ANGELS GET THE OFFENSE THEY NEED INCONSISTENT LACKEY STRUGGLES AGAIN BUT CLAIMS HIS FIRST VICTORY ANGELS 13, TEXAS 8.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas - For the first time this season, the Angels' aggressive baserunning and situational hitting yielded a bountiful harvest, as they rumbled around the bases Tuesday night at Ameriquest Field until 13 runs crossed the plate.

Unfortunately for them, John Lackey's second consecutive uneven pitching performance ensured they'd need most of those runs.

Lackey again hit a midgame rut, but the Angels survived that - along with the fourth-inning departure of Vladimir Guerrero - to beat the Rangers 13-8.

Guerrero should be fine. He was struck in the right knee with a throw from Texas catcher Rod Barajas while stealing third base in the third inning. He scampered home to score and batted once more before leaving in the middle of the fourth after feeling the knee throb.

It improved after he applied ice, and he said he expects to play today, a major relief to the Angels.

Lackey's problems are more alarming. He failed to get an out in the sixth inning, leaving a bases-loaded jam for reliever Brendan Donnelly to clean up, and in failing to go more than five innings for the second start created a domino effect that put a heavy strain on the bullpen.

Donnelly escaped Lackey's jam without giving up a run, but he was forced to work a second inning and gave up two runs. Esteban Yan yielded three runs in two-thirds of an inning.

That forced the ever-flexible Scot Shields to enter the game in the eighth. Pitching for the fifth time in eight games, he stranded a pair of runners with a strikeout of Richard Hidalgo, then struck out the side in the ninth to earn a save in a game the Angels once led 13-5.

The mere fact Shields had to pitch can be traced to Lackey's failures.

``We definitely need him to pitch deeper into games,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We can't always go to the well every night with guys. They'll run out of gas. There are times things creep back into (Lackey's) game. It's tough to keep pitching behind in the count, and you add fuel to the fire with walks. It comes back to haunt you.''

Lackey started the year Thursday with four no-hit innings against Texas. Since then, he's been a mess. He has walked eight batters in his last 6 2/3 innings, and he has allowed 16 baserunners in 9 2/3 innings.

He threw a pair of gorgeous curveballs to strike out Alfonso Soriano and Hidalgo to minimize the damage in a two-run third, but he ended his night by giving up two walks and a single to start the sixth.

Despite the inconsistency, he got the win. Appropriately enough, he's 34-33 in his career.

``Hopefully, you just chalk it up to being early, and it will get better,'' Lackey said. ``But I can't walk that many guys. I can't get myself in trouble.''

His teammates ensured he'd stay out of it. The Angels rapped 14 hits off Texas pitching and augmented their hitting with the sort of offensive approach Scioscia relishes.

Darin Erstad had two hits, but also followed up two Figgins doubles by rolling balls to second base, moving Figgins to third, from where he scored. Guerrero took advantage of a green light to spearhead a double steal in the third, which forced Barajas' wild throw that enabled him to score.

And Orlando Cabrera and Steve Finley executed a textbook hit-and-run in the sixth, getting Finley to third for Bengie Molina to cash him in with a sacrifice fly for a 9-3 lead.

``It's a revolving door around here,'' Figgins said. ``Everybody feeds off each other.''

Scioscia was thrilled to see his offense working with such precision. He just hopes his foundering starter doesn't need to be picked up with such regularity.

``You don't expect it every night,'' Scioscia said of the offensive support. ``But we certainly needed it tonight.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Jeff DaVanon had two hits - including a first-inning broken- bat single - three runs and two RBI in the Angels' victory at Texas.

(2) Angels right-hander John Lackey earned his first victory, but he wasn't pleased after giving up a second-inning homer to Texas' David Dellucci.

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Box:

(1) ANGELS at TEXAS

- Gabe Lacques

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED