In a Switch, the Big A Is Lee-Land : Angels: Stevens has a solid game and Joyner hears some boos in return as Langston blanks Royals, 5-0.

Lee Stevens’ terrible failing--that he is not Wally Joyner--has caused him almost no end of worry and suffering this season.

But as Joyner made his first return to Anaheim Stadium since his emotional and controversial decision to sign a free-agent contract with Kansas City last winter, Stevens saw something new during the Angels’ 5-0 victory:

Now, Joyner gets booed, too.

Most people expected a rousing cheer Friday from fans who had adored Joyner ever since he inspired the WallyWorld phenomenon by hitting 22 home runs as a rookie in 1986.

“I’m very curious as to what’s going to happen,” Joyner said before the game. “I’m a little nervous. I don’t know what to expect.”

What Joyner got, instead of a nostalgic roar, was a decidedly mixed chorus, starting with boos but swelling with broad applause and cheers from a crowd of 40,407 that saw the Angels win consecutive games for the first time since May 8-9.

Mark Langston’s 15th shutout gave the Angels their first back-to-back shutouts since September 7-8, 1991.

Stevens, who endured boos and sarcastic chants of “Wal-ly, Wal-ly,” after nearly every early-season miscue--and there were more than several--has called the first two weeks in Anaheim this season two of the toughest of his life. Even Joyner spoke up to say the treatment of Stevens was unfair and “not right.”

Still, few of Stevens’ days in Anaheim have been satisfying. He was batting .087 at home--four for 46--before the first inning, when he drove a ball to deep right, where Gary Thurman leaped and knocked it down to keep it in the park. It drove in Chad Curtis from third and give the Angels a 2-0 lead. Luis Polonia had scored earlier on a single by Junior Felix, who was thrown out trying to take second.

The Angels would need no more. Stevens solidified his outing with good defense, pulling in some high throws, turning a 3-6-3 double play with grace, and deftly--if not symbolically--fielding the first fair ball off the bat of Joyner, a grounder to first.

Together with Langston’s shutout, and the Angels’ first five-run game since May 23, the Angels enjoyed their sixth victory in the past 26 games.

Joyner was a bit lucky to be in the lineup at all against Langston, a left- hander who often inspires managers to keep their left-handed hitters on the bench.

“Many times, I’ve been not played against Mark Langston,” Joyner said, recalling the years when Langston pitched for Seattle. But Manager Hal McRae didn’t interfere with the drama the game invited, and started Joyner in his usual position at first.

Joyner likes to remember his one real success against Langston--the left- hander gave up Joyner’s first major league home run.

“I remind him every time I see him,” Joyner said. “It barely made it out. It was April of 86, the second game of the season.

“(But) every time I see him, he reminds me that I (practically) didn’t get another hit off him. He struck me out all the time, and sometimes I just didn’t play against him.”

Before Friday, Joyner had faced Langston 23 times, and had three hits to show for it, including the one homer. After going 0 for four in the game, Joyner’s career average against Langston stood at .111.

In his first-inning at-bat, Joyner hit a grounder to the man who has taken his place. Stevens fielded it and tossed to Langston covering for the out.

Joyner grounded to short in his second at-bat, and in his third, he struck out on three pitches. In his final at-bat, with one out in the ninth, he grounded to short.

The Angels gave Langston another run in the fourth inning, when Gary Gaetti scored on Polonia’s sacrifice fly. Gaetti--who had his first multi-hit game at home this season--had singled and taken third on a single to left by John Orton. McRae came out to argue the close play on Gaetti at third, to no avail.

Gary DiSarcina’s two-run double in the sixth inning gave the Angels a 5-0 lead.