ANGELS SAVE THEIR BEST FOR LAST IN WIN : ANGELS 5, SEATTLE 4.

Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

It didn't seem possible that the 26,301 spectators at Anaheim Stadium could leave with better memories than Ken Griffey Jr. hitting his 30th homer and the Angels recording a triple play.

But just when they thought it was safe to exit with an Angels loss apparently inevitable, Tim Salmon tied the game in the eighth with a three-run, 431-foot homer off reliever Scott Sanders.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Gary DiSarcina singled in pinch runner Orlando Palmeiro to give the Angels a 5-4 victory Saturday.

In that inning, Todd Greene reached first on an infield single, went to second on Craig Grebeck's sacrifice bunt, advanced to third when pitcher Norm Charlton balked and scored when DiSarcina hit a grounder up the middle off Charlton.

The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the first after Jay Buhner's RBI single off Angels rookie starter Matt Perisho.

In the fourth inning, the Mariners had two men on and no out. But after center fielder Garret Anderson caught a shallow pop off Rich Amaral, he threw out Russ Davis at second and DiSarcina followed by catching Dan Wilson sleeping at first for a triple play. The trifecta was the third in the majors this season, the Angels' first since Sept. 8, 1996 at Minnesota and the sixth in club history.

A two-out RBI double by Anderson off Seattle starter Jamie Moyer in the fourth scored Dave Hollins and tied the game at 1-1.

Jokes and family stories surrounded the Angels clubhouse when Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. visited with some of his opponents prior to Saturday's game.

Before his departure, the Angels' Jim Edmonds asked the eight-time All-Star, ``Why don't you sit down, relax and watch a movie?''

Griffey answered, ``Shoot . . . the way I'm hitting I might as well.''

The outfielder's pursuit of Roger Maris' 36-year-old home run record of 61 has slowed as he entered the game homerless in 10 games.

But in the fifth, Seattle scored three runs, including Griffey's 30th homer that gave Seattle a 4-1 advantage. His 392-foot blast to left put him one shy of the major-league lead. Oakland's Mark McGwire hit No. 31 at Texas on Saturday.

Perisho, who was making his first start since June 25 at Texas, lasted just five innings and allowed four runs, eight hits, four walks and Griffey's homer.

Sanders entered the game in the eighth inning with a team-worst 15 home runs allowed this season. He departed before the inning was over after giving up the homer to center field by Salmon that tied the game. It was the right fielder's second homer in as many nights.

Notes: On Friday, Dave Parker said he was selected as the designated hitter on the Oakland Athletics' 30th-anniversary team. The A's will honor the Angels' first-base coach and the rest of the players selected, which haven't been released, on July 13 when Anaheim is in town. During Parker's two seasons with Oakland, the 19-year-veteran helped the A's make the World Series in 1988 (.257, 12 HR) and become World Series champs in 1989 (.264, 22 HR). . . . Angels pitcher Mark Langston threw off the mound for 10 minutes with no discomfort before Saturday's game. The left-hander, who threw for the first time since he had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow on May 27, threw mostly fastballs at 60 percent and will throw again during a Wednesday practice at Oakland.