ANGELS

Jason Grimsley couldn’t have summed up his performance against the Seattle Mariners more succinctly Friday. “I felt good for three innings,” the Angel right-hander said. “Then I got hit real hard.”

It began with Edgar Martinez’s two-run home run to left field in the fourth inning. The next batter, Jay Buhner, swatted a homer that caromed off the top of a 30-foot wall that stands about 15 feet behind Tempe Diablo Stadium’s center-field fence--which is 420 feet from home plate.

Paul Sorrento followed with a home run to right field, and Russ Davis then homered to left center, giving the Mariners back-to-back-to-back-to-back homers off Grimsley.

Spring training feats don’t make the record books, but to provide some perspective, this has been accomplished only three times in baseball history, by the Milwaukee Braves in 1961, Cleveland Indians in 1963 and Minnesota Twins in 1964.

“He didn’t walk many people, which has been a real bugaboo for him,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said, finding the slight hint of a positive. “But you’ve got to keep the ball in the yard too.”

Grimsley, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the February Brian Anderson trade, may have seriously damaged his chances at winning a rotation spot with Friday’s setback, which came in a 6-1 exhibition loss. Grimsley had a 2.00 earned-run average in three previous spring starts.

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Tim Wallach’s sore calves, which hindered his mobility for about a week, have improved, and Lachemann is confident Wallach will have the quickness and defensive range to open the season as the Angels’ third baseman. “But I’m not taking anything for granted,” Wallach, 38, said. “I have to continue to play like I have to make the club.” . . . Right fielder Tim Salmon and center fielder Orlando Palmeiro avoided a potential disaster when they nearly collided chasing Ken Griffey’s triple to right-center in the fourth inning. Salmon pulled up just as he appeared ready to dive for the ball and was able to jump over Palmeiro, who slid under Salmon. . . . Closer Lee Smith, continuing his comeback from off-season knee surgery, had no problems throwing off a mound Friday and is scheduled to throw batting practice Sunday.