Fernando Valenzuela

Fernando Valenzuela will make his third minor league start tonight, for double-A Midland, Tex., at Little Rock, Ark. Valenzuela gave up no earned runs over 10 innings in his first two starts. "If he feels ready to pitch, that's the important thing," pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said of Valenzuela joining the Angels. "If he didn't feel ready, I think he'd say so." First baseman Wally Joyner rested Friday after playing 37 consecutive games beginning April 18. . . .

Angel General Manager Mike Port said he would ask the team's Florida scouts for their evaluation of Dodger left-hander Fernando Valenzuela. But he expressed doubts that the Angels would claim Valenzuela on waivers. "My first reaction is I don't see how he'd fit into our pitching situation," Port said. "As a matter of procedure we'll check anybody. We don't want to close out any possibility.

Steve Sax drove in three runs on three hits and Mariano Duncan scored three times today to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Fernando Valenzuela, 5-2, survived a shaky first inning to go eight-plus innings. Valenzuela gave up five hits, struck out nine, and walked five before leaving in the ninth. Valenzuela also had three wild pitches. Ed Vande Berg replaced Valenzuela with two on and none out in the ninth and got the final three outs.

Fernando Valenzuela is scheduled to make his Angel debut tonight at Angels Stadium in Palm Springs against High Desert, the San Diego Padres' Class-A affiliate. His next start will be Monday at Jackson, Miss., for the Angels' double-A Midland team. After that, if his progress is satisfactory, the 30-year-old left-hander would pitch again June 1 for Midland at Little Rock, Ark.

Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became a father for a fourth time Tuesday with the birth of a healthy, 8-pound girl. "The family is in very fine spirits, and the baby is as beautiful as the other three," Valenzuela spokesman Antonio De Marco said. Maria Fernanda Valenzuela was born New Year's Day at 4 a.m. in San Pedro Peninsula Hospital, De Marco said. Valuenzuela drove his wife, Linda, to the hospital. They already have two sons and a daughter.

Comparing Jered Weaver's first four starts with the Angels this season to Fernando Valenzuela's first four starts with the Dodgers in 1981: *--* JERED WEAVER Date Result IP H ER HR BB SO W-L ERA May 27 at Angels 10, 7 3 0 0 1 5 W 0.00 Baltimore 1 June 2 Angels 10, at 6.1 4 2 0 2 8 W 2.84 Cleveland 3 June 7 Angels 6, at Tampa Bay 6 4 2 2 0 4 W 3.00 2 June 13 at Angels 4, Kansas 7 5 0 0 1 5 W 0.00 City 1 Totals Angels 30, opponents 7 26.1 16 4 2 4 22 4-0 1.

Mike Morgan received an encouraging phone call from an old friend after Sunday's frustrating defeat to the Padres. It was Fernando Valenzuela, calling from his car phone as he drove home from a golf game with his sons. "Fernando told me to keep throwing well, told me that he would always pull for me. . . . It made me forget all about the game," said Morgan, who allowed no earned runs in 6 2/3 innings but lost the game because of three unearned runs.