Ramirez, Nitkowski Suspended by AL

Outfielder Manny Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians and pitcher C.J. Nitkowski of the Detroit Tigers, the two players ejected during last week’s beanball battle at Cleveland, were suspended and fined Thursday by American League President Gene Budig.

Ramirez, leading the majors with 59 runs batted in, is to start a three-game suspension today against the Boston Red Sox. Nitkowski is to begin a two-game suspension today against the Chicago White Sox.

Pitcher Jaret Wright of the Indians and Manager Larry Parrish and pitcher Jeff Weaver of the Tigers also were fined undisclosed amounts.

And in an unusual step, Budig announced his intention to talk to Wright and Indian Manager Mike Hargrove about Wright’s “deportment on the mound” when the Indians visit New York next week.

The trouble at Jacobs Field on Saturday began when Wright nailed Detroit’s Tony Clark in the batting helmet with a fastball in the top of the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ramirez charged Weaver after being hit in the helmet with a pitch, setting off a bench-clearing brawl. During the fracas, Parrish wrestled down Wright from behind.

Both teams were warned against further trouble. In the eighth, Nitkowski was ejected when his first pitch knocked Kenny Lofton to the ground.

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Pitcher Tony Saunders of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who suffered a broken left arm delivering a pitch, was released from Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla. Saunders broke the humerus bone, which runs from the shoulder to the elbow, in an 8-6 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night. He will sit out the rest of the season. Doctors said surgery isn’t necessary and the injury will require at least three months to heal.

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The Houston Astros haven’t been hitting well and second baseman Craig Biggio is tired of hearing about it, even when the comments come from Manager Larry Dierker.

After a 4-3 loss Thursday to Colorado, Dierker mentioned the Astros needed more than the four hits it got.

“If he wants to hit, let him hit,” Biggio said. “When we’re scoring a lot of runs, nobody’s complaining. But when we’re not, everyone is saying ‘Why, why, why.’ Hopefully, we’ll get our offense going in Pittsburgh and Larry will be hitting first.”

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Pitcher Jason Isringhausen of the New York Mets might sit out his next pitching turn because of a tendon strain in his right elbow.