Baltimore Hitters Compel Martinez To Consider Future Surhoff Has 6 Rbis As Orioles Pound Aging Right-Hander, Countering Mariners’ Home Runs To Post 9-5 Victory

Dennis Martinez says it is time to get better or get out.

He knows he can’t go on like this much longer.

The Mariners’ veteran right-hander, who had hoped to squeeze one more year out of a 41-year-old arm, admitted yesterday that he could be two or three starts away from retirement.

“I’m not pitching the way I’m capable of pitching and if I can’t help this team, I might as well go home, I guess,” he said.

The major leagues’ winningest active pitcher lost his third game in four decisions this season as the Baltimore Orioles rode the six-RBI hitting of B.J. Surhoff and solid pitching from Scott Erickson to a 9-5 victory over the Mariners before 47,451 at Camden Yards.

Dan Wilson hit two solo homers for the M’s, Edgar Martinez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a ninth-inning solo blast and Paul Sorrento chipped in with a solo homer.

Too little and far too late.

Surhoff’s bases-loaded triple keyed a five-run fifth inning, turning a tight series finale into a runaway and Martinez into a soft-talking realist.

He stood in front of his locker, searching for words to describe his feelings.

“Basically, the way I feel right now, I will give myself a couple of more starts, if they let me, and if I see signs of improvement I would like to stay,” he said. “Otherwise, maybe it’s time to move on and let them develop some younger pitcher.

“There are some young guys out there waiting to take the old man’s place and I understand that. I once was one of those young guys.”

Mariners manager Lou Piniella said the rotation will remain as is for two more turns “and then we’ll make some decisions.”

As for yesterday’s debacle, Piniella pinpointed Martinez’s lack of control.

“Dennis didn’t locate the ball at all today and Surhoff had a big day against him,” he said. “We need to get (Martinez) sharper, no question.”

Right-hander Bob Wolcott starts tonight’s series opener in Milwaukee and will get another start before the next scheduled day off - April 22.

That could be “D-Day” for Martinez.

Martinez had two smooth innings yesterday, but three rocky ones were decisive. Surhoff, who singled home a run in the first inning, cracked a two-out, two-run homer in the third and matched his single-game career high with the three-RBI triple in the fifth.

Martinez fell behind in the count, missed Wilson’s target time and again suffered the consequences - eight hits and seven earned runs in four-plus innings.

He has been rocked for 18 earned runs in three of his past four starts, covering 161/3 innings.

“I’m not doing the job and I don’t want them to keep me here just for my presence in the clubhouse,” he said. “I still feel I can do it, but I haven’t done it and everything is going downhill.

“Maybe it’s time to be realistic.”

Martinez said his right elbow, which he injured in 1996, feels fine.

“I know I won’t be 100 percent again,” he said, “but my arm is allowing me to throw. I’m just not getting the results that I want and it’s more mental than anything.”

Martinez said the pitch Surhoff hit over the scoreboard in right field “was a fastball that was supposed to be in, but it tailed over the middle of the plate. In the past, I could get away with it because I threw harder.”

He didn’t get away with it yesterday.

The hits and runs kept coming and they came in a bunch in the fifth when all five batters Martinez faced reached base. One of them, Rafael Palmeiro, got aboard on Joey Cora’s error. A walk loaded the bases before Surhoff unloaded his triple.

Erickson (6-1) never let the Mariners back into the game.

The Mariners had the right-hander in trouble in the first inning, loading the bases on a one-out single by Alex Rodriguez and two-out walks to Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner. But Erickson escaped by retiring Sorrento on a ground ball to third base.

“He took something off a fastball,” Sorrento said. “We had him on the ropes and I didn’t come through. But give him credit. He made a good pitch and got out of the jam.”

Wilson’s second homer of the season pulled Seattle even in the second inning.

Ken Griffey’s RBI single in the fifth cut Baltimore’s lead to 3-2.

Orioles 9, Mariners 5

Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Cora 2b 5 1 1 0 0 0 .309 ARodriguez ss 4 0 2 0 1 0 .312 Griffey Jr cf 5 0 1 1 0 1 .338 EMartinez dh 4 1 1 1 1 0 .318 Buhner rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .212 Sorrento 1b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .306 DaWilson c 4 2 2 2 0 1 .342 RDavis 3b 3 0 0 0 1 2 .298 Ducey lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 .227 Totals 35 5 9 5 5 4 Baltimore AB R H BI BB SO Avg. ByAnderson cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 .345 RAlomar 2b 5 3 3 0 0 1 .293 RPalmeiro 1b 4 2 1 0 1 2 .250 CRipken 3b 3 1 0 0 2 0 .314 Surhoff lf 5 2 3 6 0 2 .340 Hoiles dh 2 1 1 0 2 0 .316 Tarasco rf 4 0 2 2 0 0 .257 Webster c 3 0 0 0 1 2 .121 Reboulet ss 3 0 1 1 0 0 .239 Totals 33 9 11 9 7 8 Seattle 010 010 021 - 5 Baltimore 102 051 00x - 9 E-Cora (6). LOBSeattle 9, Baltimore 8. 3B-Surhoff (3). HR-EMartinez (5) off Boskie; Sorrento (3) off Rhodes; Surhoff (3) off DeMartinez; DaWilson 2 (3) off Rhodes, Erickson. RBIsGriffey Jr (41), EMartinez (23), Sorrento (16), DaWilson 2 (20), Surhoff 6 (19), Tarasco 2 (4), Reboulet (8). SB-ARodriguez (6), RAlomar 2 (2). SF-Reboulet. GIDPEMartinez, RAlomar, CRipken.

Runners left in scoring position-Seattle 5 (ARodriguez, EMartinez, Buhner, Sorrento 2); Baltimore 2 (Hoiles, Webster).

Runners moved up-Cora, Griffey Jr.

DP-Seattle 2 (Cora, ARodriguez and Sorrento), (ARodriguez, Cora and Sorrento); Baltimore 1 (Reboulet, RAlomar and RPalmeiro).

Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA DeMartinez L,1/3 4 8 8 7 4 3 100 6.75 Manzanillo 1-2/3 3 1 1 3 1 50 4.00 BWells 2-1/3 0 0 0 0 4 37 9.88 Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Erickson W,6-1 6 5 2 2 4 3 111 2.90 Rhodes 1-1/3 3 2 2 0 0 28 4.19 Boskie 1-2/3 1 1 1 1 1 31 10.34 DeMartinez pitched to 5 batters in the 5th.

Inherited runners-scored-Manzanillo 2-2, BWells 2-0.

HBPby Erickson (Buhner). WP-Erickson.

T-3:33. A-47,451 (48,262).