GUILLEN, NATS LAUGH LAST MANAGERS FACE OFF, DONNELLY EJECTED AS ANGELS DEFEATED WASHINGTON 6, ANGELS 3.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - A seventh-inning inspection of Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly's glove, ordered by Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson and perhaps suggested by former Angel Jose Guillen, turned a placid night at Angel Stadium into a haze of mayhem.

The stunning results: Donnelly was ejected for having a foreign substance on his glove, Robinson and Angels manager Mike Scioscia went toe-to-toe on the first-base line, and a bench-clearing shoving match erupted that thrust Guillen, the Angel traded away last winter after a dispute with Scioscia, into a scrum with hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.

One inning later, Guillen crushed a tying two-run home run off Scot Shields, sparking a four-run rally that lifted Washington to a 6-3 victory that was overshadowed by a chaotic 15-minute intermission.

The fallout from this loss will extend into tonight's series finale and perhaps for weeks to come.

That's because Donnelly figures to earn a lengthy suspension from the commissioner's office for having the foreign substance on his glove. St. Louis reliever Julian Tavarez received a 10-game suspension, reduced to eight on appeal, after using a foreign substance on a ball last season.

Donnelly chided Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen two weeks ago for complaining to umpires that he was licking his lips while on the mound, earning two ball calls for a minor rules violation that Donnelly perceived as petty gamesmanship.

Tuesday, Robinson's request to inspect Donnelly's glove apparently turned up a gold mine.

Donnelly was summoned into a 3-1 game with one out and a runner on in the seventh inning. Before he could throw a pitch, Robinson was out of the dugout and requesting that the umpire crew inspect Donnelly's glove.

Typically, requests to inspect gloves are made after pitches are thrown; Guillen would be the only Nationals player with possible knowledge of the inner workings of Donnelly's equipment.

As Donnelly stalked the grass behind the mound, manager Mike Scioscia pleaded his case to home-plate umpire Tim Tschida and crew chief Dale Scott. After inspecting Donnelly's glove, the crew ejected Donnelly and kept his glove as evidence.

Then Scioscia ambled toward Robinson, who was waiting patiently in foul ground and said a few choice words.

Robinson moved toward Scioscia, Nationals second baseman Carlos Baerga took a few steps toward Scioscia, and the fuse was lit.

The benches cleared, The bullpens sprinted in from the outfield, and in the middle of it all was Guillen, whose Sept. 25, 2004, on-field tantrum and subsequent clubhouse screaming match with Scioscia expedited his trade to Washington.

Most of the players disengaged on their own, but Guillen required two teammates and a coach to restrain him and escort him back to the Washington dugout.

After Shields retired the side, Scioscia ordered an inspection of Washington reliever Gary Majewski's glove, drawing Robinson out of the dugout again. A Washington equipment manager repaired Majewski's glove.

Then Guillen got the last laugh.

Shields hit Ryan Church with a curveball leading off the eighth inning, bringing up Guillen, who hammered a Shields pitch well over the fence in left field, tying the score 3-3 and sending him on a scream-filled journey around the bases.

The crowd booed lustily. An error by Orlando Cabrera rekindled Washington's rally, and the Nats pushed ahead the go-ahead runs on an RBI single by Junior Spivey and a sacrifice fly from Brian Schneider.

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Washington's Jose Guillen, without cap, is restrained by bench coach Eddie Rodriguez during a bench-clearing incident in the seventh inning Tuesday.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

Box:

(1) ANGELS vs. WASHINGTON

- Gabe Lacques

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC