Boone thinks better of it, stays out of lineup third straight day

NEW YORK — Bret Boone and Seattle manager Bob Melvin made a decision earlier this week to give the second baseman three days off to rest his aching left hip.

After two days, Boone was already thinking about trying to talk his way back into the lineup.

“I was thinking about how I was going to convince Bob to let me play,” Boone said Friday before the Mariners lost to the New York Yankees.

The All-Star wised up when he got to the park and missed his third straight start.

“I’m trying as good as I can to be smart about this,” he said.

Boone has been dealing with a lingering back injury, but that was feeling better when he sprained a hip flexor.

After missing just 14 games over the last three seasons, during which he has been Seattle’s top power hitter, Boone doesn’t take well to missing games.

Making matters worse, the Mariners have lost five straight and struggled mightily to score runs this month. They have scored the second-fewest runs in the A.L.

“It hasn’t been a fun month,” Boone said.

Seattle (12-23) is 10 games under .500 for the first time since 1998 and in last place in the tough A.L. West, 11 1/2 games out of first.

“I think collectively, our lineup, nobody has played close to the way we are capable of playing,” said Boone, who was hitting .248 with six home runs and 18 RBIs.

Boone has batted .289 and averaged 32 homers and 120 RBIs the last three seasons.

He planned to take batting practice and do some stretching Friday for the first time in a couple of days.

“If it goes great, no pain, we’re shooting for [today],” he said.