Mariners Can’t Do It in Pinch

With the game on the line in the ninth inning, Seattle Manager Lou Piniella wanted to send a message to the New York Yankees by bringing pitcher Frankie Rodriguez in as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. Andy Pettitte sent his own message to Yankee owner George Steinbrenner.

One day after Rodriguez touched off a brawl by hitting Chuck Knoblauch with a pitch, then challenging the Yankee dugout to a fight, he was left stranded on base as the Yankees won, 1-0, at Seattle.

“It was kind of funny to see him out there,” said Yankee catcher Joe Girardi, who was knocked down by Rodriguez’s two-punch barrage at home plate in Friday night’s bench-clearing brawl.

“He obviously could run,” New York Manager Joe Torre said of Piniella’s ninth-inning move to Rodriguez after Jay Buhner led off the inning with a double. “I was just glad he didn’t get a chance to cross home plate.”

Pettitte (9-8) gave up only three hits in seven innings and went over .500 for the first time since May 28. He has given up one run in 15 innings since the Yankees decided not to let go of him before the July 31 trade deadline.

Oakland 11, Chicago 1--Kevin Appier gave up one run in seven innings and Ben Grieve drove in four runs as the Athletics won at Oakland.

Appier gave up six hits, including Frank Thomas’ 300th career home run, to record his second victory in as many starts with the A’s. Oakland, in the thick of the wild-card race, improved to 8-1 on the home stand.

Minnesota 6, Kansas City 5--Marty Cordova hit a three-run homer in a four-run eighth inning as the Twins defeated the Royals at Kansas City, Mo.

It was the 24th blown save in 43 opportunities for the Royals, whose relievers gave up a six-run lead Friday in a 9-8 loss to the Twins.

With the Royals ahead, 5-2, Mac Suzuki opened the eighth by giving up a single and a walk to open the door for Minnesota.

Texas 6, Toronto 0--Aaron Sele pitched his third career shutout and Ivan Rodriguez hit a three-run home run as the Rangers won at Arlington.

Sele (12-6) won his fifth consecutive decision, giving up six hits in his first complete game and shutout of the season. Sele struck out 10, including four in a row in the fifth and sixth, and didn’t walk a batter.

Rodriguez has five homers and 16 runs batted in in his last nine games. Mark McLemore paced Texas’ 13-hit attack with three hits, including a triple and a double, to help the Rangers to their 16th victory in 19 games.

Baltimore 5, Detroit 4--Harold Baines homered and drove in four runs, and Scott Erickson maintained his dominance of the Tigers by pitching seven innings of six-hit ball as the Orioles won at Baltimore.

Baines, who had only one RBI in his previous 16 games, hit a three-run homer in the first inning and drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to make it 4-4. Jeff Conine then drove in the tiebreaking run with a sacrifice fly.

Erickson, who improved to 16-3 lifetime against the Tigers, gave up all four runs. He’s 7-1 in his last 12 starts after starting the season 1-8.