SEATTLE – Vladimir Guerrero swung from his ankles and missed Bobby Madritsch’s first pitch in the seventh inning Friday night, and Bret Boone decided to have a talk with the Seattle Mariners’ rookie left-hander.
The Anaheim Angels led the Mariners by three runs – on their way to an 8-2 victory at Safeco Field – when Boone went to the mound, grabbed the rosin bag and had a few words for Madritsch.
“He came out to talk about the runner,” Madritsch said. “He wanted to make him think we were going to set up a pickoff play. Then he said, ‘Go get this hitter, get a ground ball.’ “
What Madritsch got after that was beyond his belief.
He ran a fastball just off the inside corner and Guerrero was diving again.
“That pitch barely missed the spot,” Madritsch said. “He was standing on top of the plate.”
This one hit Guerrero flush on the right wrist, and the Angels’ home run and RBI leader crumpled to his knees in pain.
“I thought that was going to be it,” Madritsch said. “I thought he was going to come out of the game.”
Instead, Guerrero walked toward first base, muttering most of the way.
“I had no idea what he was saying,” Madritsch said. “He was saying it under his breath. I guess he was talking to Boone.”
When Guerrero pointed toward Boone, it hit his flash point. He tried to charge toward Guerrero and was restrained by umpire Paul Schrieber, and later by teammate Edgar Martinez as both benches emptied.
“You got a problem, I’ll talk to you about your problem,” Boone said after the game. “Don’t point your finger at me and yell at me. Everyone on either team understood. I think everybody knows what happened except for him, and I really don’t care what he thinks. It’s not a big deal to me, but you walk down the line pointing your finger at me, I have a problem with that.”
Nothing but angry words were exchanged, Boone and Madritsch stayed in the game and Guerrero walked away to have X-rays on the wrist. They showed no broken bones and his playing status is considered day-to-day.
When the game resumed, so did the Angels’ Jose Guillen.
He blooped a single into center field to drive home a run, giving him five RBI on a 3-for-5 night.
Guillen did most of his damage off Mariners starter Jamie Moyer. He doubled to drive in a run in the first inning, then hit a three-run home run in the fifth, his 17th homer this season.
The Mariners managed a run in the first inning when Boone’s sacrifice fly scored Ichiro Suzuki and one in the sixth when Martinez hit a ground-rule double that scored Boone.
Otherwise, it was a night of frustration for the Mariners, who had opportunities but couldn’t get the big hit off Angels starter John Lackey.
The Mariners had runners on first and second with one out in the third inning, but Boone grounded into a double play.
They loaded the bases with one out in the fourth before Dan Wilson grounded into a double play.
And they did it again in the sixth, with Dave Hansen – pinch hitting for Wilson – hitting a double-play grounder that ended the threat.
“We had our chances early,” Mariners manager Bob Melvin said.
And late, when they were trying to keep the Angels’ lead at 5-2 and Madritsch ran a fastball inside on Guerrero.
It was a pitch that had a carry-over effect in the ninth inning Friday and possibly more today.
With two outs and rookie Justin Leone batting in the bottom of the ninth, Angels reliever Matthew Hensley got ahead in the count with two strikes, then hit Leone in the back.
Leone walked slowly to first base and said something to Hensley, although Angels catcher Benji Molina stayed alongside to make sure he didn’t get any closer to the Angels pitcher.
Suzuki flied out to end the game and halt the friction at least until today.
Ron Villone will start for the M’s against former Mariner Aaron Sele.
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