Dickson Delivers Spot of Good News

Jason Dickson made Angel Manager Mike Scioscia’s job a little easier Tuesday, giving up one run and six hits in six innings of a 3-2 Cactus League victory over the Oakland A’s, a performance that virtually assures the right-hander a spot in the Angel rotation.

Brian Cooper, who was in competition for the fifth spot, was optioned to triple-A Edmonton Tuesday, and the final rotation spot will go to either Kent Mercker or Scott Schoeneweis.

Infielders Larry Barnes and Trent Durrington also were optioned to Edmonton, and catcher Steve Decker was reassigned to minor league camp, leaving 13 active position players on the roster.

That means the Angels will open the season with a 12-man pitching staff, even though Scioscia won’t need a fifth starter until April 11. Ken Hill, Kent Bottenfield and Dickson will start, and Ramon Ortiz, rehabilitating from a slight shoulder tear, will join the rotation April 11.

The loser of the Mercker-Schoeneweis battle will open the season in the bullpen. Both left-handers are scheduled to pitch Friday night against the San Diego Padres in Edison Field.

Troy Percival, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Mark Petkovsek, Al Levine, Lou Pote, Derrick Turnbow and either Mercker or Schoeneweis are considered locks for a bullpen that will open with eight pitchers. Knuckleballer Tom Candiotti has the edge over lefty Mike Holtz for the last spot.

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The new double-play combination of shortstop Gary DiSarcina and second baseman Adam Kennedy turned four of the Angels’ five double plays against the A’s.

Kennedy made the most impressive play, lunging to his right to snag Rich Becker’s smash up the middle and flipping to DiSarcina to start a double play in the fifth.

“Dickson is trying to make the team, and you don’t want to play bad behind a guy who has a job on the line,” DiSarcina said. “So in that respect, it was very satisfying.”

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Pitching in successive games for the first time this spring, Percival gave up a run, two hits and a walk in the ninth, his save preserved by Barnes’ acrobatic catch in deep right to end the game.

“It wasn’t pretty,” said Percival, who had shoulder surgery last October. “Once again, I threw great in the bullpen. Then I went out there like a kid going after his first save. I was too excited.

“I’ve passed every [physical] test in my mind. Now I have to get mentally prepared to save games. I said earlier in camp, if I have my velocity and command of my off-speed pitches, which I feel I have, the rest will come.”

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Jarrod Washburn, on the mend from a strained chest muscle, threw a 30-pitch simulated game and will pitch in a minor league game in Arizona Thursday. He probably will open the season on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.