Sorrento Leads M’S With Hrs Hits Grand Slam, Has 6 Rbis; Johnson Collects 100th Win

Paul Sorrento has made a quick impression on his new teammates, especially Randy Johnson.

“I was just really fortunate Paul was in the lineup tonight,” Johnson said. “I told him when I have my next kid, I would name him Paul.”

Sorrento, who signed with the Seattle in the off-season after Tino Martinez was traded, drove in six runs with a pair of homers, including a grand slam in the first inning Saturday night in the Mariners’ 8-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It feels good to contribute to a win,” Sorrento said. “Obviously, it takes awhile to build respect.”

Sorrento’s homers and one each from Ken Griffey Jr. and Russ Davis helped Johnson get his first win this season and the 100th of his career.

Johnson (1-0), who missed his scheduled Friday night start after his wife gave birth to a new son, wasn’t his usual overpowering self. In 6-2/3 innings, he gave up four runs on four hits while walking six and striking out six. He also has a touch of the flu and was coughing after the game.

“Under the circumstances, I was pretty pleased with the results,” Johnson said.

Sorrento, replacing Martinez at first base this season, hit his first homer of the season on an 0-2 pitch from Steve Sparks (0-1) with two outs in the first inning. He also hit a two-run homer off Sparks in the sixth.

Sorrento is now 7 for 13 with two homers and three doubles against Sparks, a knuckleballer.

“Don’t jinx me,” Sorrento said. “I don’t know what it is. It’s hard to explain. Some guys you hit and some guys you don’t.”

Sorrento’s grand slam came after Sparks gave up a single to Darren Bragg, walked Griffey and allowed a single to Edgar Martinez.

“I got the ball where lefties like it, low and in,” Sparks said. “At 0-and-2, I should have bounced it up there.”

Davis, the Mariners’ new starting third baseman, then hit the next pitch out for his first homer of the year and a 5-0 Seattle lead.

“It felt great,” Davis said. “It’s always good to get that first one out of the way.”

Griffey homered off Angel Miranda in the seventh, his second in two games.

Sorrento’s second homer followed a walk to Jay Buhner in the sixth. The six RBIs were his first of the season.

Johnson, who struck out 14 in seven innings in his last start last Sunday, surrendered Greg Vaughn’s third homer of the season after Kevin Seitzer’s single in the fifth.

Vaughn added another homer, a solo shot with two outs in the ninth off Norm Charlton.

Johnson was taken out after throwing a ball on his first pitch to John Jaha after walking Pat Listach and Vaughn in the seventh. Jaha then had a two-run double off Mike Jackson.

Who’s on first?

Four games into the regular season, the Mariners have already used five men at first base - and not one of them figures to play there every day.

Who’s on first? is a question the Mariners will answer with two more questions: Who is the opposing team pitching, and how does Lou Piniella feel?

Though Rich Amaral and Doug Strange have each played first this week, neither will play there regularly. That leaves three men - Paul Sorrento, Edgar Martinez and Ricky Jordan - sharing two jobs, those at first base and designated hitter.

Sorrento, signed in the off-season for $1 million, is the best defensive first baseman on the roster and a solid left-handed hitter. The Mariners aren’t convinced he should face all left-handed pitching, so they acquired right-handed hitting Jordan during spring training.

There’s a problem. Jordan can’t throw. Watch him take infield some evening, and his throws almost make you wince. He had major shoulder surgery a year ago, and the healing process is far from complete.

As for Martinez, he’s not a strong defensive player at first base. In his first start, against Chicago, he committed an error on the only hard-hit ball punched his way. If the Mariners start him at first, and they want to, they face the prospect of taking him out of games late for defensive purposes and losing the bat of the man who has won two batting titles.

It’s a multi-headed dragon with which Piniella will have to wrestle.

Sorrento wants to play full time. For now, he won’t. Jordan wants to contribute full time and knows he can’t, for now. Martinez will play every day, though how often he mans first base is undecided.