Setup Men Enjoy Their Experience

Except for closer Troy Percival, the relievers in the Angel bullpen are a rather anonymous bunch.

Consider Scot Shields, who once received his per diem money addressed to Steve Shields.

That would be the former Mighty Duck goalie. (Talk about Disney synergy.)

“I’d take his paycheck,” Shields said.

They might not have much name recognition, but the Angel relievers have the best earned-run average in the American League at 3.08--and the second best in the majors, behind only Atlanta’s.

Percival, of course, is a four-time All-Star. His 28 saves and 1.86 ERA are no surprise.

But the setup crew was considered too inexperienced and too right-handed to survive. Instead, they’re thriving.

General Manager Bill Stoneman watched as right-hander Paul Shuey went from Cleveland to the Dodgers before the trading deadline. But the Angels have done fine without him, and Shuey has struggled with the Dodgers.

The Angels are making it work with right-handers Ben Weber (2.95), Brendan Donnelly (1.95), Al Levine (3.00), Shields (2.83) and only one lefty, former starter Scott Schoeneweis (5.26.)

Weber, 32, normally a setup man, filled in ably when Percival was on the disabled list, earning four saves in five outings.

Donnelly, a rookie at 31, has retired 59 of the last 71 batters he has faced, striking out 26 of them.

Levine, 34, hasn’t given up a run in eight appearances since coming off the disabled list because of a sore shoulder.

Shields, a rookie at 27, has retired 15 of the 18 first batters he has faced.

And Schoeneweis, 28, is doing his job as the sole southpaw by holding left-handed hitters to a .147 average--five for 34--since joining the bullpen.

“I think the reason they’ve gotten away with having only one lefty is, the lefty they have down there is really good,” said injured left-hander Dennis Cook, hoping to make it back from shoulder problems by Sept. 1.

Weber dismissed the talk of inexperience.

“If you’re getting hitters out, you’re getting hitters out. I don’t know any other way to put it,” he said. “I know the big question with our bullpen has been experience, but you look at 4 1/2 months of the season and we’ve been doing the job. To me, that’s experience.

“You know, just because we have the inexperience and we don’t have guys throwing 95 in middle relief, I think that has a lot to do with it. People want to see guys blowing people away, and we don’t do that. Donnelly’s doing it. He’s been doing awesome. But I go out there, I’m still throwing 90, 91. I’m getting ground balls.

“Would you rather have a guy throwing 95 with a 5.00 ERA, or would you rather have a guy throwing 90 with a 2-something ERA? To me, that’s a no-brainer.”

Donnelly said experience matters, but so does attitude.

“The makeup we have in the bullpen, we have guys who have been around. Maybe not at the major league level, but have pitched for a while. Pitching’s pitching. We’re able to go out there and go right after hitters. It starts with Percy on down. We see how he goes out there, and we feed off that.”

Manager Mike Scioscia is content.

“We have the best arms that are available right now, and it just so happens only one of them’s left-handed,” he said. “All those guys give us balance. You know, there’s only one left-handed bullet to spend, but that late in the game, it’s usually enough.”

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The Angels have won their last two games without Darin Erstad or Tim Salmon in the starting lineup.

That’s a lot of missing offensive juice, but both are likely to return sometime during the weekend series against Cleveland after an extra day of rest Thursday.

Erstad, out because of fatigue in his right leg, made his first two pinch-hit appearances of the season Tuesday and Wednesday and delivered run-scoring hits both times.

Salmon, who has sat out four games because of a bruised left hand after being hit by a pitch, will test his hand before today’s game before deciding whether he’s ready to play.

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ON DECK

Opponent--Cleveland Indians, three games.

Site--Edison Field.

Tonight--7.

TV--Fox Sports Net, tonight and Saturday.

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

Records--Angels 72-48, Indians 53-66.

Record vs. Indians--4-2.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JOHN LACKEY

(4-2, 3.34)

vs.

INDIANS’

RYAN DRESE

(9-8, 6.58)

Update--After winning five in succession--and coming from behind to win their last two by one run each--the Angels are 24 games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 24, 1995. Nine of their last 16 victories have been by one run. They’ll send their top three starters--rookie John Lackey, Jarrod Washburn and Kevin Appier--against a trio of Cleveland starters without an earned-run average under 4.00.

Saturday, 7 p.m.--Jarrod Washburn (15-3, 2.97) vs. Jason Phillips (1-1, 4.13).

Sunday, 5 p.m.--Kevin Appier (10-9, 4.09) vs. C.C. Sabathia (7-9, 5.31).

Tickets--(714) 663-9000.