Rodriguez Irritates Baltimore

Baltimore manager Davey Johnson tried to frustrate Alex Rodriguez. It didn’t work.

After Johnson had one of his bats confiscated, Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to lead the Seattle Mariners over the Orioles 5-1 on Sunday night.

“They tried to frustrate Alex a little bit,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “Alex, at 21, is not frustratable. Is there such a word? We’ll have to put it in the dictionary.”

With Rodriguez batting in the fifth inning, Johnson asked home plate umpire Ted Barrett to take away Rodriguez’s bat. After Barrett removed the bat, Rodriguez used one that Ken Griffey Jr. handed him from the dugout to hit his 34th homer

Johnson admitted his move was a reaction to Piniella, who had demanded that Bobby Bonilla’s bat be checked after he singled in the fourth inning. Bonilla had homered in the second inning, Baltimore’s 10th homer of the series.

“Lou probably did it to screw with Bobby,” Johnson said. “I definitely did it to screw with Alex. It didn’t work, but I did it.”

Piniella denied he was trying a psychological ploy with Bonilla, who hit four home runs in the series.

“I’ve never confiscated a bat in my life as a manager,” said Piniella, in his 10th season as a manager with Seattle, Cincinnati and the New York Yankees. “To be truthful, it’s a bit distasteful. It really is. But the balls just weren’t sounding right.”

Bonilla, 33, didn’t deny his bat was corked.

“If they find something wrong with it, I’m getting suspended,” he said. “But what if they don’t? I’m out using my bat the rest of the game. What kind of rule is that?”

Rick Reed, the chief of the umpiring crew, said Bonilla’s bat - along with Rodriguez’s bat - will be shipped to New York to be examined.

The Mariners moved within six games of Texas in the A.L. West, while the Orioles remained four back of New York in the A.L. East.

Rodriguez went 2 for 3 to raise his A.L.-leading average to .376, 28 points ahead of Chicago’s Frank Thomas. He also doubled to move past teammate Edgar Martinez for the major-league lead with 49 doubles.

Johnson paid Rodriguez the ultimate compliment in the seventh when he ordered David Wells (10-13) to intentionally walk him to pitch to Griffey. It was the first intentional walk of Rodriguez’s career. Rodriguez said he began using Griffey’s 31-ounce bats when Griffey went on the disabled list in June.

“Actually, I thought it was very flattering,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been watching Davey Johnson manage for many years. It was flattering. Me? A shortstop with a corked bat? I thought it was pretty sweet.”

Mark Whiten hit a solo homer in the eighth, his sixth in 15 games with the Mariners, to make it 5-1.

Terry Mulholland (3-1), in his seventh start for the Mariners after being acquired in a trade from Philadelphia, allowed seven hits in 6-2/3 innings. He left the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings.

Baltimore’s Eddie Murray, who hit his 499th career homer Friday night, pinch hit in the ninth inning and hit a soft liner to short for the final out.

There was a heated moment between the teams in the ninth after reliever Mike Jackson hit Pete Incaviglia. Incaviglia shouted at Jackson as he walked toward first base and the two had to be separated.

Seattle was involved in a 10-minute brawl with the New York Yankees on Wednesday.

After Bonilla’s 23rd homer, the Mariners tied it 1-1 in the second on Brian Hunter’s sacrifice fly.

Wells gave up seven hits in 6-2/3 innings.