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Lackey to pitch Game 4 on 24th birthday Posted: Tuesday October 22, 2002 11:03 PM
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- John Lackey can give himself the best birthday present of all -- a World Series victory. The Anaheim Angels' rookie right-hander will start Game 4 against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night -- his 24th birthday. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," Lackey said Tuesday. "I was born during the World Series. It's something I've been doing on my birthday for a lot of years, watching the World Series. It's pretty cool that I'm actually in it and I'm going to get an opportunity to be playing in it." Lackey has seen some memorable games on his birthday, including Joe Carter's Series-winning homer for Toronto in 1993 and the Yankees' comeback from a six-run deficit to win Game 4 in 1996 against Atlanta. "I'm a huge baseball fan so I've seen them all pretty much," Lackey said. "I haven't ever missed one." Lackey seems more poised than most young pitchers. He made his major league debut in June and was an instant hit, going 9-4 with a 3.66 ERA and winning the wild-card clinching game against Texas. He's been even tougher in the postseason, going 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in 12 1/3 innings out of the bullpen and as a starter. He pitched seven scoreless innings to win Game 4 of the ALCS against Minnesota. "There's a lot that goes into John Lackey's success," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "First and foremost, he has an outstanding arm. He's got very good command of three pitches. Whatever start he's taken in our organization, he showed the same great makeup on the mound, his ability to get over rough spots in a game." Lackey also offers another key trait that makes him a good pick to pitch Game 4 at Pacific Bell Park, where pitchers have to hit. Lackey is probably the most accomplished hitter among the Angels, batting .428 with 15 homers and 81 RBIs for Grayson County College. He even hit a game-winning homer in the Junior College World Series. "He's going to influence the game a lot more by going out there and making pitches than anything he does at the plate," Scioscia said. "I don't care how good a hitter the pitcher is." Lackey also has another advantage. He won't have the nerves of making his Series debut. He got that out of the way in Game 2, when he pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of an ineffective Kevin Appier. Lackey allowed two runs, but he doesn't expect the outing to hinder his performance Wednesday because he was supposed to throw in the bullpen Sunday anyway. He also doesn't think it will be difficult to face the same team twice in four days. "I got a little feel of them, the way they're setting up in the box and how I might go after them," Lackey said. "They saw what I've got. It works both ways." Kirk Rueter will start for the Giants. He hasn't faced the Angels since the 2001 season, when he allowed one run in seven innings of a win at home. "They have a great lineup," he said. "I think you have to worry up and down the lineup. There's not an easy out. So you have to concentrate out there and make your pitches to everybody."
After getting hammered in Game 2 of the division series against Atlanta, Rueter got the win in NLCS opener against St. Louis and pitched six scoreless innings in the Game 5 clincher.
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