GROWING PAINS HURT LACKEY, ANGELS STARTER CAN'T AVOID BIG INNING, GIVES UP NINE EARNED RUNS ANGELS 10, BOSTON 9.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

BOSTON - As the hits from the unrelenting bats of the Boston Red Sox kept on coming Tuesday night, John Lackey stayed out on the Fenway Park mound, all the way through the blown five-run lead, the interminable seven-run third inning and then, finally, the three batters who led off the fifth with consecutive hits.

This was not about 2003, or 2004 or even two years from now. This was about the growth of a young pitcher the Angels still believe will be a longtime fixture in their rotation.

But the growing-up process is very ugly, and very public, and Lackey's growing pains cost the Angels dearly in a 10-9 loss to the Red Sox.

The losing pitcher was Brendan Donnelly, who gave up a leadoff walk and then an RBI single in the seventh inning, capping a night in which the Angels bats, held to 1.5 runs per game on the recent 2-8 homestand, pounded out nine runs. That was two runs too few than it took to prevent the Angels (53-58) from falling a season-high five games below .500.

Seven of the 10 runs given up came with two outs.

``Bottom line, that's kind of how the season's gone,'' Donnelly said. ``Par for the (darn) course. We score nine, they score 10. We score four, we give up five. We've got to be able to hold that down.''

Lackey was unable to do that.

In four-plus innings, he was drilled for nine hits and a career-worst nine earned runs, and he's given up 16 earned runs his past two starts.

The pitcher who won Game 7 of the World Series as a rookie now is a struggling sophomore with a 7-10 record and a 5.60 ERA.

Tuesday, Lackey was haunted by the same demons - a dash of misfortune combined with a heaping dose of bad pitch execution at crucial times.

``For him not to pitch like he's capable, it's frustrating,'' pitching coach Bud Black said. ``This is not unlike some of his other games. He'll string together zeroes and then here comes the three-spot or four-spot.

``He hasn't been able to minimize the big inning. It's not making that critical pitch. The (starters) have to realize the next pitch is the most important one, that when things get a little hot, you have that game plan of how to work out of it,'' he said.

Tuesday, that big inning was the bottom of the third, which started with a 5-0 Angels lead. It looked to be no worse than 5-1 after Todd Walker's RBI groundout and a strikeout of Jason Varitek created a two-out, nobody-on situation.

But a walk to Johnny Damon laid the groundwork for Lackey's demise.

Bill Mueller followed with a blooper just over the reach of shortstop David Eckstein, a ball that in a different year with better fortune, possibly finds a glove.

``I was one out away from giving up one run that inning,'' he said.

One very elusive out.

Nomar Garciaparra followed with a three-run homer, making it 5-4.

A walk to Manny Ramirez, a double to David Ortiz, a three-run homer by Kevin Millar, making it 7-4.

Bad luck? Yes and no.

``At some point, you have to take it upon yourself to get an out. I wasn't able to do that,'' Lackey said.

He couldn't do that in the fifth either, when three more hits made it 9-7, ending his night and erasing Garret Anderson's tying home run in the top of the inning.

``You have to support John,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``What he's going through I think will make him a better pitcher. This whole journey of being a major-leaguer has peaks and valleys. As he looks back on this stage of his career, he'll realize that.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

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(color) Boston's newly acquired starter Jeff Suppan, from Crespi High of Encino, gave up seven runs in five innings for a no-decision.

Elise Amendola/Associated Press