ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- John Lackey threw his
first shutout in two years Thursday -- his fourth against Seattle --
carrying the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 victory over the Mariners.
Lackey (10-7) struck out seven, gave up five hits and threw
111 pitches. It was the 14th complete game and eighth shutout in
Lackey's eight-year career, all of it spent with the Angels.
Los Angeles won its third straight and moved five games in
front of the idle Texas Rangers in the race for the American League
West pennant.
Torii Hunter gave the Angels the lead in the fourth with a
two-run homer and Erick Aybar added an RBI double in the seventh.
Ryan Rowland-Smith (3-3) gave up all three runs on 10 hits
over seven innings to take the loss.
Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki went hitless in four at-bats and
still needs four hits to become the first player in major league
history to have nine consecutive seasons with at least 200. The only
other player to have eight straight seasons with 200 hits has been
Willie Keeler, who accomplished the feat more than a century ago.