GRIFFEY TIES UP MCGWIRE AND ANGELS; 37TH HOMER IN SEVENTH DEADLOCKS GAME AT 3-3.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Ken Griffey Jr.'s 37th home run, tying Mark McGwire for the major-league lead, also tied Friday night's game between the Angels and Seattle Mariners at 3-3, which stayed that way through 10 innings.

Griffey's 439-foot shot into the Kingdome's third deck in right field came off Angels starter Chuck Finley in the seventh inning. It was Griffey's fourth homer in seven games in July. McGwire has none this month for St. Louis.

The Angels needed a victory to remain in first place in the AL West after Texas defeated Oakland 1-0 earlier Friday.

The Mariners' 8-6 victory over the Angels on Thursday moved them to within 12 games of first place and within 13 games of .500.

It is widely predicted they will be a nonfactor in the second half. But if there is one team that understands that this season is far from over for them, it is the Mariners.

``The same way we've been cold, we could get hot,'' said manager Lou Piniella, whose team was in third place 13 games behind the division-leading Angels on Aug. 3 of 1995 and ended up winning the division.

``I managed a team in '95 that got it done and played on a team in '78 that was in the same position,'' Piniella said. ``So anything is possible. But we can't wait too long. We've got to cut into the lead pretty immediately. If we can get this (deficit) under double digits in the next few weeks, we've got a chance.''

The timing is right for the Mariners, who continue a four-game series with the Angels before playing host to second-place Texas for two games beginning Monday. They play 10 more games at home before going on the road. They are 21-21 at home compared to 17-30 on the road.