveland went 0-for-9 with RISP...Lackey is unbeaten in his last seven starts...Former manager Mike Hargrove was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame Saturday. He led the Indians to five straight AL Central division titles from 1995-99 and World Series appearances in 1995 and '97, respectively...LA's Joe Saunders (14-5) will face off against Cleveland's Jeremy Sowers (1-6) in the series rubber match on Sunday...The Angels have won five of eight from the Indians this season...The Angels now have 5 starters with 10 or more wins for first time in club history.
