Bullpen holds lead this time as Angels beat Indians

Even shortstop Erick Aybar, who would make a spectacular, game-saving play on the ball, said he "didn't think I'd catch it . . . the way it came off the bat, the ball was going a little too fast."

Reliever Darren Oliver kept the faith. Aybar raced straight back, about 45 feet, and made a diving catch to help Oliver escape a bases-loaded, no-outs jam, and the Angels held on for a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Progressive Field.

On the verge of its third meltdown in three games, the Angels bullpen, which had four blown saves and two losses in the previous two games, held.

Scot Shields threw a scoreless eighth, and Francisco Rodriguez struck out Garko, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth, with a full-count slider and a man on second in the ninth for his 47th save, tying the franchise season record he set in 2006.

None of this would have been possible, though, without Aybar's defensive wizardry, which Oliver never doubted.

Asked if he thought Garko's ball would fall for a hit, the veteran left-hander said, "Nah, I knew Aybar would get it. He's supposed to make that play. He always does something out there that a normal person can't do."

Aybar is now working without a safety net after fellow shortstop Maicer Izturis suffered a season-ending thumb injury Wednesday, and he admitted that the "entire" responsibility for one of the most important defensive positions on the field rests on his shoulders.

The Angels appear to be in good hands.

"I think we all have a lot of confidence in him," said Lackey, who gave up three runs and six hits in six innings to improve to 10-2. "He's a top-notch shortstop.

"He has great range, a cannon for an arm, and he can do the job in the two-hole. I think we'll be fine. Erick is a little more flashy, Izzy is a little more steady. As long as it gets done, who cares?"

With Lackey's win, the Angels, for the first time in club history, have five starting pitchers with at least 10 wins in the same season, a milestone the ace said was "pretty cool." But the way Lackey tells it, he should have only 9 1/2 wins.

"Darren Oliver deserves half a win today," Lackey said. "That was some straight David Copperfield action getting out of that."