Mariners Cliff Lee ejected after pitching over batter's head

TUCSON, Ariz. — In what might have been the last game the Seattle Mariners play here, Cliff Lee got an unexpected head start in saying goodbye.

The Mariners' new prize left-hander was ejected with two outs in the third inning Monday after throwing a pitch over the head of Arizona catcher Chris Snyder in a game the Diamondbacks won 13-5, Seattle's third straight loss.

Snyder immediately dropped his bat and took a few steps toward the mound. The benches emptied, and then the bullpens, but no punches were thrown and order was quickly restored.

Snyder said he thought Lee was throwing at him, noting the pitch before also came inside. But Lee said it was simply a pitch that got away in a game in which he allowed six hits and four runs.

"I was trying to go inside," Lee said. "I'd been trying to go inside all day, and it's been leaking back on the plate. I had one more out and one more inning (to pitch) and I was just really making sure I got it in on the righties. The first one was eight or nine inches off the plate, and the second one really kind of got away from me. I think I overthrew that one a little bit. But it happens."

Snyder, though, said he had no doubt about Lee's intentions.

"He went in the first pitch, and then the next one was at my head," said Snyder.

Arizona teammate Mark Reynolds was even more adamant, telling reporters afterward that what Lee did was "bush league' " and that "we were hitting him around a little bit and the (pitch at Snyder's head) was just uncalled for in that situation. I've faced Cliff Lee plenty of times to know he's got amazing control."

It was a strange sight for a spring-training game, a time of the year when the mood is usually light.

Some wondered later if bad blood had first brewed when Lee and Snyder collided in the first inning. Lee ran behind the plate to back up a throw while Snyder attempted to get into position to signal a runner to slide or stand.

"Hell, he got me good, man," Snyder said. "He Charley-horsed my leg. I still feel it. He almost clipped me twice. My leg hurt every time I squatted, then he threw a ball at my head. He's up two-nothing on me. ... He got me better than anybody coming around third. I ain't been taken out like that in a couple of years."

Said Lee: "I really don't know (what happened). I wasn't watching. All I know is I was rolling on the ground."

Lee had planned to throw 60 pitches but was officially at 46 when ejected, so he headed to another mound outside the stadium to finish his work.

The teams play again in Peoria on Saturday when Lee could be in line to pitch again.

However, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said later that "it's over" and that he otherwise didn't want to comment on it. He spoke briefly after the game with Arizona manager A.J. Hinch, a conversation that appeared amicable.

Both players said they also considered the incident over.

For the Mariners, it's uncertain if they will ever play here again. The Diamondbacks and Rockies, the two teams that train here, are moving to a new home in Scottsdale next year, though a few Japanese teams may train here in the future and could play major-league teams.

Judging by Monday — Seattle allowed 19 hits and fell behind 13-2 before a ninth-inning rally — the Mariners won't miss it.

Johnson happy with return

The biggest piece of good news for the Mariners was the return of catcher Rob Johnson, playing his first game of the spring since offseason hip surgery.

All went well in his five innings, Johnson saying later he could have caught the entire game.

"I felt really mobile, which I hadn't felt in a long, long time,"he said, adding that he almost has to relearn some aspects of how to catch because of how the surgery has allowed him greater mobility. "It was nice to get back there in game action, game speed. It was awesome."

Johnson had a snap throw to first that almost got a runner and . he also had a throw to second that almost caught another runner stealing. He hit a long fly to right-center that was caught at the wall.

"To see him drive a ball to the right-center gap, to have the freedom in his hips, it's a noticeable difference," Wakamatsu said.

Notes

• Mike Sweeney, bidding to make the team as an invited free agent, went 2 for 3 and is hitting .750 (12 for 16) this spring.

• Matt Tuiasosopo played a few innings in left field, and made a nice running catch coming in.

• While the pitching was hit around, Wakamatsu noted that games in Tucson tend to be high-scoring and that he was pleased to see only three walks.

• The Mariners are off Tuesday, and will play Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. against Texas.

Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com or 206-515-5600

Seattle						Arizona
	AB	R	H	BI			AB	R	H	BI
Pattersn lf-rf	3	1	1	1		Roberts 2b	3	0	0	0
J.Jones ph	1	1	1	0		T.Harbin 2b	2	0	0	0
F.Gutierrez cf	3	0	0	0		Drew ss	2	1	1	1
Saunders cf	0	1	0	0		Bailey 1b	2	2	2	0
Kotchman 1b	4	0	1	0		Upton rf	3	0	1	0
Carp 1b	0	0	0	1		D.Deeds pr-rf	2	3	1	0
Sweeney dh	4	1	3	0		Reynolds 3b	3	3	2	2
Evridge pr-dh	1	0	1	1		Hester c	1	0	1	1
D.Almt pr-dh	0	0	0	0		LaRoche 1b	3	2	3	2
Lopez 3b	4	0	1	0		M.Krauss lf	1	0	0	0
A.Liddi pr-3b	1	0	0	0		Young dh	3	1	2	4
Langerhns rf	2	0	0	0		Ryal ph-dh	1	0	1	1
Tuiasosopo lf	1	0	1	1		S.Cghn pr-dh	1	0	1	0
Ackley 2b	1	0	0	1		Snyder c	4	0	2	1
Woodwrd 2b	1	0	0	0		Rogers 3b	1	0	0	0
Johnson c	3	0	0	0		Macias cf	3	1	1	0
Bard c	2	0	0	0		J.Wald ss	2	0	0	0
Ja.Wilson ss	2	0	1	0		E.Frey lf-cf	5	0	1	0
Jo.Wilson ss	2	1	1	0
Totals	35	5	11	5		Totals	42	13	19	12

Seattle	000 100 103	—	5
Arizona	211 043 20x	—	13

E — Patterson (1). LOB — Seattle 12, Arizona 9. 2B — J.Jones (1), Sweeney (4), Bailey (1), Reynolds (2), Ryal (2), Snyder (1). HR — Patterson (1), Young (2). SB — F.Gutierrez (1), Kotchman (1), E.Frey (1). CS — Drew (2). S — Patterson. SF — Ackley, Drew.

Mariners	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Lee L, 1-1		2 2/3	6	4	4	1	1

	Kelley		1 1/3	6	4	4	1	2

	French		2	4	3	3	0	2

	Cordero		2/3	3	2	0	1	0

	Speigner		1 1/3	0	0	0	0	0

Diamondbacks	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
	Haren W, 1-0		4	4	1	1	2	3

	Zavada		1	1	0	0	1	2

	J.Gutierrez		1	0	0	0	0	0

	Z.Kroenke		1	1	1	1	0	0

	R.Mercedes		1	1	0	0	1	0

	J.Marte		0	2	3	3	2	0

	J.Urquidez		1	2	0	0	1	1

A — 7,825.