MONDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Curt Schilling Became the majors' first eight-game winner with another dominant performance. IP H R BB SO 7 4 0 0 11 Hero of the day Pinch-hitter Jeff Reboulet singled in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets on Monday night. Goat of the day Braves reliever Chris Hammond broke one of baseball's Cardinal rules on Monday. He walked a batter with the bases loaded … in the bottom of the 11th. Jeff Kent was the recipient of the base on balls, and the Giants edged the Braves 7-6. Injury report Brewers starter Nick Neugebauer was a late scratch (discomfort in his right shoulder) Monday. Righty Jose Cabrera started in his place. Twins starter Brad Radke left after pitching two innings (pulled right groin). He's expected to miss only one start. Marlins OF Cliff Floyd left Monday's game against the Rockies with a bruised right knee. He is listed as day-to-day. Marlins 2B Luis Castillo sat out Monday because of tightness in his right hamstring. Padres 3B Sean Burroughs missed his fifth straight game with a sore shoulder. Mets infielder John Valentin left Monday's game against the Dodgers with a shoulder sprain. The Mets are listing Valentin as "day-to-day." The Padres will decide in the next day or so whether to put first baseman Phil Nevin on the disabled list or hold off and see how his sprained left elbow reacts to treatment. Braves SS Rafael Furcal was given the night off because of "a sore shoulder," according to manager Bobby Cox. Mets reliever John Franco isn't giving up without a fight. He has decided to go through with reconstructive elbow surgery in an attempt to prolong his 18-year career. The operation will be performed Wednesday by Anaheim Angels medical director Dr. Lewis Yocum. "I've never been one to walk away from a challenge. And this is a challenge," Franco, 41, said. "Everybody I talked to says, `Go for it."' Mets OF Benny Agbayani was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 12 with a strained left hamstring. Streak of the day A sign from above? Rain has fallen just before or during 10 of the Pirates' 19 home games. Stat of the day Talk about home-field advantage. Cardinals starter Matt Morris is 9-0 with a 1.44 ERA in his last 11 starts at Busch Stadium, where he hasn't lost since July 24, 2001, to the Astros. Morris also has won 17 of his last 18 home starts and has an overall 31-13 record and 2.33 ERA at Busch. The last word "We came back, then they came back. We just hung in there. Nobody cares about the earthquake. I didn't feel it. I'll hear about it on the news." -- Giants SS Rich Aurilia, relating the close game to the earthquake that shook Pac Bell Stadium in the ninth inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Twins-Royals
Minnesota: 1B/DH David Ortiz was activated from the disabled list and C/1B Matthew LeCroy was optioned to Triple-A Edmonton. Ortiz was on the DL since April 23 following surgery to remove a bone chip in his left knee. He missed 18 games. LeCroy batted .322 with eight RBI in 17 games for the Twins. ... 2B Luis Rivas has reported to extended spring training in Ft. Myers, Fla. A hairline fracture in his left wrist has caused him to miss 33 games.

Kansas City: The Royals will make up their game against Cleveland that was rained out Saturday with a twi-night doubleheader on July 20. ... LHP Brian Shouse was activated from the disabled list and 1B Dave McCarty, who was 3-for-32, was designated for assignment. Shouse, a rookie reliever, was out since April 28 with inflammation in his left elbow.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cubs-Cardinals
Chicago: Manager Don Baylor said RHP Mark Prior, the team's top pitching prospect, won't be recalled this week. Prior allowed four unearned runs and four hits with 10 strikeouts in 4 2-3 innings Sunday at Triple-A Iowa. There had been speculation he could take the place of RHP Matt Clement, who took a line drive off his right arm May 5. But Baylor has slotted Clement to make his next start on Friday. "I think the extra days will do him a lot of good," Baylor said. Of Prior, he said: "We'll find a place, no doubt, for him. It's just when that might be." ... OF Moises Alou, who strained his left hamstring last Thursday, was back in the lineup after missing three starts. He's missed 14 of 35 games with various injuries and was batting .169 with two homers and eight RBI. ... Sammy Sosa entered with 465 career homers, tied with Dave Winfield for 21st place.

