Bullpen Not a Yankee Doodle Dandy

The New York Yankees keep getting burned by a bad bullpen.

The Yankees watched their relief corps fail again, losing their fifth consecutive game, 5-4, Thursday to the Milwaukee Brewers when reliever David Weathers walked John Jaha with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning at Milwaukee.

Yankee catcher Joe Girardi vehemently argued with home plate umpire Terry Craft after ball four, then spiked the ball in disgust as he stormed off the field and Fernando Vina crossed the plate.

Yankee Manager Joe Torre, ejected by home plate umpire Brian O’Nora on Tuesday night for arguing about a 3-and-0 pitch called for a strike in a game against the Angels, said: “The last one was right down the middle.”

Jaha disagreed: “Definitely a ball. It was six inches outside.”

Yankee starter Andy Pettitte, trying to become the majors’ first four-game winner, left with a 4-3 lead after seven innings.

But the Brewers rallied against the Yankees’ beleaguered bullpen, tying the score in the eighth with a run off Brian Boehringer and winning in the ninth with the help of an error by reliever Graeme Lloyd and Weathers’ walk.

The Yankees fell to 5-5 when leading after seven innings. Last season, the World Series champions were 79-1 in the same situation. Since last year, however, New York has lost closer John Wetteland and had to reshuffle its relief corps.

The Yankees are off to a 5-10 start for the first time since 1972.

Seattle 8, Detroit 6--Ken Griffey Jr. hit his league-leading eighth homer and Alex Rodriguez had three RBIs as the Mariners defeated the Tigers at frigid and snowy Tiger Stadium.

With snow flurries swirling around the stadium, the Mariners won their fourth consecutive game to complete a seven-game road trip with a 6-1 mark.

Griffey’s second homer in as many days highlighted a four-run fifth inning that gave the Mariners a 4-3 lead. Rodriguez’s RBI single in the sixth broke a 4-4 tie and he added a two-run single in a three-run seventh.

Tony Clark homered for the third straight day and had three RBIs and Bubba Trammell also homered for Detroit.

Cleveland 4, Boston 3--Jose Mesa earned his first save since being acquitted on a rape charge last week, and the Indians played through the rain to beat the Red Sox at Boston.

Mesa pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out pinch-hitter Reggie Jefferson with runners on second and third to finish it.

Julio Franco led off the Indian seventh with a single, Marquis Grissom drew a two-out walk and Omar Vizquel lined a tiebreaking single off Rick Trlicek (2-3). Jim Thome hit a sinking liner to right that Troy O’Leary grabbed with a diving catch to end the inning.

Baltimore 1, Chicago 0--Mike Mussina pitched eight sharp innings and Cal Ripken drove in the only run at Chicago.

Mussina (2-1) gave up only three hits, walked none and struck out six. He gave up an infield single to Chris Snopek in the second, a bloop double to Ozzie Guillen in the third and a single to Albert Belle in the seventh.

Randy Myers pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit, for his seventh save.

Danny Darwin (0-1), Chicago’s No. 5 starter, pitched his first complete game since June 1995 while with Toronto.

Toronto 5, Oakland 4--Otis Nixon had another big game against Oakland with three hits and two runs batted in, leading the Blue Jays at Toronto.

Nixon, who singled home the game-winner in the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s game, delivered the winning single with two outs in the seventh inning.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Eighth homer, tying own club record Otis Nixon Toronto second consecutive game-winning hit Denny Hocking Minnesota three RBIs for No. 9 hitter

Player Team’s Result Ken Griffey Jr. Win Otis Nixon Win Denny Hocking Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Jose Mesa Cleveland first save since return from inactive list Mike Mussina Baltimore 8 innings, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, no runs Greg Swindell Minnesota 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief

Player Team’s Result Jose Mesa Win Mike Mussina Win Greg Swindell Win

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