Angels Sweat One Out

Allen Watson labored for 6 2/3 innings before wilting in the 98-degree heat at Anaheim Stadium on Wednesday, then the Angels used every reliever under the sun to get the last seven outs of an 8-6 victory over Milwaukee.

Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Mike Holtz, Mike James, Greg Cadaret and finally Troy Percival paraded to the mound and they didn’t exactly do the bullpen proud, but they hung on for the Angels’ 23rd victory in the last 30 games.

“It isn’t always artistic, but we keep getting it done,” said Percival, who picked up his fourth save of the homestand and 18th of the season in front of 25,267. “One day we do it with defense, the next the hitters score 10. One day a starter throws a complete game, the next the bullpen throws eight innings. It seems like it’s always something different, someone else stepping up.”

Nothing came easy in this one. Milwaukee’s Jeromy Burnitz, who had homered in five consecutive games, fouled off four two-strike pitches from Percival with the tying runs onfirst and third before he struck out to end the game.

“That might have been the last good fastball Percy had left,” Manager Terry Collins said. “There’s no way he would’ve been out there at all if it wasn’t for the off day [today].

“That off day can’t come too soon. We’re dead beat. I think we’ve got a few guys who are going on the DL for the [players-] kids game [that followed Wednesday’s game].”

The kids figured to be in trouble because things keep falling together for their dads these days.

Percival didn’t have his usual stuff, but he changed his leg kick five times against Burnitz to throw off the Brewer outfielder’s timing. “Sometimes it pays to be smart,” Percival said.

Veteran Jack Howell, who has started only 27 games this season, was spelling Dave Hollins at third and smacked a key two-run double during a four-run fourth inning and also scored twice.

But much of the credit on this sweltering afternoon had to go to Watson, who made it into the seventh inning for the seventh consecutive time. He gave up seven hits and only two earned runs and improved his record to 10-6.

“Considering how hot it was, he pitched great,” Collins said. “It was another fine performance.”

The first three batters of the game bunted, Fernando Vina reaching first when Darin Erstad bobbled a throw from Howell and Valentin reaching when he laid down a perfect roller up the third-base line. Jeff Cirillo moved the runners along with a sacrifice that Watson had to snatch with his bare hand as it scooted past on his left. Dave Nilsson’s ground ball to second brought home Vina and Valentin scored on Jack Voigt’s single to left.

Leadoff batter Tony Phillips turned on an 0-2 pitch, sending the ball into the bullpen, but after allowing the first two Brewer hitters and the first Angel batter to score, starters Watson and Cal Eldred settled into comfortable rhythms.

Eldred retired nine of 10 before Erstad doubled into the right-field corner and scored when Todd Dunn mishandled Garret Anderson’s sharp single to left in the fourth. Watson set down 14 of 15 before Cirillo beat out a grounder to the hole at short with one out in the sixth. Watson struck out Nilsson, but walked Voigt. And Matt Mieske gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead with a run-scoring ground-ball single to left.

Eldred worked a 1-2-3 fifth but couldn’t get an out in the sixth. Luis Alicea led off with a walk, Erstad lined a single up the middle and Tim Salmon, raising his average with runners in scoring position to .416, ripped an RBI double to left. One out later, reliever Joel Adamson gave up the double to Howell and designated hitter Eddie Murray put the Angels up, 6-3, with a sacrifice fly.

The Brewers finally chased Watson into the cool of the clubhouse with a run in the seventh, and they got four hits and scored two in the ninth before Percival flung one final fastball past Burnitz.

“Was I tired?” asked Percival, who has pitched in four games in five days, “Let’s just say, like a starter in the eighth inning, I may have lost a little. But after the way Allen had pitched his butt off, I’m sure not going to complain about coming out for two-thirds of an inning and battling.”