Kendry Morales

John Lackey celebrated the century mark today, with a victory party at the expense of his favorite opponents. The Angels' ace earned his 100th career victory, scattering five hits over eight innings in a 9-1 triumph over the Oakland Athletics. The Angels scored four runs in the fifth inning and five more in the eighth, highlighted by three-run home runs from Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales. Morales' home run was his 30th, making him the first Angel to hit 30 since Vladimir Guerrero in 2006.

It may be the best money the Angels never spent. First baseman Mark Teixeira spurned an eight-year, $160-million offer to return to Anaheim to sign an eight-year, $180-million deal with the New York Yankees last winter, leaving the Angels with the unproven Kendry Morales at first base. Teixeira, who is being paid $22.5 million per year, is having an All-Star season, batting .283 with 26 home runs, 77 runs batted in and a .548 slugging percentage.

Angels fans take note of Red Sox Manager Terry Francona's decision to drop the slumping David Ortiz from third to sixth in his lineup on May 26 and wonder why Angels Manager Mike Scioscia doesn't do the same with cleanup batter Vladimir Guerrero . Guerrero slipped into some old habits with the bases loaded in the third inning of Game 1 Thursday night, fouling off two Jon Lester pitches that were well out of the strike zone...

All he ever wanted was a chance to play. That's why, as a skinny 8-year-old growing up in Cuba, he picked up a baseball in the first place. That's why, two weeks before his 21st birthday, he left Cuba and everything he had ever known to come to the U.S. And that's why Kendry Morales, perhaps alone among his Angels teammates, cheered Mark Teixeira's decision to bolt Anaheim for Yankee Stadium after last season, leaving first base open for him. "The only thing I needed was the opportunity to play every day," Morales says.

Are the Angels better off today than they were at the end of last season? The answer, if you apply that old campaign slogan to a team that nosedived to 80-82 in 2010, would be yes. They have two more middle-of-the-order bats than they had in October, left fielder Vernon Wells, acquired from Toronto in January, and first baseman Kendry Morales, expected back after suffering a broken leg last May. They added two proven left-handers, Scott Downs...

Reporting from Kansas City, Mo. — No athlete wants to make the list of "dumbest sports injuries," but like it or not, Kendry Morales was added to it Saturday when he fractured a bone above his left ankle while jumping into home plate in celebration of his walk-off grand slam against Seattle. The Angels first baseman, who will undergo surgery and could miss the rest of the season, can take some solace in the fact he won't replace former NFL kicker Bill Gramatica at the top of that list.

For five months the Angels have done everything short of placing a "help wanted" ad to fill out their shaky rotation, trying 13 different starters and auditioning five rookies -- mostly in vain. But on Friday the Angels finally got the man they were looking for, acquiring left-hander Scott Kazmir, a two-time All-Star, from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for three prospects. Then two hours after the long-sought trade became official, they celebrated in style, scoring seven times in the seventh inning to rally for a 11-7 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Boston 18, at Baltimore 10: Victor Martinez, obtained Friday in a trade with Cleveland, tied a career high with five hits, Josh Reddick and Rocco Baldelli each hit a home run and the Red Sox won their fourth consecutive game. Kansas City 4, at Tampa Bay 1: John Buck ended a no-hit bid by James Shields (6-8) with a leadoff single that started a two-run eighth inning.

Angels 8, Athletics 7 AT THE PLATE: Monday's lineup was the one the Angels hope to roll out on opening day ? minus first baseman Kendry Morales, who is still rehabbing his broken ankle. For the most part, the lineup produced: Torii Hunter walked twice, Bobby Abreu doubled twice and Peter Bourjos scored twice. Of the starters, only shortstop Erick Aybar and catcher Jeff Mathis failed to reach base. ON THE MOUND: Just call Angels starter Joel Pineiro Mr. March. With two scoreless innings against the A's, he ran his spring-training streak to 24 appearances without a loss dating to 2006.