St. Louis: The Cardinals will activate RHP Garrett Stephenson from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday to start the second game of the three-game series against the Cubs. Then RHP Woody Williams, on the DL since his first start with a pulled ribcage muscle, will be activated to start Wednesday. Manager Tony La Russa said both pitchers will be watched closely. ... LHP Steve Kline, on the DL since April 29 with a strained left triceps, long tossed Monday and is scheduled to throw off a mound Wednesday. ... LHP Rick Ankiel, on the DL since March 29 with elbow tendinitis, threw from the bullpen for the second time in three days. La Russa said Ankiel could be on a rehab assignment before the end of the month. ... LHP Mike Matthews, who injured his left thumb on a comebacker Sunday, was available. ... RHP Andy Benes, on the DL since April 16 and doubtful for a return to the team this season due to an arthritic right knee, reported to Busch Stadium for rehab. "I've got to find out what my program is going to be," Benes said.

Phillies-Astros
Philadelphia: Scott Rolen doesn't want to talk about his contract and he doesn't want a day off. Slumping in May (6-for-37, .162), manager Larry Bowa thought of giving Rolen a rest. Would the hard-working Rolen ever ask for a day off? "No," he said. Case closed. Rolen also isn't interested in reopening contract talks with general manager Ed Wade. "I approached Scott about it," Wade said. "I told him, 'If the opportunity arises, we are interested in re-engaging.' I wanted to let him know." Rolen's replay? "I said, 'My stance has not changed,"' Rolen said.

Houston: Rookie outfielder Jason Lane is 0-for-4 in his brief major league career but he's not too concerned. "I'm starting to get a little settled," Lane said. "I've got a couple of at-bats under my belt. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. I'm getting a lot of information right now, the routine and the day-to-day what's expected of me." Lane was the Texas League player of the year in 2001.

Marlins-Rockies
Florida: The Marlins lead the NL in hitting and are second in fielding. What surprises manager Jeff Torborg is that those two areas have been the team strength. "Our offense and defense has been very good, but we haven't gotten our starting pitching going." Torborg admitted that injuries have slowed down the performances of RHP Brad Penny and RHP Josh Beckett. Penny, Monday's starter, missed his last start with an inflamed nerve in his right arm. "Brad said he feels stronger than he has all year, but we will keep him on a pitch count tonight," Torborg said. "We'd like to get four or five innings out of him." ... As for Beckett, who has been on the 15-day DL with a blister on his right middle finger, the Marlins will activate him for Tuesday's start. "Beckett is completely back after having a blister that was raw," Torborg said. "He threw Thursday and Saturday and looked ready." ... Torborg said he would make a player move involving a pitcher and activate Beckett either after the game Monday or before Tuesday's game. ... Luis Castillo sat out as a precautionary measure to rest a tight right hamstring. ... The Marlins had a 55-minute closed-door meeting before the game, but offered no specifics.

Colorado: The Rockies recalled RHP Denny Stark before the game. Stark made his Rockies and NL debut after having a 1-2 record with a 3.82 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Colorado Springs. "We liked what we saw of him in spring training," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He brings a lot of life and competitive nature to the ballclub." Stark took Shawn Chacon's spot in the starting rotation. Chacon went on the 15-day DL on May 10, retroactive to May 9. ... OF Benny Agbayani was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to May 12 with a strained left hamstring. ... Colorado starting pitchers entered not having allowed a home run in seven straight home games. ... Hurdle spelled out the duties of Walt Weiss. "He is going to be an aide to myself," Hurdle said. "He will be assisting us in interaction in the clubhouse, interaction within the dugout and someone to work with our young middle infielders. For me it was an opportunity to bring somebody back into the fold that played here and established himself as a ballplayer." Weiss played with the Rockies from 1994-97. ... Colorado began a season-long 13-game homestand. ... INF Terry Shumpert's sore right knee continues to receive medical attention, but won't keep him from pinch-hitting duties.

Reds-Brewers
Cincinnati: 1B Sean Casey returned to the starting lineup after missing three consecutive games with a strained hamstring he hurt Wednesday while running to first base. He had been available only for pinch-hitting duties. ... Closer Danny Graves has given up at least one run in three of his last four appearances, and has blown four save chances this year. In his last four appearances, he has given up five runs on 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings. ... The team reportedly was to talk with free agent reliever Jeff Shaw's agent Monday, but a Reds official would not confirm whether the discussions took place.

