Percival, Glaus on All-Star Team

Into the gloom of the Angels’ seven-game losing streak, a little sun shined Wednesday. Closer Troy Percival and third baseman Troy Glaus were named American League All-Star reserves by New York Yankee Manager Joe Torre.

“I’m sure they would enjoy it a little more if we were playing better baseball now, but they should enjoy the honor because not many guys get this opportunity,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Everyone feels happy for these guys, but they don’t put personal accomplishments ahead of the team.”

Percival was a lock for his fourth selection in seven years. The right-hander has been one of baseball’s most dominant closers, with a 3-1 record, 0.90 earned-run average and 19 saves in 20 opportunities. He has given up 13 hits, struck out 33 and walked seven in 30 innings.

“Any time you get an individual honor when the team is not going well, it’s not very satisfying,” said Percival, who battled shoulder and elbow injuries in 2000. “But at the same token, with what I went through last year, this is very gratifying.”

Glaus’ second consecutive selection seemed in doubt until Cal Ripken Jr. passed the Seattle Mariners’ David Bell in the final week of balloting. Had Bell won the start, Torre would have picked Ripken as a reserve, and Glaus probably would have been left out.

But with Bell out of the picture, Torre was able to add Glaus, whose average has slipped to .247 but who leads AL third basemen in home runs (21) and runs batted in (52). That hardly cheered up Glaus, who went hitless in four at-bats and struck out twice in Wednesday’s loss to the Oakland A’s.

“I don’t even know when the All-Star game is,” Glaus said. “I’m here to play for my team, that’s it. I haven’t thought about the All-Star game.”

Leadoff batter David Eckstein did not play Wednesday, breaking the shortstop’s string of 29 consecutive starts in the leadoff spot.

Eckstein is hitless in 22 at-bats over the last five games, and he has not drawn a walk in that span. Eckstein’s batting average, .307 on June 25, has dropped to .279, and his on-base percentage, in the .375 range much of the season, has slipped to .358.

“I actually feel real good up there--the last time [I was in a slump] I wasn’t seeing the ball real well,” Eckstein said. “I think this has been a lack of aggressiveness. I might be taking too many pitches. You have to find a balance as a leadoff hitter between taking pitches and being aggressive.

“By taking pitches, one of my goals is to draw walks, but I haven’t been doing that like I usually do. Most of these pitchers are usually in the strike zone, so I might as well be aggressive earlier in the count.”

Neither the Angels nor A’s walked a batter Wednesday--not a huge surprise considering umpire John Hirschbeck, whose strike zone is liberal, to say the least, was behind the plate.

“It was going to be tough to walk some guys today,” Scioscia said. “John makes you open up your zone a bit. For some hitters, that might be a plus. For some, it’s not.”

TODAY

ANGELS’ ISMAEL VALDES

(4-4, 4.37 ERA)

vs.

ATHLETICS’ GIL HEREDIA

(4-6, 6.48 ERA)

Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, 12:30 p.m.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Valdes, who has been on the disabled list since June 15 because of an inflamed shoulder, was activated after Wednesday’s game and pitcher Matt Wise was sent back to triple-A Salt Lake. Heredia is 2-1 with a 4.39 ERA in his last seven starts after going 2-5 with an 8.92 ERA in his first seven starts.