OAKLAND -- John Lackey gagged the fat lady. There would be no singing this day.
"It's a pride thing. I didn't want to have to watch it on my day," Lackey said.
"It" is a mountain of bodies erected in the middle of the field, celebrating an achievement eight months in the making. The Athletics showed up Saturday measured for a crown, ready to bust loose.
But Lackey turned the occasion into a bust, the right-hander standing tall for seven innings of the Angels' 6-2 victory. Six of them were hitless, the A's cramming all four of their hits into the fifth inning, right after which Los Angeles' four-run sixth took down all the party decorations.
The Angels ... sitting kings of the American League West for one more stubborn day.
"Effort is never a problem with these guys," said their manager, Mike Scioscia, following a game that began about 14 hours after the end of a crushing, condemning Friday night defeat in 12 innings.
"These guys won't melt," Scioscia added. "They'll keep playing hard."
Even when it hardly matters, in the grand scheme. It is quite poignant, in a sense, seeing a champion stave off its dethroning. This was a diamond take on a battered, cauliflower-eared boxing champ getting off a blood-stained stool for one more gutsy round.
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Major League Baseball : News : Baseball Perspectives
Halos have too much pride to lay down
Halos have too much pride to lay down
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