Griffey Is Slumpless in Seattle : Baseball: Mariner’s home run in eighth consecutive game equals record of Long and Mattingly.

At 23, Ken Griffey Jr. is already a part of baseball history. Now he has a chance do something that no player has ever done.

The Seattle Mariners’ star tied a major league record by hitting a home run in his eighth consecutive game in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

The 404-foot shot off the facing of the third deck in right field came in the seventh inning.

“We lost a ballgame, but I’m certainly very happy for Junior,” Mariner Manager Lou Piniella said. “It’s only happened three times in the history of baseball. It’s quite an accomplishment for an outstanding young player.

“Let’s see if he can do something that’s never been done tomorrow. I’m proud of the guy.”

Griffey tied the record set by Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1956 and equaled by Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees in 1987.

It was Griffey’s 30th homer of the season, the most in the major leagues.

Griffey can break the record against Minnesota’s Scott Erickson tonight. Erickson, 6-11 with a 5.50 earned-run average, has given up 15 home runs in 21 starts this year.

The record-tying homer came on the first pitch of the inning by Minnesota starter Willie Banks, who had given up only two hits up to that point and was bidding for his first career shutout.

Griffey received a three-minute standing ovation and came out of the dugout twice to acknowledge the Kingdome crowd of 30,813. After crossing home plate, he walked to the Seattle dugout and received congratulatory handshakes from his teammates and coaches.

His father, Mariner hitting coach Ken Griffey Sr., got similar treatment from the team.

After the game, Griffey refused to talk to reporters. Dave Aust, the Mariners’ director of public relations, said Griffey told him he would talk to the press “when it’s all done”--if he breaks the record or if he fails tonight.

“He’s very humble and he’s very shy,” Mike Felder, Griffey’s teammate said. “Junior is just 23. All this is overwhelming to him. He just wants to help the team win.”

Erickson also refused to talk to reporters. He said he has a policy of not talking to the media the day before a game.

Griffey hit a high fastball out of the park.

“Was that pitch over his head or what?” Twin Manager Tom Kelly said. “He didn’t hit it short, either. He tomahawked the hell out of it. He hit it long. I’m glad there was nobody on base.”

Banks said he could have pitched around Griffey but didn’t.

“We don’t pitch around anybody,” Banks said. “I went right at him and he jumped on it. That was that. It’s over now. The pressure is on the next pitcher, I guess.”

Banks struck out Griffey in the first inning and got him to ground out to first base in the fourth. The home run cut Minnesota’s lead to 4-1.

Griffey, a four-time All-Star, has 117 home runs in four major league seasons.

“He can do things other guys can’t do,” teammate Tino Martinez said after Tuesday night’s 10-8 victory over Minnesota. “He’s playing way above everybody else in baseball right now.”

Banks (7-7) gave up only three hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out five. He gave up a single to Jay Buhner and a double to Edgar Martinez in the second, then held the Mariners hitless until Griffey homered.

Larry Casian got the last four outs for his first major league save. Seattle finished with only five hits.

Seattle starter Randy Johnson (10-7), who has not won since June 30, got the 1,000th strikeout of his career but suffered his third defeat in a row. The major league strikeout leader struck out seven to give him 187 for the season and 1,005 for his career.

The Twins scored two unearned runs off Johnson in the fourth. In the sixth, Dave Winfield hit his 17th homer of the season to make the score 3-0. He has homered in three consecutive games.

Jeff Reboulet made it 4-0 with an RBI double in the seventh, and Kirby Puckett drove in a run in the ninth with an RBI double. It was the 330th double of Puckett’s career, a team record. Tony Oliva had held the mark since retiring in 1976.

Eight Straight

The major league record eight-game home run streaks by Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners, Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees and Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates:

KEN GRIFFEY JR. (1993)

Date Opp. Pitcher Inn Type July 20 Yankees Paul Gibson 8th Solo July 21 Yankees Jimmy Key 6th Solo July 22 Indians Jeff Mutis 4th Solo July 23 Indians Albie Lopez 6th Solo July 24 Indians Matt Young 5th Solo July 25 Indians Jose Mesa 5th 2-run July 27* Twins Kevin Tapani 3rd Grand slam July 28* Twins Willie Banks 7th Solo

* at Seattle

DON MATTINGLY (1987)

Date Opp. Pitcher Inn Type July 8* Twins M. Smithson 1st 3-run Twins J. Berenguer 6th Solo July 9* White Sox R. Dotson 6th Solo July 10* White Sox Joel McKeon 2nd Grand slam July 11* White Sox Jose DeLeon 3rd Solo July 12* White Sox Jim Winn 7th Solo July 13-15 All-Star break July 16 Rangers C. Hough 2nd Grand slam Rangers Mitch Williams 8th 2-run July 17 Rangers Paul Kilgus 6th Solo July 18 Rangers Jose Guzman 4th Solo

* At New York

DALE LONG (1956)

Date Opp. Pitcher Inn Type May 19* Cubs Jim Davis 8th 2-run May 20* Braves Ray Crone 5th 3-run 2ndgame Braves Warren Spahn 1st 2-run May 22* Cardinals H. Wehmeier 6th Solo May 23* Cardinals L. McDaniel 7th Solo May 25 Phillies Curt Simmons 5th 2-run May 26 Phillies Ben Flowers 8th Solo May 28* Dodgers Carl Erskine 4th Solo

* At Pittsburgh