Percival Can’t Get Job Done

Troy Percival and Greg Myers live on the same street in Riverside--three houses apart, Myers said. When winter comes, perhaps the two can share memories of the home run that ended Sunday’s game.

But not today, not after Myers hit the game-winning three-run home run off Percival that sent the Angels to another disheartening defeat. The Angels played eight inspired innings, rallying for three runs in the eighth to erase a 3-2 deficit, and handed their closer a two-run lead in the ninth, but Percival failed to record an out. On what he said was the first walk-off homer of his career, Myers sent his good buddy and his old team to the showers as 6-5 losers to the Oakland Athletics.

“He’s a good friend of mine,” Percival said. “But that doesn’t mean I want to throw a pitch and give up a home run to him.”

It’s still April, but the Angels flew to Seattle on Sunday night already 81/2 games behind the first-place Mariners. Pitcher Aaron Sele insisted the Angels would not panic and did not need to concern themselves with beating Seattle this week at the risk of falling too far behind the Mariners.

“That’s like saying we’re down by five runs so we need to hit a five-run home run,” Sele said. “You can’t do that. You have to take it day by day.”

The Angels won one of four games here, and in the victory they blew all but two runs of a six-run lead. In the defeats, the Angels lost a lead in the sixth inning Thursday, the eighth inning Saturday and the ninth inning Sunday.

Percival gave up three hits. Miguel Tejada and Terrence Long singled. Myers, who had a pinch-hit single off Percival Friday, came off the bench again and delivered.

Percival didn’t need a scouting report to tell him that Myers could hit a fastball over the plate. On a 2-and-0 pitch, that’s what Myers got.

“Everybody in baseball knows he’s a dead-red hitter,” Percival said. “It doesn’t matter how hard you throw it. If you don’t hit your spots, he’s going to get you.”

In his second appearance since coming off the disabled list, Percival said his arm was sharp but his mind was not. He second-guessed which pitches he threw and said he did not use his curveball enough.

“This one really stunk,” Percival said.

Percival appears to be throwing as hard as ever, Myers said, hard enough to get outs on his fastball alone when thrown to the proper spots.

“Troy is the kind of guy who can throw all fastballs and make it a tough at-bat,” Myers said. “He left [the home-run pitch] a little more up than he wanted to.”

The home run obscured the weekend emergence of the Angel offense, which hit .283 for the four-game series and scored 21 runs over the final three games. Garret Anderson had seven hits in the three games, Bengie Molina had six, and Tim Salmon drove in four runs and reached base seven times in 15 plate appearances.

Instead, the focus was on Percival. In three appearances, he has faced 11 batters. Seven have reached base, on three singles, two walks and two home runs.

“I think the last guy on the club you worry about is Percy,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.