Angels' Lackey takes aim at win No. 17 in Baltimore

Sep 13, 2007, 14:47 GMT

- John Lackey goes for win No. 17 this evening when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim try and complete a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Lackey is coming off a superb outing in his last start on Friday against the Cleveland Indians, but has nothing to show for it. The Cy Young Award candidate, who is 16-8 with a 3.18 earned run average this season, limited the Tribe to a run and six hits in seven innings, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 3-2 win.

The 28-year-old righty has beaten the Orioles twice already this season and is 6-2 in his career against them with a 3.41 ERA in nine starts.

Baltimore will pin its hopes on Jon Leicester, who will be making his second start of the year. Leicester, who is 1-1 with a 9.90 ERA, his first major league victory since Sept. 19, 2004, holding the Boston Red Sox to four runs and seven hits in five innings.

Leicester earned the win in his only other appearance against the Halos by tossing three scoreless innings.

In the second game of this series on Wednesday, Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero combined to drive in nine runs to lead Los Angeles to its sixth straight road win with an 18-6 rout. Anderson finished 3-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored, while Guerrero was 2-for-6 on the night for the Angels, who have won two in a row, and six of nine overall.

A victory today would give the Angels their first three-game sweep at Camden Yards since September 6-8, 2002. A win would also give them their first seven- game win streak away from home since an eight-game run from July 5-22, 2001.

Kelvim Escobar (17-7) got the win despite allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of work, striking out three and walking two.

Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera (9-16) managed to last 4 1/3 innings after a disastrous five-run first, and finished the night having surrendered 10 runs -- eight earned -- on nine hits, striking out five and walking four.

Tike Redman was 2-for-4 with a home run, and Ramon Hernandez and Aubrey Huff also had two hits apiece for Baltimore, which has dropped three straight and nine of 11.

LA leads the 2007 season series with Baltimore by a 7-2 advantage, with a 4-1 mark at Camden Yards.

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