Giants Pummel Seattle
In a game featuring a brawl in which Barry Bonds threw a punch at Mariners catcher John Marzano, Matt Williams homered and drove in three runs as San Francisco defeated Seattle 13-3 Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Bonds swung at Marzano while attempting to get to the mound to confront former teammate Salomon Torres, who brushed Bonds back and then hit him in the right shoulder on the next pitch.
Bonds pointed his bat at Torres, then started walking toward the mound. Marzano gave Bonds a bearhug and the two grappled for several seconds in front of the plate before Bonds took a swing at Marzano with his left hand.
Brian Hunter had a sacrifice fly and Doug Strange drove in a run for Seattle with a groundout. Ken Griffey Jr. went 2-for-2 with a walk, raising his average to .327.
Seattle starter Bob Wolcott gave up four earned runs and nine hits in four innings, while Torres hurt his chances of making the Mariners roster by allowing six runs in two innings.
Bosio returns
After not pitching in 16 days, Chris Bosio returned to the mound and pitched three innings - including a bottom of the ninth that didn’t count in the box score - and gave up two runs on five hits.
“I just want to be out there,” Bosio said. “I felt fine, but the key is going to be how my knee feels (Monday). If I’m going to go through this pain, I want to pitch, not watch.”
Manager Lou Piniella said Bosio looked “good for a man who hadn’t pitched in a while,” and that if the right-hander isn’t set back again by pain and swelling in his right knee he could return to the Mariners rotation as soon as April 13.
Martinez opts for happiness
Edgar Martinez put his wallet where his heart was when he signed the two-year extension to remain with the Mariners.
“I know what the market value is, and I took less to stay,” Martinez said. “This is where I’ll be happiest, so it wasn’t that difficult a decision.”
CEO John Ellis on signing Martinez: “Edgar typifies the Seattle Mariners. He’s a great hitter and a gracious gentleman.”
Piniella prepares cuts
Piniella said he’s ready to cut the team from 34 players to 26 within the next day or two, and that only one spot on the opening night roster - a pitcher - still remains in doubt.