Lackey Feels Right at Home

ARLINGTON, Texas —  John Lackey delivered a Texas-sized bailout for the Angels the last time he pitched here.

It was late September of last year, and the Angels had lost four games in four days when a victory in any one of them would have secured a postseason berth.

Enter Lackey, the lanky rookie who hails from Abilene, about two hours up the road. The right-hander picked up the clinching victory against the Rangers with a five-inning performance that sparked a champagne celebration in the visitors’ clubhouse.

“There was just a sense of wanting to get it over with, to make sure we were at least getting into the playoffs,” Lackey recalled. “It was nice to get over that hump.”

Lackey returns to the site of his greatest regular-season triumph tonight when he starts against the Rangers. A solid outing would be especially enjoyable for Lackey because his parents, Derran and Sharon, will be on hand along with 50 or so relatives and friends.

About 20 in Lackey’s cheering section will be players from the Mesquite (Texas) Horn High baseball team, coached by Derran Lackey. John Lackey, fresh off his victory in Game 7 of the World Series, spent a couple of weeks this off-season working out with the Jaguars.

“When I introduced myself to them, they just kind of laughed, like, ‘Yeah, we know who you are,’ ” Lackey said. “They definitely listened and asked a lot of questions.”

Lackey did not fare well against the Rangers on opening day, giving up five runs in five innings to take the loss. He has displayed a lively arm in his first three starts but has walked eight in 15 innings.

“John might be a little too strong right now,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Once he gets into the season and gets into the flow of it, he’ll get more consistent execution of pitches as opposed to trying to sit back and blow everybody away.”

If past success is any indication of future performance, the Ballpark in Arlington might just be the place for Lackey to get on track.