HAPPY HOMECOMING FOR VALDES FORMER DODGERS PITCHER HELPS SHUT OUT HIS FORMER TEAM ANGELS 1, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Ismael Valdes gave the Dodgers plenty of headaches in the past. The fight with Eric Karros, the constant blister problems, the label of not being tough enough to pitch well when his stuff wasn't the best and so on.

They just didn't plan for the kind of cranium crush Valdes provided Friday.

Having worn out welcomes with the Cubs and Dodgers, Valdes is trying to re-establish his terribly tarnished reputation with the Anaheim Angels.

Pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings in a 1-0 win against the Dodgers in his first game at Dodger Stadium as a member of another organization is a nice start. Anaheim's offense was provided by Garret Anderson, who homered to lead off the second inning.

Valdes (4-3) allowed four hits, walked one and struck out three in winning his second consecutive start. He lowered his ERA to 3.51 and appears to be pitching as well as he has in a few years. He's already doubled his win total of last season and was coming off a complete-game 7-1 win against Kansas City.

Troy Percival continued his perfect run, converting his 15th save in as many chances by pitching the ninth as the Angles (30-29) topped the .500 mark for the first time since April 14. They've won seven of eight.

Not even the return of left fielder Gary Sheffield could bolster an offense that averaged more than six runs in each of the past seven games. After missing 13 games with a torn ligament in his left index finger, Sheffield went 0 for 3 with an eighth-inning walk.

The Dodgers, who spent 18 consecutive days in first place earlier this season and were a game out of first place entering Wednesday, are a season-high four games out of first in the National League West. Front-running Arizona has won 12 of its last 14 games.

Valdes was everything scouts said he should be but for one reason or another hasn't been.

He's been ripped by former teammates and pitching coaches for being soft and wore out his welcome for a second time with the Dodgers last season when he backed out of a start because of numbness in his pinky last Sept. 11.

He didn't pitch again for them despite declaring himself fit to go, ending a forgettable second go-around with the club. After being acquired in late July because the Dodgers were in search of a veteran starting pitcher, Valdes, condemned by the organization in a trade to the Cubs the previous December, went 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in nine games.

But even when it looked like Valdes would collapse, or at least crumble as in the past, he pitched through it. It came in the sixth inning, when shortstop David Eckstein booted consecutive grounders to put runners on first and second with none out and the middle of the lineup coming to the plate.

Valdes responded by getting Gary Sheffield to pop out to shallow left field, Shawn Green to pop out to second and Marquis Grissom to hit into a fielder's choice.

An inning later, Valdes showed even more resolve. Dave Hansen led off with a double to the left-center field wall and moved to third on a passed ball.

But Valdes, who hit Adrian Beltre in the left arm with a pitch in the fifth, which prompted Beltre to take a step toward the pitcher's mound, got out unscathed. He struck out Beltre on a 1-2 pitch out of the zone and enticed Alex Cora to pop out to shallow left field.

Al Levine relieved and got pinch-hitter Chris Donnels to ground out to first.

Right-hander Giovanni Carrara, making his first major league start since 1997, pitched better than the Dodgers could have hoped yet wasn't involved in the decision.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Angels catcher Jorge Fabregas tags out Dodgers' Adrian Beltre.

(2) Giovanni Carrara of the dodgers has his bat broken.

John Hayes/Associated Press