Percival Adding New Pitches to Arsenal

Angel closer Troy Percival threw his second scoreless inning Tuesday, mixing curveballs with his usual fastballs in a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Tempe, Ariz.

In his first inning Friday, Percival threw several changeups while striking out all three batters he faced against the Oakland A’s.

But Percival, who saved 42 games last season, hasn’t abandoned his 95-mph fastball to become a finesse pitcher. He just figures it’s time to shed the label of a one-pitch pitcher.

“He can be a lot better with a changeup, and this guy is as good as there is,” Manager Terry Collins said. “This adds a couple of weapons to his arsenal, and that will make a big difference.”

Especially on those nights when Percival is pitching in his third straight game and his fastball has lost some zip, or when he faces the Cleveland Indians, who never seem to have problems catching up to his heater.

“If you can stop guys from hanging on your fastball, you’ll be in better shape,” Collins said. “Both times out this spring, because of his changeup and curve, his fastballs have looked like bullets.”

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Steve Sparks’ knuckleballs supposedly don’t dance as much in the dry, thin Arizona air, but don’t tell catcher Charlie O’Brien that. With the bases loaded in the first inning, O’Brien couldn’t handle two of Sparks’ knucklers, and two runs scored on passed balls.

Asked if this was was the first season O’Brien has caught a knuckleball pitcher, the 11-year veteran replied, “Can’t you tell?”

Otherwise, O’Brien has been superb behind the plate, throwing out both runners who have tried to steal in Cactus League play and two more in an intrasquad game last week.

“There were a few balls Sparks threw where it wouldn’t have mattered who was catching, they wouldn’t have gotten them,” Collins said. “One started over the middle of the plate and ended up in the other batter’s box.”

Sparks went three innings, giving up one hit. He didn’t give up a hit in the first inning but walked three.

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Chuck Finley long-tossed for 10 minutes and is hoping to pitch in his first spring game this weekend. He said the muscle spasms in his upper back have dissipated but he needs to work through some tightness in his shoulder. Finley also said he might have been slowed by a 2 1/2-week bout with pneumonia, which he suffered in late January and early February.

Reserve outfield candidate Matt Luke, slowed by a strained muscle in his back, singled in his first spring at-bat Tuesday and will make his first start in a B game this morning against San Francisco.