Angels Send C.C. a Message

C.C. Sabathia has been one of baseball’s most dominating pitchers, going 5-1 with a 1.20 earned-run average in May and allowing just three home runs in 47 1/3 innings this season before taking the Jacobs Field mound Sunday on C.C. Sabathia Finger Puppet Night.

The Angels, in the spirit of promotional giveaways, turned the Cleveland left-hander into a human bobble-head doll, rocketing so many balls over and off the wall during a 14-2 victory that the Indians ace must have felt as if his head was on a swivel.

Chone Figgins led off the game with a home run, and a cascade of offense followed. The Angels pounded out a season-high 16 hits, including four home runs, three of those off Sabathia, who gave up seven runs and eight hits in five innings.

Vladimir Guerrero hit a jaw-dropping shot in the first, lunging for a shin-high outside changeup, breaking his bat and, off his front foot, launching his 15th home run of the season over the 20-foot-tall wall in left.

Mike Napoli added a towering two-run homer to left in the third, Dallas McPherson hit a solo shot to right in the eighth, Kendry Morales had three hits -- doubling from both sides of the plate -- and three runs batted in, and Juan Rivera had two hits and three RBIs.

That provided more than enough cushion for Angels starter John Lackey, who ended a string of four consecutive no-decisions by allowing two hits and striking out four in seven shutout innings to improve to 4-3.

“The biggest key was the guys scoring early runs -- that let me ease into it and use more of the plate,” said Lackey, who was backed defensively by three double plays. “We won another series, and we’ve got things going in the right direction. It’s nice to see.”

Since a horrid 5-18 stretch from April 28 to May 22 left them with a 17-28 record, the Angels have gone 8-3 and won four straight series to improve to 25-31.

Though they gained only half a game on Texas in the American League West during the last four series and are still five games out, the Angels have been playing better baseball, especially on offense.

They are hitting .290 with 73 runs, an average of 6.6 a game, and 16 home runs in the last 11 games. The power has been augmented by an infusion of patience -- the Angels, known for their free-swinging ways, are working deeper into counts and have drawn 41 walks, an average of 3.7 a game, during the stretch.

The Angels’ streak has coincided with the addition of Morales, the first baseman who, despite an 0-for-15 skid last week, is batting .286 with two homers, three doubles and nine RBIs in 11 games since being called up from triple-A Salt Lake on May 22.

Napoli, the rookie catcher, has also been an offensive force since being called up May 3, hitting .327 with three homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in 21 games. McPherson is beginning to find his power stroke, hitting four home runs in the last 10 games.

“It’s not just one guy, but sometimes when you add depth to the lineup, it can change the mix,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Kendry has helped Vladdy, Garret [Anderson] and Tim [Salmon]. With the jobs Kendry and Napoli are doing and the depth they’ve added to the lineup, it’s taken the pressure off some guys.”

Guerrero, of course, has been the constant, with his .322 average, 15 homers and 48 RBIs, and the Angels slugger known for his ability to crush bad pitches added to his legend Sunday night.

“I didn’t expect to hit it that far with a broken bat,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “That’s the first time I’ve hit a home run with a broken bat.”

Asked if there were any other players capable of duplicating Guerrero’s feat, Scioscia said, “Maybe Albert Pujols ... that was unbelievable.”