GLAUS' SLUMP ENDS WITH ONE BIG BLAST; HOMER HELPS ANGELS, SPARKS BEAT ROYALS : ANGELS 4 KANSAS CITY 3.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

May is almost over, and Troy Glaus can breathe again.

After a tortuous month that finally resulted in his benching the night before, Glaus' sixth-inning home run Saturday helped give the struggling Angels a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

It isn't often a pitcher can be overshadowed when he has a no-hitter in the sixth inning and a chance for his first career shutout into the ninth, but Angels starter Steve Sparks (2-4) gladly stepped aside to watch Glaus' 410-foot blast clear the center-field fence.

The Angels have dropped into last place in the American League West because of a sputtering offense. At the center of the problem has been Glaus, who had just three RBI in May and no homers since April 29.

After a terrific April, he was 3 for his past 44 and manager Terry Collins wondered aloud if putting a guy two years out of college in the heart of the order was too much too soon.

Glaus even looked miserable striking out in the second inning against winless rookie Chris Fussell.

But somewhere between that at-bat and the thought of a trip back to Triple-A, Glaus came alive.

He shouldn't have even come to the plate in the sixth, batting only after Fussell misplayed a two-out throw to first for an error.

Fussell (0-3) then fell behind 2-1 and threw a belt-high fastball. The Angels' three-game losing streak was over and so they hoped Glaus' slump.

It wasn't as easy as it sounds. Sparks loaded the bases in the ninth and Troy Percival was brought in to close out the game, but pinch-hitter Scott Pose hit the first pitch to the gap in right-center for a three-run double. Suddenly it was a 4-3 game with the tying run at second.

But Percival recovered to strike out Carlos Febles and retire Carlos Beltran on a fly ball to center to end the game and record his 13th save.

Sparks, who hadn't gone more than five innings in his past three starts, was scheduled to pitch Friday. But he was bumped to keep ace Chuck Finley pitching every fifth day.

Sparks threw twice between starts, but probably was too strong for a knuckleballer and walked two batters in the first inning. He then retired the next 14 Royals in a row. The only trouble came on a second-inning drive by Royals first baseman Larry Sutton and Garret Anderson caught at the center-field fence.

After retiring Rey Sanchez to open the sixth, Sparks allowed a clean double to left-center by Febles.

He walked the next batter, but got out of the inning. He also allowed a seventh-inning double to former Angel Chad Kreuter in the seventh and an eighth-inning double to Johnny Damon, but kept the shutout intact.

Sparks was given a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a one-out homer by Todd Greene, who was back behind the plate Saturday after playing right field the night before. It was Greene's ninth home run of the season and ended an 0-for-15 slump.

He took a 4-0 lead into the ninth, but gave up a one-out double to Kreuter. Joe Randa followed with a single to right, but Kreuter held at third.

Sparks nearly allowed a run to score on a knuckler that ticked off of Greene's glove for near wild pitch. He walked Sutton to load the bases and turned the game over to Percival.