Griffey Steals Show; Angels Lose, Seethe : Baseball: Mariner star’s record home run brings a cheer that irks team during 12-3 loss.

It was the moment Angel fans had been awaiting these last three days, and as soon the ball left his bat, they sucked in their breath while witnessing the historic shot.

They reacted as if Ken Griffey Jr. was one of their own, celebrating his 31st home run of the season en route to the Seattle Mariners’ 12-3 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night before 22,305 at Anaheim Stadium.

The fans erupted into cheers the moment the ball soared into the Mariner bullpen and were providing an ovation by the time he crossed home plate.

They didn’t need any prompts by the scoreboard to tell them that Griffey had just made baseball history by hitting more homers than anyone by the end of June, eclipsing Babe Ruth’s record of 30 set in 1928 and matched in 1930. It was Griffey’s first homer in four games, but his ninth in the last 16 games.

Griffey, who actually predicted that he would hit his 31st home run before batting practice, hit the shot against starter Brian Anderson. It traveled 404 feet, his 11th consecutive homer of more than 400 feet. He now is on pace to hit 71 homers, 10 more than Roger Maris’ 61 record-total in 1961.

“I don’t really concern myself with history,” Griffey said. “It’s not going to help me. I don’t want to be thinking, ‘He hit a homer this day, so I have to hit one that day.’

“I don’t worry about the past. The homers will take care of the future. And that will make the present OK.”

Griffey, who actually came out for early batting practice Wednesday because he wasn’t pleased with his swing, triggered a five-run onslaught that enabled the Mariners to overcome a 3-1 deficit. After Jay Buhner’s three-run homer in the seventh, the only remaining suspense was whether Griffey would hit another. He instead finished the night with a double, homer and three RBIs.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Griffey’s home run binge is that he has as many homers this season as the Mariners (31-39) do victories. It’s not exactly a feat the Mariners are proud of, but they pulled within one game of the Texas Rangers (32-38), who became the first team in baseball history to be in first place while being six games below .500.

Meanwhile, it was difficult to know if the Angels (31-42) were more upset with themselves or their fans.

The Angel players privately have been seething for years while fans in their own park cheer harder for the likes of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, but the reaction toward Griffey put them over the edge.

“I can’t stand it,” Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “I just wish more people would cheer for us than they do Ken Griffey Jr.

“It’s the first time it’s been so noticeable. Really, I can’t understand it. We’re only 2 1/2 games out of first place. Can you imagine them doing this at Fenway or Yankee Stadium.

“I grew up in Boston, and I never, ever, have seen anything like that at Fenway. If you rooted for someone there besides the Sox, you’d get a punch in the face.

“And I guarantee you if you wore a Lakers hat at the Garden, you wouldn’t be leaving with it. Either that, or you’d be wearing it on some other place on your body.”

Said Angel reliever Mike Butcher: “I think it’s a joke, an absolute joke. It seems like we’re on the road when we’re at home.”

Said Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann: “That’s always been part of Anaheim. You have a lot of transplanted people here who have roots in other areas, so you feel like the visiting team sometimes.

“I don’t get upset by it, but I know the players do.”