Indians Get to Percival in Ninth to Win

First, the Cleveland Indians ripped Angel closer Troy Percival, then Percival ripped himself. Both did a thorough job Sunday at Anaheim Stadium.

Brian Giles and Sandy Alomar hit bases-empty homers off Percival in the ninth inning and the Indians pulled out a 10-8 victory in front of 29,363.

Percival then hammered himself at game’s end, pulling no punches about his shoddy performance.

“I got my . . . handed to me, is what I did,” Percival said after his second ninth-inning blowup in three appearances in 1997. “I threw some bad pitches at bad times. Right now, I’m not sure what it is. I’m not throwing the ball where I should be. I’m not hitting spots. There’s no excuse for it.”

Percival, fourth in the American League with 36 saves last season, said he threw a good pitch for Giles’ home run. “But you’ve got to come back and throw another good pitch,” he added.

He struck out Cleveland designated hitter Kevin Mitchell to start the ninth, but Giles slammed a 2-and-2 pitch over the left-center field fence to give the Indians a 9-8 lead.

Next, Percival got second baseman Tony Fernandez to pop up. But Alomar hit another 2-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a 10-8 Cleveland lead.

The trouble didn’t end there. Percival gave up singles to Marquis Grissom and Omar Vizquel, then walked Jim Thome to load the bases. Finally, he got Matt Williams to fly out to end the threat.

Cleveland relievers Paul Assenmacher and Mike Jackson pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth, and what seemed like a laugher for the Angels after two innings finished in frustrating fashion.

The Angels built a 7-1 lead after two innings, then watched it slip away during a seven-run Cleveland fourth. The Angels managed to rally on Jim Leyritz’s run-scoring single in the fifth.

Things went south when Percival entered to start the ninth.

After three games, Percival is 0-2 with a 20.25 earned-run average in 2 2/3 innings.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s got to get fixed,” Percival said.

Sunday’s game recalled another early-season ninth-inning meltdown against the Indians at Anaheim Stadium.

Last May 12, Percival entered with the score tied, 1-1, but gave up bases-empty home runs to Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Alomar. Those were the first runs Percival had given up last season.

This time, Giles and Alomar got to Percival.

Asked if he was concerned about Percival, perhaps the most reliable of all the Angels, Manager Terry Collins said: “He’ll be fine.”

Down the hall in the visitors’ clubhouse, Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove took an interest in Percival’s lackluster outing.

“He wasn’t throwing with the same velocity I’ve seen in the past, not that I was watching the game,” said Hargrove, ejected in the third inning. “I know the last couple of years we’ve had some success against him. He strikes me as the type who doesn’t back off anything.

“I do hope he’s healthy.”

Percival, who had back spasms and numbness of his right forearm during spring training, said he’s fine physically.

Sunday’s game began in dream-like fashion for Mark Gubicza, making his first start since breaking a leg when pitching for Kansas City July 5 against Minnesota.

Jim Edmonds and Garret Anderson each hit two-run homers off Cleveland starter Jack McDowell in the first inning. The Angels then scored three runs in the second.

McDowell, who has a muscle strain, made a rehab start for double-A Akron last Monday. And early on, he looked as if he needed more rehab.

Gubicza cruised along, unfazed by giving up a bases-empty homer to David Justice in the second. But then came the pivotal fourth inning and Gubicza couldn’t hold the six-run lead. Eleven Cleveland hitters came to bat as they seized an 8-7 lead.

“I didn’t do my job is basically what it came down to,” said Gubicza, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits. “The guys did a great job of playing defense and getting me some runs. It’s my job to get them to the sixth or seventh inning.”

Usually, Percival and the bullpen take it from there. But not Sunday.