LACKEY HOPES TO ADD ICING TO BIRTHDAY CAKE.

Byline: Michael A. Anastasi Sports Editor 

SAN FRANCISCO - Today is John Lackey's 24th birthday. Not a bad day to be a starting pitcher in the World Series.

``Yeah,'' Lackey said, ``it's pretty cool.''

Well, it wasn't too cool for the first pitcher to start a World Series game on his birthday. That was a fellow with a definitely cool nickname, Brickyard Kennedy, but his Pittsburgh club was roughed up by Boston that fall day back in 1903. Of course, Brickyard's opponent was Cy Young.

Giants left-hander Kirk Rueter isn't quite in that league.

Lackey makes his first start, yet second appearance, in the World Series this evening. The rookie right-hander, 9-4 in the regular season with a 3.66 ERA since making his Angels debut June 24, pitched 2 1/3 innings of serviceable relief in Sunday's Game 2.

He gave up a pair of runs but bridged the gap between Kevin Appier and the Angels relievers.

``I usually throw two times on the side (in between starts) anyway,'' Lackey said. ``I threw less (Sunday) than I usually do.''

Lackey, who will bat for the first time, pitched seven scoreless innings in his only postseason start, a 7-1 Angels victory in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. He struck out seven and walked none in an efficient 79 pitches.

``He's got very good command of really three pitches,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``But what I think has allowed him to excel at such a young age, ... is his make-up.

``Whatever start he's taken in our organization, whatever level it's been, he showed the same make-up on the mound - his ability to bend but not break, his ability to brush off a tough inning and come back and make pitches.''

Rueter has certainly been un-Cy Young thus far this postseason - giving up seven runs (six earned) and seven hits in a sordid three innings against Atlanta and hanging in there in two outings in the NLCS. Overall in the postseason, he's 1-1 with a 7.07 ERA.

Rueter, though, was a horse for the Giants during the regular season (14-8, 3.23 ERA, 203 2/3 innings), and San Francisco is going to need him to go deep into today's game after being knocked around by Anaheim for the second consecutive game Tuesday.

``They have a great lineup,`` Rueter said. ``You have to worry up and down the lineup; there's not an easy out. You have to concentrate out there and make your pitches to everybody. I'm going to try to do that and let my defense play behind me.''

It'd better, or it'll be an awfully swell bash for Lackey.

``It's something I've been doing for a long time, watching the World Series on my birthday,'' said Lackey, the third pitcher to start a Series game on his birthday. ``Now I'm going to be playing in it.

``I don't think there's going to be any situation where I'm going to be timid or scared.''

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1) THE STAR: Angels first baseman Scott Spiezio opened the flood gates with his two-run triple in third and had a run-scoring single in the fourth as the Angels took a commanding 8-1 lead.

(2) THE GOAT: Giants starter Livan Hernandez and reliever Jay Witasick combined to allow eight runs in four innings and give their team almost no chance to win.

(3) JOHN LACKEY

(4) KIRK RUETER

Box:

(1) WORLD SERIES AT A GLANCE: GAME 3 RECAP

(2) WORLD SERIES AT A GLANCE: GAME 4 PREVIEW: TODAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP

(3) ANGELS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

World Series: Best-of-seven series tied 1-1