Baseball

Piazza, Mota suspended 5 games

Mets catcher Mike Piazza and Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota each were suspended for five games and fined Monday for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl last week during an exhibition game.

The suspensions will start on opening day unless they are appealed. Piazza was fined $3,000 and Mota was docked $1,500, while Mets outfielder Jeromy Burnitz was fined $500 by baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson.

"Naturally I'm disappointed in the ruling," Piazza said in a statement. "I have seven days to weigh my options. I plan to use that time to decide what course of action I will take."

It seemed Piazza will appeal, which would allow him to play pending a hearing.

"We just heard the ruling from the commissioner's office and we plan to support Mike in whatever course of action he decides to take," Mets general manager Steve Phillips said.

These were the second set of suspensions imposed by Watson during spring training. Earlier, he gave Expos outfielder Vladimir Guerrero three games, infielder Jose Macias two and Marlins pitcher Brad Penny five for taking part in a fight.

Piazza and Mota got into trouble Wednesday night at Port St. Lucie after the Mets' All-Star catcher was hit by a pitch. The problems continued when Piazza later went into the Dodgers clubhouse looking for Mota, who had left.

The players had a bad history between them. Last year in spring training, Piazza was fined $3,000 by Watson for grabbing Mota by the shirt after being hit by a pitch.

This time, Mota's first pitch to Piazza was inside. The next one hit Piazza behind the left shoulder, and he rushed the mound.

Ankiel probably will make the Cardinals' bullpen

JUPITER -- No matter how wild Rick Ankiel might be, the Cardinals are willing to give him a chance.

Even though he shows signs of the control problems that derailed his promising career the past two years, St. Louis is tantalized by his left arm. Ankiel, an 11-game winner as a 20-year-old rookie in 2000, probably will start off as a specialist in the bullpen.

"You think a left-hander is really going to enjoy hitting against him?" manager Tony La Russa said, adding, "if he's really sharp he can pitch to the next guy, too."

Ankiel has made five relief appearances in the spring, pitching effectively in two of them and struggling to find the plate at times in two.

In other Cardinals news, after another successful batting practice session, closer Jason Isringhausen could make his spring debut this week, putting him on track to be ready by opening day. Isringhausen, recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, threw 25 pitches on a back field, his second time throwing to hitters this spring.

BRAVES: RHP Paul Byrd continued to have discomfort in his pitching elbow and was scratched from Wednesday's scheduled minor-league start. Slowed first by a strained groin and later by the sore elbow, Byrd has thrown one inning in spring and hasn't pitched in a game in two weeks. ... LHP Mike Hampton had another shaky outing, giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits and four walks against St. Louis.

DODGERS: Closer Eric Gagne, pitching in a game for the first time in two weeks, had his third injury of the spring after he was struck in the right calf with a line drive. Gagne, who had an MRI exam for a sore groin muscle last month and another for a stiff lower back earlier this month, threw five pitches before being hit with a ball off the bat of Scott Hodges. Gagne was diagnosed with a bruised calf.

INDIANS: Rookie Brandon Phillips was named the starting second baseman by manager Eric Wedge, choosing the 21-year-old over John McDonald, who started 56 games at second last season.

MARLINS: RHP A.J. Burnett will be examined by Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday after leaving his last start with tightness in his forearm. But Burnett said he believes the visit is just a precaution.

RANGERS: SS Alex Rodriguez doesn't expect to be fully recovered from a neck injury when the season starts, but he said he plans to be in the lineup. A-Rod rejoined his teammates after missing five days of spring training because of a herniated disc.

REDS: RHP Paul Wilson, the former Devil Ray who has a strained muscle in his side, is to pitch in a simulated game, then in a minor-league game, before appearing with the big club.

RED SOX: Pitching coach Tony Cloninger was expecting results from a biopsy on a tumor found in his bladder last week.

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