Dodgers like what they see in Mat Latos’ debut

Mat Latos sounded relieved Sunday after starting his first game for the Dodgers.

“I’m just glad I didn’t get booed like I did in Miami my first start,” Latos said with a smile. “I made it past two-thirds of an inning and I didn’t give up seven runs.”

Acquired in a trade with the Marlins three days earlier, Latos gave up only one run over the first six innings of the Dodgers’ 5-3, 10-inning victory over the Angels.

Latos limited the Angels to four hits and a walk.

“I like the way he looked,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “You don’t see any fear in him at all, he’s attacking guys, it doesn’t matter if it’s [Mike] Trout or [Albert] Pujols.”

But Latos acknowledged he went into the start “nervous as can be,” as he didn’t want a repeat of his disastrous April 7 debut with the Marlins.

“I was real nervous when I woke up this morning,” Latos said. “I was nauseous.”

So much so that his breakfast consisted of only a banana and a can of Red Bull.

He was also fatigued. He said in the first couple of nights after his trade to the Dodgers, he was barely able to sleep. He also had to travel across the country and adjust to a new time zone.

Still, the only run charged to him was scored on a broken-bat groundout by Pujols in the sixth inning.

Latos lowered his season earned-run average to 4.29. But in the eight starts he has made since he was activated from the disabled list on June 13, his ERA is 2.79.

Since returning from the disabled list, Latos said his previously injured left knee is “10 times better. I think the results have showed. That’s my landing foot, so I’m putting all my weight shifted onto that knee. It’s allowed me to clear over my front side and drive the ball down.”

Extra bases

Joc Pederson returned from a two-day break designed to give him a mental break, but was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. Pederson was also 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the two other games he played in this five-game homestand. Mattingly downplayed concerns about the rookie’s form at the plate, pointing to how he is now batting eighth in the lineup. Also, Mattingly said, Pederson made a key play on defense in the fourth inning when he ran down and caught a line drive by Erick Aybar in the right-center field gap in the fourth inning. … Howie Kendrick homered for the second time in the series, which marked his first time playing against his former team. Kendrick was four for 13 in the three games against the Angels.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez