Percival Takes Responsibility

SEATTLE —  Closer Troy Percival threw nine pitches Sunday, when he blew the save in the Angels’ 6-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics. All but one pitch was a fastball, and catcher Bengie Molina said Monday he believes Percival ought to throw off-speed pitches as much as half the time.

“I think that would be best for him,” Molina said. “He has a very good curve. I don’t know if he has confidence in it. Hopefully, he does. I’m going to start calling it more, and I hope he has the confidence to throw it.”

Percival, who thrives on a fastball that approaches 100 mph, acknowledged that he shook off several of Molina’s calls for a curve Sunday. Percival, uncomfortable with his command of the fastball, also acknowledged he shook off Molina’s calls for inside pitches.

“Don’t blame it on him,” Percival said. “It was all on me. I wasn’t mentally sharp. The arm strength is great, but this is all part of my spring training now, and unfortunately it was at the cost of the team. I have no question I’ll be back on top of my game in a couple outings.”

Although seven of 11 batters have reached base against Percival this season, pitching coach Bud Black said he is not concerned about his closer, whose strained rib cage limited his activity in spring training and forced him onto the disabled list five days into the season.

Black declined to second Molina’s motion for Percival to throw breaking balls as much as half the time, but Black agreed even a few more curves would make Percival’s fastball more effective.

“No doubt Troy is a power pitcher. He’s going to pitch with his fastball,” Black said. “But any element of doubt you can plant in a hitter’s mind is advantageous.”

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Second baseman Adam Kennedy ended last season in a platoon with Benji Gil, and he appears to be starting this season in a platoon with Jose Nieves. Kennedy hit .439 in spring training and won back the everyday job, but with Kennedy off to a .208 start and the Angels desperate for offense, Manager Mike Scioscia has replaced him with Nieves in each of the past four games against left-handed starters.

Is Kennedy disappointed?

“Yeah,” he said, “but I haven’t been swinging the bat well. I haven’t really given them much of a choice.”

In the spring, the Angels were enamored of the possibility of promoting shortstop prospect Alfredo Amezaga and moving David Eckstein to second base to replace Kennedy, but Amezaga is hitting .203 at triple-A Salt Lake City.

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Scioscia had statistics on his side Sunday when he called for a sacrifice bunt and ordered Jeff DaVanon to bat for designated hitter Brad Fullmer. Turns out Fullmer’s career bunt total is zero. Never in five years in the major leagues and never in three years in the minors has he executed a sacrifice bunt.

Fullmer wasn’t offended that Scioscia yanked him. If he were hitting well, Fullmer figures, Scioscia would have disdained the bunt with the hope that Fullmer would drive in one or both runners. Fullmer entered Monday’s game batting .212 with two runs batted in.

“I need to be swinging the bat well, so I hit in that situation,” he said.

“If you’re in the middle of the lineup, you want to swing the bat well with runners in scoring position, and I haven’t been.”

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

RAMON ORTIZ

(1-2, 4.19 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’

RYAN FRANKLIN

(1-0, 9.00 ERA)

Safeco Field, 7

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

Update--Outfielder Darin Erstad, who suffered a mild concussion last Friday, will be examined by a neuropsychologist today and by the Angels’ medical staff Wednesday. Benji Gil, who suffered a severely sprained ankle April 5, is expected to sit out at least another two weeks.