Nice Guy Might Be Finished : Angels: Farrell’s comeback as starter probably ends as the Tigers score a 9-3 victory.

The Angels desperately wanted this to work. They truly believed that one day John Farrell would be a fixture in their starting rotation, and their perseverance finally would pay off.

Sure, maybe he wouldn’t be throwing 90 m.p.h. again after twice undergoing elbow surgery, but they believed that he could still pitch. If anyone could come back, it would be John Edward Farrell.

It was this belief in Farrell that made it so difficult for the Angels Tuesday night, succumbing 9-3 to the Detroit Tigers before 20,847 at Anaheim Stadium.

Although it was merely another loss in a season that is turning sour, this one, the Angels realized, might have been Farrell’s last start in an Angel uniform.

The Angels didn’t want to make any rash announcements after the game. In fact, Manager Buck Rodgers wasn’t even around. He kept the clubhouse closed while he chastised his team, and was gone by the time his office door opened.

It’s the first time Rodgers has ever avoided the media after a game, but after losing for the fifth time in the last six games, he was in no mood for pleasantries.

Still, it seems likely that Farrell (2-11, 7.47 earned-run average) won’t be starting any time soon, particularly if the Angels acquire veteran left-hander Joe Magrane.

Farrell, who yielded six hits and six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, realizes the inevitable. Considered one of the most popular players in the Angels’ clubhouse, Farrell didn’t make any excuses. He knows that he could hear the word in a couple of days that he is going to the bullpen--hopefully not released, he says--and he can’t say he blames them.

“We wanted Farrell to succeed in the worst way,” Rodgers said before the game, “because he’s such a likable guy. He’s respected by everyone in this clubhouse for what he’s been through.

“It’s been difficult for him because he was trying to be a power pitcher, and he just doesn’t have that much power anymore. When you got to certain pitch counts, you put your hands over your eyes knowing that something was going to happen, and we all knew it.

“We’re between a rock and a hard spot now, because here’s a guy coming off two years of arm surgery, and we’re trying to teach him a new pitch (a forkball).”

Farrell’s struggles pave the way for the Angels to sign Magrane, who will find out today whether he clears waivers, and perhaps be in the rotation as early as Sunday.

“We very much have interest in him,” said Dan O’Brien, Angel vice president. “Don’t be surprised if we sign him.”

Magrane, 8-10 with a 4.97 ERA, requested and received his release Sunday by the St. Louis Cardinals. If Magrane clears waivers, he will become a free agent, and his first choice appears to be the Angels. The Dodgers also are considering him.

“There are several teams interested in Joe,” said Dennis Gilbert, Magrane’s agent, “but I can tell you that he really likes the Angels and has the upmost respect for (vice president) Whitey Herzog.”

Magrane played for Herzog when he managed the Cardinals.

The Angels, of course, could ensure themselves of acquiring Magrane by claiming him on waivers in case the Philadelphia Phillies or another contender do likewise. The Angels would have to assume about $170,000 of Magrane’s $738,000 contract if they claimed him, and also would be responsible for a possible $210,000 in incentives. If they wait, they would have to pay only about $27,000.

“It’s very unlikely we would claim him,” O’Brien said, “but we definitely want him.”

The Angels were wondering just how quickly Magrane could arrive when Farrell again had trouble getting out of the first inning.

After Dan Gladden’s run-scoring double, Mickey Tettleton hit a three-run homer and Farrell was on his way to his eighth consecutive loss.

Right fielder Tim Salmon appeared to rejuvenate Farrell in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer, tying Ken Hunt’s Angel rookie record of 25 in 1961. But in the fifth, Cecil Fielder doubled in two runs for his 100th RBI of the season.