Angels Stagger to New Depths : Baseball: Indians score 10 times in eighth inning to turn eight-run deficit into 14-12 win. Percival questions teammates.

Maybe the Angels should forfeit the rest of their games this season, pack their bags and go home.

Perhaps Commissioner Bud Selig could intervene on America’s behalf, using his best-interest-of-the-game powers to pull the plug on the Angels, thus sparing baseball fans across the country from their tired act.

The Angels probably wouldn’t object after suffering what had to be one of the ugliest and most embarrassing defeats in franchise history, blowing an eight-run, eighth-inning lead in a 14-12 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday before 43,284 in Jacobs Field.

In a game that is sure to put Manager Terry Collins’ job in further jeopardy--not to mention reliever Mark Petkovsek’s--the Indians scored 10 runs in the bottom of the eighth, eight of them after two were out, the crowning blow coming on Richie Sexson’s three-run, game-winning home run off closer Troy Percival.

The Indians, who set a major league record by overcoming their third eight-run deficit of the season, sent 14 batters to the plate in the eighth and had nine hits, five off Petkovsek, who started the inning, and three off Percival, who couldn’t finish it.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Angel starter Chuck Finley, a 14-year veteran whose gutty seven-inning performance, along with Troy Glaus’ two-homer game, was wasted. “That was as ugly as it’s going to get.”

And he wasn’t only talking about the blown lead. Percival, who has a career 0-6 record and 8.85 earned-run average against the Indians, blew his fuse after Sexson’s home run, hitting David Justice with a pitch that sparked a brief but uneventful bench-clearing brawl.

The real fireworks came afterward, where Percival questioned the character of some teammates who did not come to his aid during the brawl.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I gained respect for certain people, and there are certain people that I have to question,” Percival said. “You can watch the video and figure it out. I was pretty impressed with some people, I can tell you that much.”

Percival did not single out any teammates, but television cameras did catch designated hitter Mo Vaughn in the dugout as the brawl ended.

“I’ve got respect for my infielders, they were out there--[Gary] DiSarcina, [Darin] Erstad, Glaus,” Percival said. “That’s where you learn who the people are on your team who are standing behind you 100%. In the future, you know what guys will go to battle with you and which ones won’t.”

Vaughn declined comment after the game.

“I have no answers,” he said. “Don’t even ask.”

Vaughn’s two-run double capped a five-run eighth that gave the Angels a 12-4 lead, a cushion that was built in part by Glaus, who hit two-run homers in the fourth and sixth innings, and Tim Salmon, who hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

But Petkovsek, who has given up 12 earned runs in his last four innings, couldn’t get anyone out in the bottom of the eighth, which started with Alex Ramirez’s single, Jim Thome’s double and Sexson’s two-run single. Justice and Wilson singled to load the bases, and Collins pulled Petkovsek for Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

Hasegawa nearly worked his way out of the jam, retiring Einar Diaz and Dave Roberts on popups, but he gave up an RBI single to Omar Vizquel, which pulled the Indians to within 12-7 and kept the bases loaded.

Collins went to Percival, whose first pitch was looped into right field by Roberto Alomar for a two-run single that made it 12-9. Alomar stole second, putting runners on second and third, and pinch-hitter Harold Baines grounded a two-run single to right, making it 12-11.

Percival walked Thome, and an 0-2 wild pitch to Sexson advanced pinch-runner Carlos Baerga to third and Thome to second. Sexson then hit a curveball into the seats above the left-center field wall to give the Indians a 14-12 lead.

Percival hit Justice, who charged the mound and hurled his helmet at Percival, sparking the brawl. There was more grappling than punching during the fight, in which Percival sustained a cut and bruise under his right eye.

“He threw his helmet at me--it was like the first time he’s been out to the mound,” Percival said of Justice. “He knew I was going to throw inside, because guys are jumping out over the plate, and I’m tired of it. The ball grazed his ribs.

“I have no problem with him coming to the mound, but to bring your helmet with you? That’s Little League. Come at me like a man.”

Said Justice: “I get along with everyone, but no one is going to punk me.”

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GOOD JUDD

Mike Judd improved to 3-1 as the Dodgers defeated the Brewers, 5-3. Page 3

Crazy Eighth

After seven innings Tuesday, the Angels had a 7-4 lead over Cleveland. In the eighth, the teams combined for 12 hits and 15 runs and the Indians had a 14-12 lead.

* ANGELS’ 8th--De Paula pitching. Glaus walked. Molina walked. DiSarcina sacrificed Glaus to third, Molina to second. Palmeiro singled to center, Glaus and Molina scoring. Durrington walked. Poole pitching. Anderson singled to center, Palmeiro scoring, Durrington stopping at second. Vaughn doubled to left, Durrington and Anderson scoring. Salmon walked. Erstad grounded into a double play. Five runs, three hits, one left.

* INDIANS’ 8th--Petkovsek pitching. A.Ramirez, batting for M.Ramirez, singled to center. Thome doubled to left, A.Ramirez stopping at third. Sexson singled to center, A.Ramirez and Thome scoring. Justice singled to center, Sexson stopping at second. Wilson singled to left, loading the bases. Hasegawa pitching. Diaz popped to short. Roberts popped to second. Vizquel singled to left, Sexson scoring, Justice to third, Wilson to second. Percival pitching. Alomar singled to right, Justice and Wilson scoring, Vizquel taking third. Baines batting for A.Ramirez. Alomar stole second. Baines singled to right, Vizquel and Alomar scoring. Thome walked. Baerga ran for Baines. Baerga took third and Thome second on Percival’s wild pitch. Sexson homered to left. Justice was hit by a pitch. Pote pitching. Nagy ran for Justice. Wilson forced Nagy. Ten runs, nine hits, one left.