Percival Knew Save Wasn’t Easy as 1-2-3

There was a method to Troy Percival’s madness Sunday. Really.

After giving up Jacque Jones’ two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, the Angel closer jumped ahead of Minnesota designated hitter Michael Cuddyer, who homered in the fourth inning, with a 1-and-2 count.

Percival, protecting a two-run lead, refused to give in, throwing Cuddyer two more fastballs up and out of the strike zone.

Cuddyer refused to nibble, and Percival buried a full-count curve in the dirt for a walk, the ball bouncing past catcher Bengie Molina and allowing Jones, who took second on defensive indifference, to advance to third.

Percival fell behind Jose Offerman with three straight balls, and after taking one strike, Offerman walked to load the bases.

Percival then got Henry Blanco to fly to left to close the Angels’ 3-1 victory over the Twins and record his seventh save.

“You guys might think otherwise, but I was doing what I wanted,” Percival said. “Cuddyer was right on my fastball. He was looking to jerk a ball out of the park, and I wasn’t going to let him do it, so I spun a curve in the dirt.

“Once Offerman got to 2-and-0, it was basically take your base. You’d love to go one-two-three all the time when you’re closing, but sometimes you have to give and move on to the next guy.”

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Reliever Brendan Donnelly, out since March 9 because of complications stemming from a broken nose, will begin a rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga tonight, and there’s a chance he could return to the Angels next week.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he would like Donnelly to make four to six minor league appearances, with one or two of those perhaps coming at triple-A Salt Lake, where Donnelly could face some higher-caliber hitters.

Donnelly was the Angels’ primary set-up man in 2003, going 2-2 with a 1.58 earned-run average in 74 innings. But with Francisco Rodriguez entrenched in an eighth-inning role, Donnelly won’t be able to reclaim his old job right away.

The more pressing question: Whose roster spot will Donnelly take?

Rookie Kevin Gregg, who has an 0.52 earned-run average in 17 1/3 innings, has solidified a spot. Scot Shields has passed Ben Weber in the bullpen pecking order, and the Angels seem to like the idea of having an extra starter -- Aaron Sele or possibly Ramon Ortiz -- in their bullpen.

That would appear to make Weber, who has a 7.43 ERA and has given up 24 hits, including two home runs, in 13 1/3 innings, the most vulnerable.

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Kelvim Escobar, who sat out his last start because of a split fingernail, threw a rigorous bullpen workout Sunday and is in line to return Wednesday against Detroit.

Scioscia said Thursday’s starter for Tampa Bay has not been determined, but the inconsistent Ortiz, who has a 9.28 ERA in five starts, hardly received a vote of confidence Sunday when Scioscia said, “We’re going to see how guys come through their next starts before making a determination” for Thursday.

It appears Sele, who started for Escobar on Saturday and threw five shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over the Twins, may earn a second start.