ANGELS CLINCH TIE FOR WILD CARD ANGELS 8, SEATTLE 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

SEATTLE - After his team got off to its worst start in franchise history, Angels manager Mike Scioscia sat in the office in the visiting clubhouse at Safeco Field in April and answered questions about his job security.

But nearly five months later, that same office might host a celebration 16 years in the making.

The Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 Friday night in front of a relatively quiet sellout crowd of 45,663 at Safeco Field, clinching at least a tie for the American League wild-card spot.

One more Angels victory or Mariners loss will put the Angels in the playoffs for the first time since 1986, when Scioscia was a catcher with the Dodgers and right fielder Tim Salmon was a senior at Greenway High in Phoenix.

The Oakland A's also won Friday, remaining one game ahead of the Angels in the AL West.

No current Angels player has waited longer for a playoff appearance than Salmon, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1993. On Friday, he led the Angels' 10-hit attack with a home run, double, walk, two RBI and three runs scored.

``It's kind of like waiting for Christmas,'' Salmon said. ``But yeah, there's anxiety. There's anxiety every night because we're playing so many close games. My sleep patterns are pretty messed up. Every waking moment you're thinking about it.

``There's nobody in this room more anxious than me because I've been waiting so long.''

The only way the Mariners can go to the playoffs this year is to win all eight of their remaining games and hope the Angels lose all eight of theirs. If that happens, a one-game playoff would be played Sept. 30 in Seattle.

The Boston Red Sox also are mathematically alive but would have to win all nine of their remaining games to have a chance.

Salmon got the Angels started Friday, hitting a 446-foot home run in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the first against starter Ramon Ortiz (15-9) when Ichiro Suzuki tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Cameron.

But Ortiz settled down and went seven innings, allowing only the one run and five hits. Ortiz has become the Angels' hottest pitcher, going 5-0 in his past five starts and 6-0 in his past eight.

Garret Anderson and Brad Fullmer each hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to put the Angels up 5-1 on starter Joel Pineiro (14-7). In the fifth, Salmon doubled home a run and then scored on a single by Anderson.

The Angels scored their eighth and final run in the seventh inning, when Darin Erstad singled and scored on an error by shortstop Desi Relaford.

Even though the Angels are so close they refuse to get too excited, particularly those who were with the team in 1995, when they blew an 11-game lead in August.

``Remember, I was here for that 11-game deficit,'' Angels closer Troy Percival said. ``There's no sense of relief until it's done. You've got to find someone who wasn't here in '95 to get some exuberance. That year is in my mind enough to not let me get too excited for being close.''

But the Angels seem to be close enough to make plans for a celebration. After Friday's game, Scioscia pulled aside equipment manager Ken Higdon. Was it to order champagne?

``It's important in this game to celebrate achievement,'' Scioscia said.

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2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Scott Spiezio, left, and Bengie Molina celebrate the Angels' victory Friday that tied them for the American League wild card.

(2) Anaheim's Ramon Ortiz pitched seven innings Friday, allowing one run and five hits against the Mariners in Seattle.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

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