RIPKEN'S HOMER BEATS ANGELS : BALTIMORE 4, ANGELS 3.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

Life went on for the Angels on Sunday night, and although they lost 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Cal Ripken's eighth-inning, two-run home run at Anaheim Stadium, life remains not too bad.

Despite Tony Phillips' arrest for felony cocaine possession earlier in the day, Anaheim remained focused, aware it still was in first place (half a game ahead of Seattle) and in a tight division race.

The attitude seemed to be: There isn't time to let an arrest to a key player be a factor.

So it wasn't, as far as manager Terry Collins was concerned.

``With all the adversity we've faced, with (Jim) Edmonds out of the lineup and Tony out of the lineup, it's when everyone else has to pick their play up,'' Collins said. ``We've done that all year and we'll continue to do it.''

The offense did its job. Tim Salmon hit his 21st homer of the season and 141st in his career, tying him for fourth on the all-time team list with Don Baylor. He also added a go-ahead single in the seventh inning.

Todd Greene also homered, his second.

Eddie Murray singled in the sixth for his 3,253rd career hit, moving him past Nap Lajoie and into 10th place all-time. He earned a standing ovation from much of the crowd of 34,060.

However, there were pitching problems - a combined eight walks, two wild pitches and two blown leads.

``It's not an indicator. It was one of those nights,'' said Mike Holtz, who walked one and threw a wild pitch in his two-thirds of an inning of work. ``I walked a guy on four pitches. I couldn't find the zone.''

Unfortunately for the Angels, one Mike James (4-4) pitch found the zone, and Ripken belted it 422 feet to left, erasing a 3-2 Angels lead.

Darrell May had relieved Ken Hill in the sixth inning and retired the first four batters he faced before walking Geronimo Berroa to lead off the eighth.

After Rafael Palmeiro was retired on a fly ball, Collins brought in James to pitch to Ripken, who promptly gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

``We're going to need him the way he can throw, and right now, the ball's not sinking,'' Collins said. ``Once he gets the sinker back, he'll be the Mike James we know.''

Ripken's home run made a winner out of Armando Benitez (2-3), who relieved Jimmy Key and gave up two hits with one strikeout in 1-1/3 innings.

``Pitching has been our mainstay and it's been consistent,'' Baltimore manager Davey Johnson said.

Key gave up three runs and six hits in 6-2/3 innings, with four walks and five strikeouts. He also surrendered the home runs to Greene and Salmon, who entered the game batting .058 (1 for 17) lifetime against Key.

Hill gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits in 5-2/3 innings, but he walked six, giving him 13 walks in 16-1/3 innings since being traded July 29 from Texas.

Before the game, Collins said Hill needed to get his split-finger pitch over for strikes so opponents don't sit on his fastball.

Hill said he got all of his pitches over Sunday, just not consistently enough.

``A lot of it is mental,'' he said. ``I'm not being aggressive. I'm trying to be too fine. I'm trying to find that rhythm and momentum. Now and then, I found it, and then I'd lose it.''

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Photo

Photo: Orlando Palmeiro, starting in place of Tony Phillips, can't reach a ball hit by Mike Bordick of the Orioles.

Associated Press