| NO CHALLENGES: Alex Rodriguez is finding as the season swings into its final four weeks, pitchers are challenging him less and less. Even with major league RBIs leader Edgar Martinez batting right behind him, Rodriguez is seeing fewer strikes. Pitchers seem willing to walk him and take their chances with Martinez and the rest of the lineup. The shortstop had never walked more than 59 times in his career, but he already has walked 87 times and has a shot at a 100-walk season. "It comes and it goes," Rodriguez said. "Sometimes they challenge me, but mostly they don't. I think if they don't now, they'll be making a mistake, now that we have Ole (John Olerud) and Jay (Buhner) back in the lineup." One of the results of all those walks has been increased run production. He's scored 115 times and is on pace for 133 runs, which would be the second-best in his career tothe club-record 141 he scored in 1996. "With the way Edgar's hit this year, a lot of those walks have turned into runs," he said. "They can walk me, but it will hurt them." |