Tigers Come Back Against Angels : Baseball: Angel rookie hits 26th and 27th homers, but Detroit scores six runs in ninth for 8-6 victory.

The Angels crowded around the batting cage Wednesday to get a glimpse of him. There were a few who posed for pictures, thrilled just to be near the man.

This was Wayne Gretzky, and he was treated like royalty by the entire Angel organization. They presented him and his two kids with souvenirs and gifts, and had his family sit in the president’s box during the game.

Considering the way Gretzky turned around the Kings’ franchise, who could blame the Angels for wondering if there’s anyone in the world who can turn around their ugly fate?

But as the Angels lamented after their 8-6 defeat to the Detroit Tigers before 21,544 at Anaheim Stadium, no one can help them right now.

Not even rookie Tim Salmon.

Salmon hit home runs in his first two at-bats, giving him 27 for the season, a club record for a rookie. Salmon, however, still has one flaw in his game.

He can’t pitch.

The Angels watched Salmon’s exploits go to waste, turning a 6-2 ninth-inning lead into one of their more devastating defeats of their season.

“This one was tough to take,” said reliever Gene Nelson, who opened the ninth. “Things just got away from us so quick, you wonder what happened.”

It started so innocently.

Alan Trammell grounded to first baseman Ty Van Burkleo for the first out in the ninth, but the Angels still aren’t quite sure what hit them after that.

The next seven Tiger batters reached base. And while Angel Manager Buck Rodgers kept going to his bullpen to try to stop the onslaught, Bryan Harvey was no where to be found.

Mickey Tettleton started the Tigers’ biggest comeback of the season with a double to right. Rob Deer followed with a single to center. Rich Rowland then drove a double into center, scoring Tettleton, and prompting Rodgers to replace Gene Nelson with Steve Frey.

Frey promptly gave up a single to Lou Whitaker, scoring two more runs. He then walked Tony Phillips, bringing Rodgers out again, this time to replace Frey with right-hander Mike Butcher.

Butcher, working with a one-run lead, walked Dan Gladden on four pitches, loading the bases. Rodgers came out again, this time to tell Butcher to quit messing around and challenge Travis Fryman.

Butcher followed orders, and gave up a two-run single up the middle, blowing a save for the second time this season. Cecil Fielder added another run with a sacrifice fly, and Trammell ended the inning with his second out.

The crowd booed heartily, and just like that, Salmon’s exploits were forgotten, and Chuck Finley’s victory was gone.

The Angels managed to make it intriguing in the bottom of the ninth when they loaded the bases with one out against Tiger stopper Mike Henneman. Eduardo Perez hit a fly ball of medium depth to left field, and Chad Curtis was sent home by third base coach Ken Macha.

Left fielder Gary Thurman’s throw to the plate was perfect, and Curtis was easily out, ending the game and leaving Rodgers screaming to the heavens.

“We just haven’t been playing smart baseball,” Rodgers said. “I’m not talking about just aggressive baseball, but smart baseball. Sometimes aggressiveness can give the wrong implication. Sometimes it doesn’t mean smart, but dumb, and that’s what has been happening.

“We’ve got to play the game, scratching away to score runs, because we’re not going to beat teams by outslugging them. It’s that simple. You’ve got to get them on, get them over, and get them in. Sometimes, we get that order mixed up.”

The Angels are 54-65. Rodgers, however, says this season still can be considered a success if they finish with a .500 record.

“I think everybody was having a lot of fun and enjoying it when we were contenders,” Rodgers said, “but when we dropped out . . . You’ve got certain guys who are satisfied, and I don’t want anyone to be satisfied with losing. That’s when you have problems.”

Salmon, easily the brightest spot of the Angel season, became the leading rookie home run hitter in club history with his 27th of the year, and already owning 79 RBIs, he is assured of having the best rookie season of anyone in the American League since Oakland’s Mark McGwire in 1987.