There’s Good, Bad News for Griffey and Mariners

After hitting his 31st home run in the third, Ken Griffey Jr. left in the sixth inning of Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of a hamstring injury. And the Seattle Mariners’ chances for victory went with him.

Four batters after Griffey injured himself racing into deep left-center to haul down a 400-foot drive by Jay Bell and hold David Dellucci at first base, Devon White hit a grand slam to spark a five-run inning, leading the Diamondbacks to a 13-8 victory.

White added a solo homer and Travis Lee had two homers.

Griffey, who is listed as day-to-day, hit a two-run homer off Jeff Suppan. Suppan was making his first appearance in the majors since he was optioned to Triple-A Tucson on June 1.

After Griffey left the game, Dellucci scored on Damian Miller’s RBI double off Paul Spoljaric (3-2), who gave up two runs on two hits in one-third of an inning. White, who gave Arizona a 5-4 lead in the fifth with a solo homer, hit the seventh grand slam of his career and 12th homer into the swimming pool pavilion in right center field.

Clint Sodowsky (2-4) earned the victory after getting the last two outs in the sixth inning after Dan Wilson gave Seattle to a 7-6 lead with a three-run homer off Suppan.

Seattle starter Bill Swift gave up six runs on six hits--including four homers--in 5 1/3 innings.

Lee drove in four runs with the first two Arizona homers. He leads all rookies with 17 homers and 46 RBIs.

Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs for Seattle with a single and double.

Buck Showalter was ejected from a game for the first time as Diamondback manager when he argued second base umpire Jim Quick’s second out ruling against an Arizona runner in a row. In both cases--against Bell in the third inning and Fox in the fourth--Mariner shortstop Alex Rodriguez dropped the ball while tagging second base at the start of a double play.

In both cases, Quick called the Arizona runner out, and Showalter charged from the dugout, red-faced, the second time.