K-Rod, bullpen coach had altercation Sunday

Before Francisco Rodriguez's showdown with Alex Rodriguez Sunday night, he nearly had a throwdown with Mets bullpen coach Randy Niemann, according to eyewitnesses.

The Mets led 6-2 at the time and K-Rod apparently got upset that Jerry Manuel had called to get him up the day after he threw 28 pitches in a five-out save in the previous night's 5-3 victory over the Yankees.

Rodriguez argued with Niemann, and a person familiar with the situation said the other relievers stepped in to separate the two, which caused a minor scuffle in the bullpen. K-Rod later told The New York Times that the group was only joking, but another person said Rodriguez's anger was real.

Rodriguez evidently was still simmering over Manuel's decision to use him last Thursday in Washington, when the Mets nearly let a 9-1 lead slip away before sealing the 10-7 victory in a non-save situation for K-Rod. After Raul Valdes pitched five innings in relief of John Maine, who was pulled after five pitches, Manuel went through his bullpen in the late innings. The manager was left to summon Rodriguez with the Mets leading 10-6 in the ninth.

After K-Rod's game-ending strikeout of A-Rod late Sunday, there were no lingering signs of friction between Manuel and his closer. Still, Rodriguez appeared to labor through the 21-pitch outing - he allowed an RBI double by Derek Jeter, Brett Gardner's run-scoring grounder and an infield single by Mark Teixeira before the game-ending strikeout - and A-Rod battled him through an eight-pitch at-bat before whiffing on the changeup. It was K-Rod's eighth save in 10 chances this season.

"Well, he's quite a competitor, and the thing about him is that it appears the bigger the situation, the bigger he becomes," Manuel said after Sunday's win. "They put together some pretty good at-bats against him. It was a real good fight, but K-Rod threw that changeup for a strike at the end there that made the difference. He does get up for those things."