Haren helps Oakland blank Angels

Baseball Betting Lines

04/18/2007 - Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dan Haren baffled the Angels, shutting them out for seven innings to earn his first win of the season, as the Oakland Athletics topped Los Angeles, 3-0, to conclude a two-game series.

Haren (1-2) was dominant for the A's, fanning three and walking none while allowing only four hits. Huston Street pitched the scoreless ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season. Eric Chavez knocked in two runs on two hits for the A's, who have won three straight and four of five. Shannon Stewart and Todd Walker each collected two hits for Oakland.

John Lackey (2-2) was the hard-luck loser for the Angels, who have now dropped six straight and eight of nine. Lackey gave up three runs on eight hits while striking out four in seven innings. Orlando Cabrera collected two of LA's five hits.

Oakland got to Lackey in the third, but Angels fielders blew chances to hold Oakland to just one run. Jason Kendall singled to start things off, and moved to third on a ground ball single up the middle by Gary Matthews Jr. Stewart then walked, loading the bases.

Nick Swisher hit a picture-perfect double play ground ball, but Cabrera couldn't get the throw off, only recording one out while Kendall scored. Chavez ripped the next pitch down the left field line. The line drive was playable by third baseman Maicer Izturis, but he couldn't come up with it on the dive, and Scutaro scored. Mike Piazza followed by hitting into a double play, though, ending the inning.

Chavez's RBI single to right scored Stewart in the fifth, putting the A's up 3-0.

LA's best chance to score came in the sixth. Reggie Willits singled on a bunt and, after a Matthews strikeout, moved to third on Cabrera's single. Izturis followed with a ground ball to Haren that caught Willits too far off third, and he was tagged out in a rundown. Garret Anderson followed with a pop out, ending the inning.

Game Notes

This was only Lackey's third loss in 20 career starts against the A's. He has a 10-3 career mark against Oakland...Vladimir Guerrero, hit in the hand by a pitch on Monday, and Howie Kendrick, hit in the hand by a pitch on Tuesday, were both flown to LA Wednesday morning to see a hand specialist.

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