Angels Leave Percival Relieved

The two things Angel closer Troy Percival despises most about this game are blown saves and hearing opposing team’s fans outcheer Angel fans in his home park--he has lashed out at local fans in the past, usually when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were in town.

So you can imagine how Percival felt after Eric Karros’ game-tying two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning elicited an ear-splitting roar from the Dodger faithful at Edison Field Saturday night.

Percival didn’t have much time to stew, though, because Garret Anderson quickly turned his first blown save of the season into his third victory, lacing a two-out RBI single down the line in right field to lift the Angels to a 6-5 interleague victory before a sellout crowd of 43,429.

That gave Anderson, who grew up in Granada Hills but attended only one Dodger game as a youth, three game-winning hits in five games against the Dodgers this season--his home runs were the difference in two Angel victories at Dodger Stadium last weekend.

“The Dodgers really had no appeal for me when I was younger, so there’s nothing lingering against them,” said Anderson, who had three hits Saturday night. “It just turns out that way. There’s nothing behind it.”

The Angels entered the game hitting .232 with runners in scoring position, but Anderson came up with two big hits, a two-run double to key a three-run third inning and his game-winner in the ninth.

“Garret has been streaky this year, particularly against the Dodgers,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s had some clutch hits. We need more of those. I can’t spell it out more clearly than that.”

David Eckstein opened the ninth with an infield single off reliever Matt Herges, and Adam Kennedy bunted him to second. Dodger Manager Jim Tracy elected to intentionally walk Darin Erstad and pitch to Troy Glaus, who forced Eckstein at third with a ground-ball out.

Tracy then summoned left-hander Jesse Orosco to face the left-handed hitting Anderson. Anderson, who was hitting better against left-handers (.297) than right-handers (.246) entering the game, lined a curveball to right to score Erstad, ending the Angels’ four-game losing streak and the Dodgers’ three-game win streak.

“I know [Orosco] is not going to let me beat him with a fastball,” Anderson said. “So I have to wait for him to leave something over the plate and be patient.”

Anderson’s hit salvaged a fine start by Angel left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who gave up three runs on six hits in eight innings, struck out four and walked none.

The Angels staked Washburn to a 5-0 lead with three runs in the third, an inning that included Erstad’s RBI single and Anderson’s two-run double off Dodger starter Terry Adams, and two runs in the fifth.

Eckstein doubled to open the fifth and later scored on Adams’ wild pitch, and Anderson and Glaus pulled off a successful double steal to make it 5-0.

But Washburn gave up Chad Kreuter’s solo home run in the sixth and Paul Lo Duca’s two-run homer in the eighth before turning a 5-3 lead over to Percival, who had an 0.36 earned-run average and was 16 for 16 in save opportunities.

Not only was Percival practically perfect, he was dominant, giving up one earned run and striking out 29 in 24 2/3 innings.

Percival, pitching for the first time since last Sunday, struck out Shawn Green with a knee-buckling curve and jumped ahead of Gary Sheffield with two curveball strikes. But he may have leaned too heavily on his curve, throwing it on three of his next four pitches, and he walked Sheffield.

Two pitches after Percival appeared to have Karros struck out on a check swing, Karros belted a 98-mph fastball over the wall in left-center for his sixth homer of the season and a 5-5 tie. In two career at-bats against Percival, Karros has two home runs.

Adding to Percival’s frustration was the overwhelming pro-Dodger reaction following Karros’ homer.

“You know, I’m used to that here,” Percival said. “The Yankees, the Red Sox, the Dodgers come to town, their fans outnumber ours.”

A disgusted Percival recovered to strike out Marquis Grissom and retire Adrian Beltre on a fly to right before heading back to the dugout. Minutes later, he was high-fiving teammates.

“You’re going to have a day when you’re not perfect,” Percival said. “But sometimes it’s better for the team if you pull it out and win.”

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