AMERICAN LEAGUE Indians end slump, rally past Angels, 6-4

Cleveland scored five runs in the fifth to snap the Angels' long winning streak.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- John Lackey is using the locker that Paul Byrd occupied in the Los Angeles Angels' clubhouse last season. The Angels might wish they still had both pitchers.
Byrd threw six strong innings for the Cleveland Indians to help snap the Angels' eight-game winning streak, while Ben Broussard hit a two-run homer that snapped Lackey's scoreless string at 302/3 innings, as the Indians broke their five-game skid with a 6-4 victory Wednesday.
Byrd (7-6) allowed three runs, 10 hits and no walks over six innings to improve his career record against the Angels to 3-0, including a three-hit shutout for Kansas City in 2002. The right-hander started against his ex-teammates for the first time since signing a two-year, $14 million contract with the Indians in December.
"I tell people I'm not good enough to stick in one place too long, but I'm not bad enough to retire. I just kind of get the job done and somehow stay consistent," Byrd said. "This meant a lot to me. I've got such a fondness in my heart for this place because of the fans and the people in that organization. I was just happy to be back on this mound. It felt a little bit like home."
One season at Anaheim
Byrd spent only one season in Anaheim, going 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts and reaching the 200-inning mark for the second time in his career. He recorded 22 quality starts, second-most in the AL behind Johan Santana's 24 with Minnesota, and was the lone pitcher to beat the World Series champion White Sox in last year's postseason.
"Paul had a terrific year for us and he fit right in," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think we're all disappointed that we couldn't get Paul back, but players move on and it's part of the game."
Juan Rivera homered in the fourth for the Angels, his 14th this season and eighth in 15 games -- including the two he hit during Tuesday night's 7-5 victory. Vladimir Guerrero had a pair of RBI singles.
"Facing his former team, they obviously know him and he knows them, so that's even a tougher battle," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "But Birdie's going to give you a quality effort and give you a chance to win the ball game. That's what he did all year last year."
Wickman gets 15th save
Aaron Boone also homered and Jhonny Peralta hit a go-ahead single for Cleveland. Bob Wickman worked the ninth for his 15th save in 18 attempts.
Right fielder Casey Blake preserved Byrd's 5-3 lead in the sixth with a sensational, diving grab of Chone Figgins' slicing fly toward the line with two on.
"Casey Blake plays so hard," Byrd said. "He's had a pulled oblique muscle for the last couple of weeks, and for him to run after the ball and dive like that ... I mean, if he misses it, Figgins can make that an inside-the-park home run.
Lackey (8-6) gave up five runs and 10 hits over 42/3 innings after throwing consecutive shutouts against Oakland (one-hitter) and Tampa Bay (five-hitter). The right-hander, trying for his fourth straight double-digit strikeout game, fanned seven and walked five while working with runners on base each inning.
"I told you 100 times that I don't care about the consecutive streak. I'm just trying to win games," Lackey said.
Tribe rallies in fifth
Lackey threw 45 of his 107 pitches during the first two innings and stranded five base runners. His luck ran out in the fifth, when Cleveland scored five runs for a 5-2 lead.
Broussard was 1-for-14 lifetime against Lackey before his tying homer, which came after a walk to Victor Martinez. Broussard's 12th of the season was only the second homer given up by Lackey in his last seven starts. And it left Lackey 51/3 innings short of the club record for consecutive scoreless innings, set by Jim McGlothlin in 1967.
Peralta gave the Indians a 4-2 lead with his third straight hit, a two-run single that landed just inside the right-field line. Rookie Joe Inglett capped the rally with a run-scoring single, his first RBI in the majors.