Dempster suspended five games for plunking Rodriguez

BOSTON'S Ryan Dempster was suspended for five games and fined by Major League Baseball for intentionally hitting Yankees star Alex Rodriguez with a pitch last weekend.

The penalty was announced yesterday by MLB senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr., 2 days after Dempster hit A-Rod in the second inning at Boston's Fenway Park. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was fined for arguing with plate umpire Brian O'Nora.

Dempster's fine was $2,500 and Girardi's was $5,000, people familiar with the discipline told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the amounts were not announced.

Dempster won't appeal the decision.

"I thought it was in the best interest of my team to go ahead and serve my suspension," he said.

He was scheduled to pitch Saturday at the Los Angeles Dodgers, but now could be pushed back to next Tuesday's homestand opener against Baltimore. He will throw a simulated game on Friday.

Earlier yesterday, Girardi insisted it would be "open season" on Rodriguez if MLB failed to suspend Dempster.

"I think I made my feelings pretty clear then," he said after the suspension was announced.

Dempster threw one pitch behind A-Rod's knees and two more inside during the second inning. Then his 3-0 pitch struck Rodriguez's left elbow pad and ricocheted off his back.

Girardi sprinted onto the field, screaming at O'Nora for not ejecting the pitcher. Girardi was tossed as the benches and bullpens emptied, and Rodriguez homered off Dempster to spark a sixth-inning rally that lifted New York to a 9-6 win.

Dempster maintained he was pitching inside and wasn't trying to hit Rodriguez.

"That baseball is a weapon. It's not a tennis ball. Or it's not an Incrediball that's soft. It's a weapon, and it can do a lot of damage to someone's life," Girardi said. "And that's why I was so upset about it. You can express your opinion and be upset with someone, but you just can't start throwing baseballs at people. I mean, it's scary."

Girardi said his profane rant at O'Nora probably was the angriest he's been on a ballfield.

Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games on Aug. 5 for violating baseball's drug and labor agreements but is playing while he appeals. Red Sox pitcher John Lackey criticized the rules last week for allowing A-Rod to play.

Asked later whether the level of penalty would make it open season on Rodriguez, Girardi responded: "That's my concern. We'll find out. I sure hope not."

"If you suspend a position player three games, he misses three games," Girardi added. "You can suspend a pitcher five games, even six games, and he may not miss a start. The off days come into play."

New York didn't retaliate Sunday. Girardi wouldn't say whether there is a need to respond when the teams next meet, at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 5.

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia said the punishment should have been harsher.

"I thought he at least should miss a start and he's not going to do that, so I don't think it does anything," Sabathia said.

* Mike Trout was out of the Los Angeles Angels' starting lineup for the second straight game last night to rest his tight hamstring.

* At New York, Robinson Cano hit his 200th homer among four hits and drove in four runs, and the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 8-4, in the opener of a split doubleheader. Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista left the game with a sore hip.

In the nightcap, Jayson Nix hit a tying homer in the seventh inning and a game-ending single in the ninth, lifting the Yankees, 3-2.

* At Detroit, Justin Morneau had a season high four hits, including a two-run homer and a two-run double, and Glen Perkins struck out Miguel Cabrera with two on for the final out to help the Minnesota Twins hold off the Tigers in a 6-3 win.

* At Baltimore, Alex Cobb (8-2) took a two-hitter into the seventh inning, Matt Joyce drove in three runs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Orioles, 7-4, for their sixth win in seven games.

* At Kansas City, John Danks (3-10) shut down the Royals' offense for eight innings, and the Chicago White Sox got a home run from Gordon Beckham in a 2-0 victory.

* At Arlington, Texas, Adrian Beltre hit his 26th homer for the AL West-leading Rangers, who reached 20 games over .500 for the first time this season with a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

At Cincinnati, Paul Goldschmidt set a Diamondbacks record with his third grand slam of the season night and became the first NL player to drive in 100 runs, powering Arizona to a 5-2 victory over the Reds.

* At New York, rookie Zack Wheeler (6-2) beat NL East-leading Atlanta for the third time, pitching shutout ball into the seventh inning and sending the Mets past the Braves, 5-3. Marlon Byrd and Ike Davis homered and speedy Eric Young Jr. sparked the Mets, stealing two bases, scoring twice and making a diving catch in leftfield.

* At Milwaukee, Kyle Lohse (9-8) beat the Cardinals for the first time this season and Sean Halton knocked in a career-high three runs to help the Brewers beat St. Louis, 6-3.

* At Chicago, Ryan Zimmerman had two hits and drove in a run, and Bryce Harper had two hits and scored a crucial ninth-inning run as the Washington Nationals beat the Cubs, 4-2.

* At Miami, Yasiel Puig came off the bench to hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Marlins, 6-4.