[0] PERCIVAL HIT HARD THIS TIME; ANGELS CLOSER GIVES UP FIVE IN NINTH INNING : CHICAGO 8, ANGELS 5.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

Troy Percival pitching the ninth inning with a lead. The Angels chances of extending their winning streak to four games looked pretty good.

But instead of preserving the victory for Chuck Finley on Saturday night, Percival was rocked for two homers and five runs in an 8-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox in front of 35,296 at Edison Field.

Percival, one of the game's premier closers, had not blown a save opportunity this season, but his upper 90s velocity has been down.

Greg Norton opened with ninth by pulling a 2-1 fastball into the right field stands. Five batters later, Ray Durham drove a three-run homer to right.

The winning streak and Percival were done. The five runs were the most he has allowed in one outing in his career.

Percival spoiled Finley's performance, which at the time was the game's highlight. But he went seven innings and gave the Angels the kind of performance they'll need if they want to win the American League West.

There is no doubt the team will hit, even without injured Jim Edmonds for the next three months. But an erratic starting rotation has been a trouble spot and Finley's 6.85 ERA coming in was part of the problem.

Against Chicago, he allowed eight hits and three runs as the Angels were chasing White Sox starter James Baldwin (2-3). Shigetoshi Hasegawa pitched a scoreless eighth and began an inning-ending double play after Durham bounced sharply back to the mound.

But then came Percival.

During the feel-good portion of the game, Garret Anderson had three hits and Randy Velarde had a home run and RBI single.

Third baseman Troy Glaus had two hits and ignited a critical two-run rally in the fifth against Baldwin. Glaus, who entered the game with a .341 average, still has not gone more than one game without a hit this season.

It is that kind of production that led to back-to-back victories over Toronto and a 3-1 win Friday night in the series opener against the White Sox.

Saturday night, they jumped on White Sox starter James Baldwin for 11 hits and chased him in the fifth inning.

They scored in the first on a Velarde's RBI, got another in the third on his second home run of the year. Anderson, who had a double and two singles, got the first of his two RBI in the fourth and the Angels got rid Baldwin with two runs in the fifth.

Part of the White Sox effectiveness early this season has been their success against left-handed pitching.

A year ago, they were 17-25 against left-handers, but entered Saturday's game against Finley with six victories in seven games.

Even after Baldwin spotted the Angels a 3-0 lead after four innings, the White Sox got back in the game against Finley in the fifth.

He survived a 30-pitch first inning, but by the fifth Finley wasn't very sharp.

Darrin Jackson opened the fifth with a double into the left-field corner on the first. A fly ball moved Jackson to third and after Jeff Abbott walked, Brook Fordyce gave the White Sox their first run with an infield out.

Abbott took second on the play and scored on a single to left by leadoff hitter Ray Durham.

The Angels got both runs back in the bottom of the fifth, but Finley allowed a single to Mike Caruso to open the sixth. Two more hits scored Caruso to cut the Angels lead to 5-3 and brought Angels pitching coach Dick Pole to the mound.

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PHOTO Angels' Orlando Palmeiro slides under White Sox third baseman Greg Norton on a sixth-inning double steal.

John Hayes/Associated Press