BOSTON -- The Angels pitcher who was supposed to get a royal beating in Fenway Park wasn't supposed to start until Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader.
Yes, that was Angels ace John Lackey getting knocked around to the tune of six runs on seven hits in the first inning of Game 1 -- being made up from an April 15 rainout -- as the Angels did hardly anything right in their 8-4 defeat to the Sox. It was the team's fourth loss in Fenway this season -- they've been outscored 32-7 in those games -- and they are now 24-53 at this park since 1993.
Lackey, who has had difficulties getting out of the first inning in other starts this season, threw 46 pitches in the first and Boston sent 10 men to the plate. Beginning with David Ortiz’s two-run homer, Boston strung together four hits and had five extra-base hits in the inning.
Lackey lasted just four innings -- his shortest stint since Sept. 16 last season -- throwing 97 pitches and getting into the Angels bullpen much earlier than anyone wanted considering Ervin Santana along with his 8.79 road ERA this season starts the nightcap and the second game will be the Angels' third in two days.
And despite taking an earlier flight out of Toronto while his team played Thursday night to get a decent night’s rest in preparation for the first start, Lackey looked like the one who landed at 1 a.m. instead of his teammates.
The Angels staked their 15-game winner to a run in the first, Chone Figgins scoring on Garret Anderson’s groundout after he walked and went to third on J.D. Drew's error on Vladimir Guerrero's fly ball.
But, within a matter of pitches, Lackey was in trouble. Dustin Pedroia hit a ground-rule double down the right field line and then Ortiz launched his 20th homer of the season -- giving him six straight years of at least 20 -- into the bleachers in right.
After Manny Ramirez singled, Drew tripled to center field and Mike Lowell plated him with a single. One out later Doug Mirabelli, who came into the game hitting .204 this season but .444 against Lackey in his career, hit a double high off the Green Monster and he scored on Alex Cora’s double to left.
Although only one more run scored while he was on the mound, Lackey was already gassed. He loaded the bases with one out in the second but the Red Sox failed to score and he allowed two singles in the fourth and combined with Guerrero’s throwing error, Boston made it 7-1.
Meanwhile Clay Buchholz, making his major-league debut, got double-play grounders in the second and third and a double-play lineout in the fifth to prevent the Angels from getting back into it. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits in six innings, earning a quality start in his very first one.
The Angels had 11 hits, almost as many as in their three games in Toronto, but struck out 10 times against Buchholz, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.