Milwaukee: RHP Jose Cabrera made an emergency start, the first of his four-year career after 167 relief appearances. RHP Nick Neugebauer has discomfort in the back of his shoulder and was to be examined by a team doctor. ... Opponents had scored in the first inning in 10 of the Brewers' last 12 games coming in. ... 2B Eric Young, signed in the offseason to be the team's leadoff hitter, is batting .176 with a .272 on-base percentage. He is in a 2-for-16 slump and was not in the starting lineup.

Diamondbacks-Pirates
Diamondbacks: 1B Erubiel Durazo (injured right hand) is making progress on his rehabilitation assignment at Double-A El Paso, but probably won't rejoin the Diamondbacks until Thursday at the earliest. ... The Diamondbacks haven't been rained out in 295 dates since June 16, 2000, at Colorado, but waited more than two hours to play Monday night in Pittsburgh. ... RHP Todd Stottlemyre (weakened right shoulder) has resumed playing catch with the hope of being ready to pitch in mid-June against the Yankees. His father, Mel, is the Yankees' pitching coach. Since joining the Diamondbacks in 1999, Stottlemyre has made only 39 starts. ... Brian Anderson, who starts Tuesday, is 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA in seven career starts against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh: Manager Lloyd McClendon grew somewhat testy while again being questioned why reliever Mike Lincoln was demoted to Triple-A Nashville despite his 0.54 ERA. Lincoln was the Pirates' most effective middle reliever, but got caught in a numbers game when a roster spot had to be created for Kris Benson. McClendon said, "Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions. You have to send down guys who are major league pitchers. Sometimes other things go into the decision." ... 3B Aramis Ramirez was in the starting lineup for the first time in 22 games. Ramirez (sprained right ankle) did not go on the disabled list despite being limited to four pinch-hitting appearances since last starting April 17 in Milwaukee, when he charged the mound after being hit by a pitch from Ben Sheets. Ramirez isn't expected to be 100 percent speed-wise for another three weeks. ... It has rained before or during 10 of the Pirates' 19 home games.

Braves-Giants
Atlanta: OF Chipper Jones and 3B Vinny Castilla were back in the lineup after getting the day off Sunday. For Jones, it was his first off-day of the season. Braves manager Bobby Cox said Jones has been playing with some neck and left knee pain. ... SS Rafael Furcal was given the night off because of "a sore shoulder," according to Cox. Furcal, who had a six-game hitting streak stopped Sunday, was 5-for-27 (.185) on the recent homestand. He also made his 13th error of the season. Mark DeRosa, who played third base in place of Castilla, moved over to shortstop to replace Furcal. ... C Javy Lopez, who has shown some life at the plate the past two games, was moved up a notch in the lineup to the seventh spot. 1B Wes Helms was bumped to No. 8, but Cox said it wasn't a demotion of any kind. "He's swinging the bat good, too," he said of Helms. ... Braves opponents had scored first in the past six games coming in.

San Francisco: Both the Giants and Braves played in the Eastern time zone Sunday, then made the trip across the country to play Monday night on the West Coast. "We just adjusted going the other way, now we have to adjust coming back," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "I don't know what's happening with the schedule maker and why. When I played in L.A. we used to work our way back from the other coast." Baker said he rested SS Rich Aurilia and 1B J.T. Snow on Sunday just so he might have a couple of fresh bodies in the lineup. That's also the reason Baker decided to give OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo a day off. "New York is a tough place. It's hard to get sleep," Baker said. "You don't have to go anywhere, either. There's noise, energy, sirens and horns." ... OF Jose Canseco, who announced his retirement on Monday, played with Baker briefly with the Oakland Athletics. "I hate to see him quit because I think he can still play," Baker said. "I guess he got tired of all the shuffling. I remember he was a multitalented young man. A humble man, but very confident at the same time." ... OF Tom Goodwin, who made his second start with the Giants, adds an element of speed for his new team. "We don't have much speed and he has quite a bit of it. You always wish you had more speed," Baker said. ... RHP Jason Schmidt switched his uniform from No. 22 to the No. 29 he wore with the Giants last year.

