BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AMERICAN LEAGUE

Seattle reliever Norm Charlton, a member of the Lou Piniella-managed Cincinnati Reds’ 1990 World Series champion, said Piniella is a lot more calm now as Mariner manager than he was with the Reds. “No less intense, but he controls his emotions and doesn’t holler when we make physical mistakes,” Charlton said.

Informed of this opinion at a pregame news conference Wednesday, Piniella swatted a microphone off the dais in a mock display of anger, as the room erupted in laughter.

“My job is to keep them motivated, get them to play hard, and the more consistent I am the better job I do,” said Piniella, a Yankee outfielder from 1974 to ’84. “I used to use my temper to motivate myself to play, and the biggest influence on me then, [former Yankee manager] Billy Martin, was fiery too.

“But that approach was for the 1970s and ‘80s. These are the ‘90s and you have to change with the times. I used a different approach in Cincinnati--I’m embarrassed about the base-throwing episode, kicking dirt--but that’s not me any more.”

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Seattle center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. has a four-inch plate in his left wrist, a remnant of the surgery to repair the broken wrist he suffered in May, and when doctors remove it after the season they may find a notch in it.

Griffey made a tremendous throw to cut down Tony Fernandez, who was trying to stretch a single into a double in the fifth inning, and saved a run.

Fernandez led off the fifth with a drive to the gap in left center. Griffey dribbled the ball, then picked it up and threw a laser to second baseman Joey Cora to nail Fernandez.

Had Fernandez reached, he would have scored along with Wade Boggs, who walked, on Bernie Williams’ double. But because of Griffey’s play, there was only one runner on for Williams’ hit.

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Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly has won nine Gold Glove awards, but he found yet another way to save a run Wednesday night, teaming with pitcher Andy Pettitte on a well-timed deke play that got Mariner right fielder Jay Buhner picked off in the second inning.

Mattingly was holding Buhner on at first, and when Pettitte, a left-hander, started to lift his front leg, Mattingly took a hard step toward the inside of the infield, as if to get into fielding position.

Buhner took a few steps off second, but Mattingly shot back to the bag to receive Pettitte’s throw, catching Buhner about 15 feet off the bag. Buhner was thrown out in a rundown for the second out.

Mike Blowers walked and Tino Martinez singled to right, a hit that would have scored Buhner from second had he not been picked off. Dan Wilson grounded out to end the inning.

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Mariner right-hander Bobby Ayala lost his closing job to Charlton in mid-August, and after Tuesday night’s Game 1 debacle, in which he gave up three runs and four hits in one-third of an inning of a 9-6 loss to the Yankees, he lost his setup job.

Piniella said he will move a right-handed starter to the bullpen each game, with Tim Belcher, Chris Bosio and Andy Benes alternating depending on the rotation. Essentially, instead of throwing between starts, as they normally do, the three will save those pitches for setup situations.

Ayala, who leads the team with 19 saves, has had no success against the Yankees this season, giving up 10 runs, 13 hits and six walks in eight innings.