By John Nadel
The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Troy Percival and the no-names. That's not a 1950s rock 'n' roll group - it's the tremendously successful Anaheim Angels' bullpen.

"I'm the worst kind of nobody, I'm a nobody with nothing to lose," 32-year-old Ben Weber, the man with the herky-jerky windup, said Thursday. "I think Donnelly's in the same boat."

Weber referred to Brendan Donnelly, a 31-year-old rookie who spent 10 years in the minors before making his big league debut this season.

"The only person anybody's heard of is Troy Percival," Donnelly said. "That's good, we don't care. We might be inexperienced at this level, but we've been pitching a long time."

Weber had pitched in 305 minor league games and another 106 in Taiwan plus nine games for the San Francisco Giants before the Angels claimed him off waivers on Aug. 30, 2000.

He's been a mainstay in the Anaheim bullpen ever since.

Donnelly pitched in 377 minor league games before getting his first shot with the Angels this year.

Yes, both considered quitting - several times.

But here they are.

Those two along with 20-year-old rookie Francisco Rodriguez, who made his big league debut Sept. 18 and didn't become a reliever until last spring, are generally the setup men for Percival - one of baseball's top closers.

The Angels and Minnesota Twins, who play Game 3 of the AL championship series Friday night at Edison Field, can both point to their bullpens as key factors in getting them to this stage.

Percival, who had 250 career saves including 40 in 44 chances this season despite two stints on the disabled list, said the Angels' bullpen is the best he's ever seen over a full season.

"Especially when you're talking about a bunch of no-names," he said with a smile. "You look at their stuff, it's good stuff. Some of the guys never found their niche."

Until now, that is.

Other relievers on the Angels' playoff roster are Scott Schoeneweis, the lone left-hander who had been a starter most of his career, and Scot Shields.

"Shields hasn't even pitched yet, he had a 1.90 ERA out of the 'pen," Donnelly said. "What does that say about the rest of us?"

Rookie John Lackey, who will start Game 4 on Saturday night, pitched three shutout innings in relief as the Angels rallied for a 9-6 victory over the New York Yankees in the third game of the division series.

The Yankees had only two baserunners in the final six innings against Anaheim relievers in that game.

The Angels' bullpen had a 2.98 ERA this season - best in the AL. Since Game 1 of the division series against the Yankees, when the relievers allowed four runs in the eighth inning of an 8-5 loss, the bullpen is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 21 innings.

Rodriguez got two wins against the Yankees - the first two decisions of his big league career.

In beating the Twins 6-3 at the Metrodome on Wednesday night to even the best-of-seven ALCS at 1-1, Donnelly, Rodriguez and Percival combined to give up one hit in 3 2-3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.

"It's a championship-caliber bullpen," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "If you put a championship-caliber label on something, it has to be pretty good."

Angels pitching coach Bud Black also wouldn't compare this bullpen to others past and present, including Atlanta's this year, which had a big league-leading 2.60 ERA.

"We're good, I'll say that," Black said.

It was good before the arrival or Rodriguez.

Now, it's better.

"He adds another dimension, that's for sure," Black said.

"He's special," said Minnesota's Jacque Jones, who faced Rodriguez for the first time Wednesday night and flied to left.

"I've got to believe that's why we're both here - because of our bullpens," Jones said. "Once you get a lead in a game against these two teams, you're going to bring guys in with some nasty stuff."

Percival retired all four batters he faced in Game 2 - striking out three, including Jones to end the game.

Percival has pitched 36 1-3 innings against the Twins in his career without allowing an earned run.

"Percival looked really mad out there yesterday," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Our guys don't ever look that mad.

"I've seen him forever, it feels like. When you end the game with a guy like that, it's pretty good."