OAKLAND -- John Lackey was the toast of July, and then he felt like toast in August.
After winning Pitcher of the Month honors with a 5-1 record and a 2.08 ERA in six July starts, Lackey fell to a 1-3 mark and a 6.55 ERA in six starts in August.
"You can't pitch like I did in July all season," Lackey said. "As long as the season is, I just have to keep going out there and try and stay as consistent as I can."
Lackey will get a chance to give his second half a lift when he takes the mound against the A's on Saturday afternoon and barring a shift in the rotation, he will conclude his regular season when he faces the A's on Thursday in Anaheim.
The right-hander has two previous starts against the A's this season, and they've been fairly indicative of his year. Lackey tossed a one-hit shutout in Oakland on July 7, when he allowed a leadoff double to Mark Kotsay and then retired 27 straight batters.
But on May 2 in Anaheim, Lackey exchanged words with Jason Kendall when the A's catcher was at the plate, which turned into a bench-clearing brawl. Lackey took the loss as the Angels dropped a 10-3 decision.
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