Angel Wins as Different as Day, Night

The hits just kept on coming Monday at Jacobs Field for the Angels. One to the outfield, another to the bleachers, but more troubling was one great big blow to the heart of the bullpen.

Struggling closer Troy Percival blew up again, and a sweep of the Angels’ second day-night doubleheader in four days almost slipped from their grasp.

But Mike Holtz bailed out Percival after he had loaded the bases, and the Angels held on for a 10-7 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the second game.

Knuckleball pitcher Dennis Springer, rebounding from his worst start of the season, threw an eight-hit shutout as the Angels defeated the Indians, 2-0, in the first game.

The first game was simple, neat, clean and a dramatic improvement for Springer over his nine-run, eight-hit performance in last Tuesday’s 9-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

The second game was more like rec-league softball. Percival was in no mood to buy the beer for the winners.

“I’m all right,” he said after giving up three walks and a run-scoring sacrifice fly. “There are no excuses.”

Fatigue was the only reason Percival could come up with for his ineffective relief work lately. He has given up six runs and seven hits with three walks, four strikeouts and one home run in his past four appearances.

This was his second meltdown in as many outings. Saturday, he failed to retire a batter in the ninth inning and gave up a game-winning three-run homer to Boston’s Mo Vaughn.

“I need a couple of days’ rest, then I’ll work on a couple of mechanical things,” Percival said. “I didn’t have anything, and I tried to manufacture something tonight.”

It was not a rousing success and Holtz was asked to get pinch-hitter Tony Fernandez with two outs and the bases loaded and the Angels clinging to a 10-7 lead.

Holtz induced Fernandez to ground out to third base to end the game and earn his second save.

Starter Matt Perisho, called up from triple-A Vancouver because the Angels had no one else, lasted only 3 1/3 innings. Pep Harris, who went 2 1/3 innings to pick up the victory, Darrell May and Percival then pitched in relief.

Down, 4-0, the Angel offense was awakened by Garret Anderson’s grand slam off Cleveland starter Orel Hershiser in the fourth inning. The Angels added two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, then three more in the seventh.

By game’s end, they had hammered Hershiser and three relievers for 13 hits. Hershiser departed after 4 2/3 innings after re-injuring a strained groin muscle.

The Angels handed Percival a 10-6 lead, but he couldn’t hold it in the ninth inning. “He’s tired,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He’s out of gas.”

Collins knew this was going to be a difficult trip, and he has run out of rested, effective pitchers. The bullpen is particularly zapped, no one more so than Percival.

“Other guys are going to have to get the job done for a couple of days,” Collins said.

Springer’s complete game in the afternoon was important.

“A tremendous performance,” Collins said. “We need another one [today]. Chuck Finley is a guy who can do it for you.”

After Finley, who has a six-game winning streak, Collins will probably start Jason Dickson on Wednesday in the final game of the 10-game, nine-day trip.

Dickson was originally scheduled to go Thursday but said the arm stiffness that troubled him last week is gone. Dickson did his between-starts throwing in the bullpen Monday and said he could pitch on three days rest.

“He said he was just a little stiff before his last start [Saturday] and doesn’t know why,” Collins said.

With May out of the picture after throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief Monday, Mark Langston on a rehabilitation assignment at Class A Lake Elsinore and a trade for a quality starter nowhere in sight, Collins has no one else.

Springer might be an attractive alternative if Dickson’s stiffness returns. Knuckleballers are renowned for their ability to bounce back.

Certainly, Springer’s turnaround from his last start means he’ll remain in the rotation for at least one more turn and maybe more.