Nine-Run Eighth Lifts M’S

After seven rather routine innings Wednesday night, things got zany in a hurry for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners.

Edgar Martinez hit a grand slam in a wild eighth inning that featured nine Seattle runs and a benchclearing incident, and the Mariners emerged with a 10-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

“It was just a crazy game,” said Seattle starter Chris Bosio, who was a central figure in a similar incident between the teams two years ago.

Down 2-0 after being limited by Kevin Brown to two singles over the first seven innings, the Mariners finally broke through in the eighth. Seattle scored its first run when second baseman Manny Alexander botched a grounder with the bases loaded and no out.

Felix Fermin then hit into a force play at the plate, but Joey Cora grounded a two-run single up the middle to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead. Armando Benitez replaced Brown (5-3) and walked Alex Diaz before Martinez launched a shot to make it 7-2.

Benitez then hit Tino Martinez with a pitch, and as Martinez walked to the mound both benches and bullpens emptied. No punches were thrown, though, and peace was restored after 5 minutes.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he was throwing at me,” Martinez said. “I should have either charged the mound or gone to first base … . I was caught in the middle. We’ve got a lot injuries on our team, and I didn’t know what to do.”

Benitez, frustrated over another shoddy performance in a dismal season, was ready to rumble. Luckily, he was restrained by teammates Brad Pennington and Jesse Orosco.

“I think he had a lot of frustration built up and he wanted to hit somebody,” Pennington said. “If we didn’t get there as quickly as we did, I’m sure he would have hit someone.”

Benitez declined comment, but Seattle manager Lou Piniella said there was little doubt that the pitch was intentionally inside.

“I think it was rather obvious that Benitez hit Martinez,” Piniella said.

Piniella remembered the battle two years earlier, when players from both teams were injured in a 20-minute brawl. The foundation of the battle was laid when Bosio threw a couple of brushback pitches, and the fighting began after Baltimore’s Mike Mussina hit Bill Haselman with a pitch.

This time, no one was hurt.

“We proceeded to play baseball, and that’s what we prefer,” Piniella said. “If you want to see fights, go to a hockey game.”

Benitez was ejected and replaced by Alan Mills, who immediately served up a two-run homer to Doug Strange. The nine-run inning was the most for the M’s this year and one run short of the club record.

D.L. list grows

The most productive hitter in the Seattle lineup went on the disabled list - and Jay Buhner took Luis Sojo with him.

Buhner was placed on the 15-day D.L., retroactive to Tuesday, with a torn hamstring and Sojo was placed on the 15-day D.L. with a strained trapezius muscle.

Buhner was batting .285 after a slow start - .354 in his last 20 games - with a team-leading eight home runs and 32 RBIs.

Rookies Alex Rodriguez and Greg Pirkl will called up as replacements in the latest medical-necessity roster moves.

“We’re banged up; we’re hurting,” manager Lou Piniella said. “We’re hoping the kids can help us get through this.”

Another bevy of changes could be coming: Dave Fleming has a blister on the pointer finger of his left hand and might have trouble making his next start, and Bob Wells is the likely candidate to depart next week when Bill Risley comes off the DL.