Lackey returns to watch Angels rally, beat Yankees

Alex Rodriguez helped the Yankees score six runs in the seventh, only to see the Angels retake the lead. Here they stand in disbelief as their Yankees batted in the ninth. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) " width="410">

Derek Jeter (left) and Alex Rodriguez stand in disbelief as their Yankees batted in the ninth. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

The Anaheim Angels held a 4-0 lead when manager Mike Scioscia walked out to the mound in the seventh inning. Starting pitcher John Lackey had just retired New York Yankees left-fielder and second-place hitter Johnny Damon on a weak flyout after loading the bases. The ace talked to catcher Jeff Mathis on the mound, discussing their strategy against the next hitter, Mark Teixeira, when he saw Scioscia making the slow walk his way. Immediately he was taken aback, and yelled “This is mine!” at his manager, pleading for a chance to retire the Yankees’ power hitter and put up his seventh scoreless frame. Scioscia wouldn’t let him , taking the ball out of his hand then motioning towards the dugout.

Lackey made the frustrating walk towards the dugout, then down the steps amidst congratulations from his teammates. He was none too happy, and wanted to clean up his own mess. He knew he could, but Scioscia didn’t.

The veteran and usually dependable Darren Oliver took Lackey’s place. Lackey watched from the dugout in anticipation, still fuming from a decision by his manager he hoped wouldn’t backfire. Oliver threw Teixeira a first-pitch curveball, which hung. Teixeira waited on the offering, then laced it into the left-center gap. Lackey watched Teixeira make contact, then as he saw it sail into no-mans land, he stormed down the steps and into the clubhouse. He knew the outcome: three-run double , with the lead down to one.

Oliver remained in the game as Lackey remained in the clubhouse. The 39-year-old was allowed to do what Lackey wasn’t, given the opportunity to clean up his mess, but he couldn’t, relinquishing a RBI-single on a third-straight fastball to Hideki Matsui after walking the suddenly postseason-dangerous Alex Rodriguez. The game was tied, and Lackey couldn’t bear to watch. The sell-out crowd was stunned, anticipating the worst with their head in their hands.

The Yankees took the lead when Matsui slid safely, but it was short-lived. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Robinson Cano stepped into the box against hard-throwing 25-year old righthander Kevin Jepsen and took a low 97 mile-per-hour fastball. A usually aggressive hitter who likes to go after the first pitch went after the second, fouling back a low and inside changeup. Jepsen mixed in another pitch, a curveball, that was placed perfectly dipping low and into Cano, but the Yankees second baseman adjusted to the movement, and hit it crisply into the right-center gap . The ripped liner traveled all the way to the wall; Rodriguez and Matsui both scored as he slid safely into third.

Jespen recovered, as Oliver could not, and retired the 10th Yankee to reach in the frame, putting an end to the nightmarish frame as Lackey remained secluded in the lonely clubhouse, pondering what could have been.

His Angels offense wasn’t down. The blown lead was tough to take, but they were still in it, with the 8-9-1 hitters due up, hoping to start a rally of their own and get Lackey out of hiding and back in the dugout. Scioscia may have made the mistake in how he managed his starter, but he wasn’t alone.