Valenzuela’s Debut Sells Well, Ends Badly : Angels: Former Dodger loses to Tigers, 5-0, before 49,977 in his first American League start.

Fernando Valenzuela’s Angel debut was a hit at the box office--and worth nine hits in five-plus innings for the Detroit Tigers.

Pitching before a season-high crowd of 49,977, more than half of whom bought tickets after his major league return was set for Friday, Valenzuela zig-zagged through Detroit’s lineup for four innings before the free-swinging Tigers found their rhythm. He gave up back-to-back home runs to Tony Phillips and Lou Whitaker in the fifth and four earned runs overall in a 5-0 loss he and Angel officials deemed a success.

“I would have liked to win. I was excited my first time to come back to the big leagues, really excited in the first inning,” said Valenzuela, whose last major league appearance had been Sept. 30 with the Dodgers, who released him during spring training this year.

“I know I can do better next time. They swing the bats pretty good. I was expecting the Tigers were going to do that. Everybody knows they have a lot of power hitters in their lineup.”

Valenzuela worked around that power in the early innings, yielding a run in the first only because second baseman Luis Sojo dropped Pete Incaviglia’s popup to shallow right. He worked out of jams in the second, third and fourth and slipped third strikes past John Shelby and Andy Allanson before Phillips slammed a 3-and-2 pitch into the left-field seats. Moments later, Whitaker lined a full-count curveball over the fence in right.

“I didn’t want to walk (Phillips) and I threw a fastball over the middle of the plate,” Valenzuela said.

“Whitaker was 0-and-2 and went to 3-and-2 and I tried to throw a curveball. It stayed a little bit up.”

Cecil Fielder, who had struck out in the first and third, smashed a double to left leading off the sixth. When Incaviglia singled through the left side, Angel pitching coach Marcel Lachemann came out to pull Valenzuela.

Both runners eventually scored, but that hardly mattered. Former Angel Frank Tanana (3-5) held the Angels to four hits in winning his first game at Anaheim Stadium since June 18, 1984, while a member of the Texas Rangers. The Tigers’ victory ended the Angels’ five-game winning streak and gave Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson his 1,000th victory with the Tigers.

“Frank can rise to the occasion as well as anybody,” Angel catcher Lance Parrish said of Tanana.

Valenzuela left the game to applause, although much of the zeal the fans had shown earlier had disappeared.

“The fans gave a lot of spirit. That was great,” Valenzuela said. “That way I can feel more comfortable.”

The Angels say they are comfortable with Valenzuela in the rotation. They had to be comfortable with the gate receipts, too. The attendance for their last previous Friday night home game was 26,408 on May 24.

“I was impressed. I thought he pitched well,” said Richard Brown, club president and a prime mover in Valenzuela’s signing May 20.

“He made a couple of mistakes and he paid for it. He’s still a little rusty, but I expect some very, very good things from him.”

Manager Doug Rader agreed.

“I thought the job Fernando did was excellent. I was unbelievably surprised and very gratified to see the way he threw the ball,” Rader said.

“You’re going to see continued arm strength and speed. We were outplayed as a team tonight. Fernando gave us the opportunity to win the game, and that’s the bottom line. He pitched extremely well and we expect him to continue to improve.”

Phillips was also impressed.

“I didn’t think he’d throw as hard as he did. I thought he’d try to trick us with offspeed stuff, but he pretty much came at hitters,” said the Tiger designated hitter, who was two for four. He had good pop on his fastball and good movement on his screwball.”

Parrish, who was charged with two passed balls in the third when he and Valenzuela got crossed up, said Valenzuela’s screwball was effective and that the left-hander’s command and control can only get better.

“Obviously, he can throw a little bit better than he did tonight. He was rusty,” Parrish said.

“He made some pitches tonight he might have gotten away with in Midland (the double-A team for which he pitched two tuneup games), but are going to get hit here, and he knows it.

“There’s room for improvement, but it was encouraging. There was nothing I saw that I didn’t like.”

Valenzuela would like a different outcome.

“I hope next time will be better,” he said after becoming the 54th player and 26th pitcher to play for the Angels and Dodgers.

“I have to learn a little bit about the hitters but I feel comfortable.”