**Update** Broken up through 7 2/3 with a Kennedy base hit to center on a 3-2 count, two-outs.

“Fred” (as dubbed by the Angels anouncer) García perfect through 7.

Maybe he found his right blend of …uhm… herbs.

But the interesting thing happened in the top of the sixth. With Iguchi on second and Thome on first, Konerko blooped a single to right-center with 2 outs. Iguchi misread it and slowed down mid-way between third and home, thinking the ball had been caught. Rivera quickly fired the ball to the cut-off man, who then fired to the catcher. Iguchi out.

Oh, BTW, he’s in my fantasy team. That is, the team that finished dead last in my league.

Last night, after allowing a leadoff double to Mark Kotsay, Angels pitcher John Lackey retired the next 27 batters he faced. So was Lackey pissed at himself for giving up that double, which cost him a perfect game? From the L.A. Times:

In speaking with reporters, Lackey denied he fed off any motivation besides pitching against Zito, and against the team in first place in the Angels’ division. He also said he didn’t leave the ballpark with that just-missed-a-perfect-game feeling.

“I don’t feel like I just missed,” he said. “I was in the stretch trying to get out of a jam right out of the gate.”

Ok, John, whatever you say.

Lackey became the first pitcher in 24 years to give up a leadoff hit and retire the next 27 batters. Jerry Reuss last did it, pitching for the Dodgers on June 11, 1982, against the Cincinnati Reds.