ARLINGTON, TEXAS — John Lackey's short game needs a little work.
A mere two pitches into his 2009 season, Lackey was tossed off the mound Saturday, a pair of wayward fastballs resulting in a swift and stunning ejection of the Angels' ace in a 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.
Some three hours after Lackey's first pitch sailed behind the head of Ian Kinsler and his second pitch hit Kinsler in the ribs, the Angels were still bewildered by what transpired at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
"I was definitely shocked," said Lackey, who missed the first month and a half of the season because of a forearm strain. "I haven't pitched in six weeks, and I was amped up. I was trying to come in on him, but there was no intention at all to hit him or throw behind him."
Perhaps if home-plate umpire Bob Davidson had issued a warning after the first pitch, his actions after the second pitch might have been warranted.
"But there was no warning -- none," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "Evidently, he felt there was some history [between the teams] and that John was throwing at Kinsler, which was absurd."
There has been bad blood between the Angels and Rangers, but it is ancient, by baseball standards.
The clubs brawled in 2005 and several times in 2006, though the instigator of those 2006 skirmishes, Vicente Padilla, was on the mound Saturday, giving up three runs and 10 hits in eight innings to gain the win.
Lackey scoffed at a suggestion that he might have been upset by a "bulletin-board quote" from Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd, who told the Dallas Morning News before the series that Lackey "better bring his 'A' game" Saturday.
"If you know anything about me, I would go straight to the source if I was going to do something," Lackey said. "I would tell you I was going to do something, I would tell you I did it, and I would stand up and own it. I did not try to throw at him."
Davidson, who was infamous for his work at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, when he incorrectly ruled on a pair of critical calls, both in favor of the U.S. team, did not speak to a pool reporter about his decision, but crew chief Tim Tschida did.
"They banged the ball around pretty good [Friday night], and [Kinsler] hit two home runs," Tschida said, alluding to the Rangers' 10-8 victory. "When the first pitch of the next game to that hitter is behind him, that's a red flag.
