ONCE AGAIN, NO SUPPORT DESPITE A SOLID EFFORT BY LACKEY, ANGELS LOSE TO GIANTS SAN FRANCISCO 3, ANGELS 2.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO -- John Lackey was another in a line of Angels pitchers who deserved a better fate, and this time it spurred the right-hander to make a plea for help.

Lackey pitched well against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday and had to accept a defeat when the Angels were edged 3-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 40,887 at AT&T Park.

The Angels have lost four out of five games to the Giants and San Diego Padres since interleague play resumed Friday.

Lackey gave up all three runs while working seven innings, but just one run was earned. He lowered his ERA to 3.31 but saw his record fall to 4-5, and he wasn't too pleased afterward.

``I passed frustration a couple of weeks ago,'' Lackey said. ``I've been throwing the ball pretty good all year. I had pretty much two bad starts. I'm 4-5.''

He would like to see a change, whether it be in attitude, performance or personnel.

``You can't think positive when you're losing like we're losing,'' Lackey said. ``It doesn't matter if I'm getting losses or whoever is getting losses. It's not good. Something needs to happen.''

Lackey was asked if that something was a level of better play or a trade from general manager Bill Stoneman to get some help.

``A move could help, definitely ... playing better,'' he said. ``There are a lot of things that need to happen first to turn this thing around.''

Lackey's effort followed his outing Thursday, when he didn't give up an earned run in seven innings against the Kansas City Royals and still wound up with a no-decision.

``There is a lot of pressure on our pitching staff when we're not able to get runs, and actually early runs,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We're not able to get anything going and every pitch John makes he feels like his back is up against the wall.''

The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, and it was poor defense that again caused problems. Ray Durham led off by reaching first base when Adam Kennedy fielded a ground ball to his right but dropped the ball as he prepared to throw it to first.

Lackey then had Durham picked off at first, but Kendry Morales' throw to Orlando Cabrera at second base was wide and Cabrera's spinning tag was late. After Steve Finley and Pedro Feliz were retired, Eliezer Alfonzo was walked intentionally to get to pitcher Matt Morris.

But Morris shot a line drive down the right-field line for a two-run double.

Lackey proceeded to settle down, and after a two-out walk to Durham in the third inning, he retired 11 consecutive batters before Alfonzo doubled with one out in the seventh. He scored on a Randy Winn bloop single down the left-field line for a 3-1 Giants lead.

The Angels scored their first run in the sixth inning after Mike Napoli led off by getting hit by a pitch. He scored on a two-out Kennedy double to left field. Tim Salmon had been on deck to bat for Lackey, but the pitcher was allowed to take his hacks after Kennedy's RBI, and he popped out to shortstop.

Napoli cut the Giants' lead to 3-2 in the eighth with a solo home run to center, his seventh of the season. A single and error put two runners on before a Kennedy fielder's choice gave them a first-and-third situation with two outs. Juan Rivera batted for Lackey but struck out looking.

``We're going to keep going,'' Scioscia said. ``We're a much better club than we've shown at this point. I think things are clearly defined what we need to do.''

Lackey had been holding out hope that the bad luck will reverse itself, but he isn't so sure now.

``It's tough to tell,'' he said. ``It's been going on for a long time now.''

After Lackey was removed, J.C. Romero pitched a perfect eighth inning that included a strikeout of Barry Bonds. Bonds was hitless in four at-bats and failed to get the ball out of the infield. He is 1 for 7 in the series.

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Photo:

Angels catcher Mike Napoli, right, reaches out for the throw at home plate as the San Francisco's Ray Durham, left, and Eliezer Alfonzo come in to score during the second inning.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Box:

ANGELS at SAN FRANCISCO

- Doug Padilla