Mets-Dodgers
New York: LHP John Franco isn't giving up without a fight. He has decided to go through with reconstructive elbow surgery in an attempt to prolong his 18-year career. The operation will be performed Wednesday by Anaheim Angels medical director Dr. Lewis Yocum. "I've never been one to walk away from a challenge. And this is a challenge," Franco, 41, said. "Everybody I talked to says, `Go for it."' ... OF Jay Payton believes his reputation has taken an undeserved beating after Saturday's pregame team meeting with general manager Steve Phillips, who singled out Payton and SS Rey Ordonez for selfishness. Payton did not congratulate Joe McEwing at home plate April 30 after scoring on McEwing's home run. "I felt bad because it made it seem like I'm not a team guy -- and that couldn't be farther from the truth," said Payton, whose locker is right next to McEwing's on the road. "I'm sorry that I didn't realize the magnitude of it in Steve's mind. I think it was perceived that I had a thing with Joe. That's ludicrous. He and I get along great. But that's just a part of playing in New York. If you can't deal with it, you shouldn't be here. But I don't want to go anywhere." ... RHP Kane Davis was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained lower back, one day after he gave up a game-winning homer in the 14th inning to Colorado's Larry Walker at Shea Stadium. RHP Mark Corey was called up from Triple-A Norfolk to replace Davis on the roster. "It's nothing major," Davis said. "I don't think I needed to go on the disabled list, but with the bullpen the way it is, this move just gives them a fresh arm. I'll be fine after the 15 days. It's been hurting off and on. When I was warming up yesterday, nothing felt good. After I got into the game, I tweaked it a little bit warming up."

Los Angeles: The Dodgers entered with a major league-leading 3.15 ERA. Andy Ashby's 3.77 ERA is the highest among the Dodgers' starters, and Odalis Perez's was the lowest at 1.66. ... The catcher's interference ruling Sunday against Chad Kreuter ended a 77-inning errorless streak by the Dodgers. ... The Dodgers' bullpen has issued 27 walks, the fewest in the majors. ... CF and leadoff hitter Dave Roberts did not start because of an injured right quadriceps, the same injury that bothered him during spring training.

Expos-Padres
Montreal: Andres Galarraga will rejoin the team after receiving some good news. Extensive tests during the last several days showed Galarraga did not have a reoccurrence of cancer. Galarraga remained in Montreal as the Expos opened a seven-game trip Monday night against the San Diego Padres. The Big Cat is scheduled to rejoin the Expos in San Diego on Tuesday. The 40-year-old Galarraga, who missed the entire 1999 season while undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, has been on the disabled list since May 2 with pain in his lower back, near the spot where a cancerous tumor was discovered shortly before spring training in 1999. Dr. Steve Rosen, the Chicago-based oncologist who treated Galarraga three years ago, performed tests on Galarraga. Assistant general manager Tony Siegle said an abnormality discovered in Galarraga's back was caused by the regeneration of bone and from past radiation treatments. ... The Expos said OF Henry Rodriguez has opted for free agency. He was sent outright to Triple-A Ottawa on May 8 when the Expos purchased the contract of OF Troy O'Leary from Ottawa. In 20 games with Montreal this year, Rodriguez batted .050 (1-for-20) with four RBI and four runs scored.

San Diego: The Padres will decide in the next 48 hours whether to put 1B Phil Nevin on the disabled list due to a sprained left elbow or hold off and see how he reacts to treatment, trainer Todd Hutcheson said. Nevin had to come out of Saturday's game at Atlanta and missed Sunday's game. Nevin, who had an MRI exam Sunday, originally hurt the elbow late last month diving for a groundball in Philadelphia and has struggled with it. "The good thing is, the MRI he had in Atlanta showed the ligament was very good," Hutcheson said. "Now it's coming down to how long do we think it might be before he feels good." Mark Sweeney played first base Sunday, but Ryan Klesko was back at his old position Monday night against Montreal. Klesko moved to right field and Nevin to first in spring training to make room for rookie 3B Sean Burroughs. ... Hutcheson said Burroughs, who's missed four games with a sore right shoulder, was feeling better. He took batting practice but wasn't in the lineup.