Hollins’ Slump Doesn’t Affect Glove

While Dave Hollins works and adjusts to get his offense going, he has been nearly perfect in the field, with only one error in 23 games. On Wednesday, Hollins saved the Angels two runs, starting a inning-double play in the first inning and backhanding a ground ball down the line to get a force out at second base to end the second. Both times the Boston Red Sox had runners on third.

“Right now, Dave is saying, ‘I’m not getting any hits, so you’re not getting any hits. I’m catching everything,’ ” Manager Terry Collins said.

Preventing hits has never been a problem for Hollins, who has flung his body in all directions to stop grounders and line drives. But he had 29 errors last season, most throwing the ball. Hollins has put in extra time before batting practice this season to eliminate those mistakes.

“A lot of guys make errors because of carelessness,” Collins said. “Dave never does anything carelessly. His defense has been huge. He’s not hitting like he wants right now, but he’s saving us a lot of runs.”

There are signs of life in Hollins’ bat these days too. They began with a vicious line drive for an out against Tampa Bay on Friday. He has scored four runs and has three RBIs in the last five games.

“I keep battling, bro,” said Hollins, who was hitting.212 before Wednesday. “It’s early. That’s why they call it an average. It’s an average on what you do all season.”

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There were no concerns about closer Troy Percival on Wednesday, a day after he had made his third appearance in as many days and had come away with his seventh save in seven opportunities.

Collins said that all Percival needed was one, possibly two days off.

Percival labored through his one inning against Baltimore on Tuesday, getting out of it only when Garret Anderson robbed Harold Baines of a game-tying home run in the 6-5 victory. Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann and Collins made separate visits to the mound during the inning to check on Percival, who had tenderness in his right elbow last week.

“I dropped my elbow on a throw and torqued it a little bit,” Percival said after Tuesday’s game. “I’m fine. I just have to stay on top of my mechanics, especially when I’ve been out there a couple days in a row.”

Percival saved three games in three consecutive days only once last season.

“On Sunday, he threw 97 miles per hour and made it look easy,” Collins said. “But sometimes he gets out there snorting and spitting, with fire coming out of his nostrils. That’s what happened yesterday.”

Pitcher Pep Harris, who was sidelined because of an inflamed right shoulder during spring training, has been reassigned to Vancouver. He was 0-1, giving up five runs, all unearned, in 9 1/3 innings with Class A Lake Elsinore. . . . Catcher Todd Greene (shoulder) and second baseman Randy Velarde (elbow) completed their extended springs Wednesday and will return to Anaheim today. Collins said that Velarde probably will begin his rehabilitation assignment this weekend. . . . The right elbow of pitcher Jack McDowell, who left after the third inning in his last start, Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla., will be examined today to determine if he can start Friday against Chicago.

TODAY

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (4-1, 2.51 ERA) vs. RED SOX’S ROBINSON CHECO (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Fenway Park, 3 p.m.

Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Checo is the second triple-A call-up the Angels have faced in three games. But unlike Baltimore’s Nerio Rodriguez, who was 0-3 at Rochester, Checo was 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA at Pawtucket. Hill has won his last two starts, but left them both with stiffness in his elbow.