Los Angeles Angels lead New York Yankees 4-0 through 3 innings in ALCS Game 5

Angels lead Yankees 4-0 through 3 innings in ALCS

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter hit a two-run single in Los Angeles’ four-run first against A.J. Burnett and John Lackey pitched shutout ball after a shaky start to lead the Angels to a 4-0 lead over the New York Yankees through three innings Thursday night in Game 5 of the AL championship series.

Lackey, who won Game 7 of the 2002 World Series for the Angels as a rookie, made his 13th postseason start on the eve of his 31st birthday and tried to prevent the Yankees from wrapping up their 40th pennant and first since 2003.

Only 11 of 70 teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series.

Burnett got off to an awful start, allowing the first five batters to reach. Hunter singled to center for his first two RBIs of the series, Vladimir Guerrero drove the next pitch to left-center for an RBI double and Kendry Morales capped the rally with a run-scoring single.

Lackey, one of seven Angels eligible for free agency after the season, came in 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his three previous postseason starts against New York — including Game 1 last Friday, when he lost 4-1 to CC Sabathia.

The right-hander gave up a single to Derek Jeter on his first pitch of the game and a single to Johnny Damon on his third pitch. But Mark Teixeira struck out for the eighth time in 19 at-bats during this series to that point, Alex Rodriguez fouled out and Hideki Matsui grounded out.

The Angels, who were shut out during the first three innings in their previous seven games this postseason, put Burnett in a 4-0 hole after just 12 pitches. It was the second-most productive first inning in postseason play by the Angels, who staked Kevin Appier to a 5-0 lead against San Francisco’s Russ Ortiz in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series at Anaheim.

Despite Jorge Posada’s .414 regular-season career average against Lackey, Jose Molina started behind the plate for the second time in the series because Burnett was pitching. The right-hander was 3-1 with a 2.74 ERA in his previous eight starts — all with Molina as his batterymate — including Game 2 against the Angels and Game 2 of the division series against Minnesota.

The Yankees had outscored the Angels 22-10 and outhomered them 8-3 during the first four games.