THURSDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Jamie Moyer Baffled Astros with ever-changing speeds for his seventh win of the season. IP R H SO 8 0 2 11 Hero of the day David Bell hit a tiebreaking home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, boosting the Giants to their third straight win, 4-3 over the Orioles. Goat of the day David Wells was on the losing end of the Padres' 9-1 win over the Yankees. San Diego finally beat New York after getting swept by the Yankees in the 1998 World Series (in which Wells won Game 1). Injury report The Phillies' Scott Rolen, a three-time Gold Glove winner at third base, missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. He will test it again before Saturday's game. Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi was out of the starting lineup at San Diego with a bruised right thumb sustained during pregame infield practice. Rangers OF Juan Gonzalez sat out his third straight game with a bruised right thumb. Indians LF Todd Dunwoody injured his left foot while making a leaping catch at the wall on Cordero's drive to left center. He was taken to the hospital for X-rays. Padres RHP Bobby Jones was put on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a strained pitching elbow. Streak of the day Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo extended his hitting streak to 35 games, tying Ty Cobb (among others) for 10th longest all-time. Stat of the day The Braves managed just three hits against the White Sox, but made them count in a 3-2 victory. The last word "It's making so many headlines and getting so much attention; you want to be the guy who stops it, but a lot of pitchers have been saying that for the last couple of weeks. That's what makes it so incredible.'' -- Tigers knuckleballer Steve Sparks, who tried -- and failed -- to end Luis Castillo's 35-game hitting streak.

INTERLEAGUE
Rangers at Pirates
Texas: RF Juan Gonzalez was out of the lineup for a third straight day Friday with a bruised right thumb. Gonzalez was jammed by a pitch last weekend in Houston. He was on the DL earlier this season with a jammed thumb. ... The Pirates became the 24th team to face the Rangers/Washington Senators franchise. The Rangers have debuted against three teams this season: Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh. ... The Rangers have yet to name a replacement for pitching coach Oscar Acosta, who was fired Thursday. Bullpen coach Jamie Quirk is the acting pitching coach. The new pitching coach is expected to come from inside the organization. Pittsburgh: Manager Lloyd McClendon said there is no chance RHP Kris Benson will leave the rotation despite being winless in eight starts since returning from reconstructive elbow surgery last month. Benson is beginning to show signs of frustration at having so little command of his pitches. He has allowed 54 hits and walked 18 in 34 2-3 innings, with only one start lasting longer than 5 2-3 innings. ... The Pirates signed LHP Brian Holliday, who led Moon Area High School in suburban Pittsburgh to consecutive Pennsylvania state championships. Holliday was a 12th-round pick in the amateur draft earlier this month. The Pirates also signed ninth-rounder Joe Hicks, an outfielder from Forest Brook High School in Texas, giving them 13 picks under contract. ... OF Brian Giles would consider waiving a no-trade clause if the Athletics wanted to deal for him. His contract allows him to be dealt to only six clubs, most on the West Coast. However, general manager Dave Littlefield isn't shopping Giles, whose $8.5 million average salary and consistent production makes him affordable even by the Pirates' standards.

Tigers at Marlins
Detroit: LHP Adam Pettyjohn, who has his colon removed in March, had a follow-up surgery Friday. He still faces one more operation before he can start rehab in the fall. Pettyjohn lost 65 pounds after a life-threatening bout of colitis that began two days into his January honeymoon. ... 2B Damian Easley, who entered Friday's game in an 0-for-23 slump, made his first start since last weekend. ... RHP Steve Sparks returned to the rotation after missing two starts. He was moved to the bullpen but not used while the Tigers went to a four-man rotation. ... GM Dave Dombrowski didn't make the trip, opting to visit minor league clubs instead of returning to Florida, where he spent nine seasons as the Marlins' GM. Florida: RHP Brad Penny, on the 15-day DL since May 19 with a right biceps inflammation, is scheduled to return to the mound next Saturday against Philadelphia. Penny was scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday in Tampa against the Florida State League's Yankees, and if all goes well, return to his spot in the rotation. ... Manager Jeff Torborg said he won't rush RHP Josh Beckett's return, meaning Beckett might not pitch until after the All-Star break. Beckett, on the DL since June 5 with a blister on his right middle finger, has been throwing "exceptionally well'' with a cover on the finger. "We've got to make sure we do what's right to make sure this thing heals,'' Torborg said. "You want to win, but you don't want anybody's career hanging in the balance to do it.''

Indians at Expos
Cleveland: The Indians' charter flight from Fort Lauderdale arrived at 5 a.m. Friday after a rain-abbreviated 3-0 loss to the Marlins the night before. Cleveland has lost four of five and is 2-4 so far on its season-long 12-game road trip. ... The Indians are 23-37 since April 16, after getting off to an 11-1 start. ... 2B Jolbert Cabrera will face his younger brother Orlando, Montreal's Gold Glove-winning shortstop, for the first time in the majors. The Colombian brothers played together with the Expos' Triple-A Ottawa affiliate in 1997. ... RHP Paul Shuey will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron on Saturday. Shuey has been on the DL since June 10 because of a strained left groin. He is 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in 27 relief appearances this season. Montreal: The Expos' seven-game winning streak is the team's longest in five years. Montreal won 10 straight from June 6-16, 1997, tying the team record set in 1979 and matched in 1980. ... RHP Javier Vazquez is 3-1 in his last eight starts, improving his record to 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA. The Expos are 10-5 in his starts, though he has failed to be involved in the decision in eight of 15 starts. ... LHP Joey Eischen has appeared in four straight games, and five of the Expos' last six. Eischen pitched a perfect 11th inning in Thursday's 5-4 win over Kansas City for his first major league win since Aug. 29, 1996, when he also beat the Royals while pitching for Detroit.

Twins at Phillies
Minnesota: RHP Joe Mays, out since April 14 because of inflammation near his right elbow, will likely throw a couple of simulated games next week before being sent to Fort Myers for a minor league rehab assignment. ... RHP Brad Radke, out with a pulled right groin, might throw in simulated games at the Metrodome next week. If all goes well, Radke will make one or two minor league starts before return to the Twins. ... CF Torii Hunter has hit safely in 12 of 15 games. ... The Twins played their first game ever in Veterans Stadium on Friday night. Philadelphia: 3B Scott Rolen missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Rolen, who had started every game before the injury, had hoped to play Friday night, but said his ankle felt "unstable.'' He plans to test it again before Saturday's game. ... Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt will join the team Monday and Tuesday in Florida. Schmidt was hired as a special hitting instructor in spring training. ... Manager Larry Bowa used his 42nd different lineup in 70 games. ... For the fourth time in six minor league seasons, C Johnny Estrada was elected to the All-Star game. He was batting .314 with 10 homers and 46 RBI for Triple-A Scranton. Estrada spent most of last season as the Phillies' No. 1 catcher after Mike Lieberthal went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Athletics at Reds
Oakland: The A's made their first visit to Cincinnati since 1990, when they lost the first two games of the World Series at Riverfront Stadium and wound up getting swept. The only holdovers on the Reds' roster are SS Barry Larkin and RHP Jose Rijo, who was MVP of the Series. Rijo is on the DL with a weak shoulder. ... OF Jermaine Dye was out of the lineup because of a tight right hamstring. He had three hits, including a homer, and drove in four runs in a 5-3 victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Dye felt the hamstring tighten during that game, and was out of the lineup Friday as a precaution. "It's just a little tender,'' manager Art Howe said. "We're going to play it on the safe side.'' ... Howe spent a lot of time in Cincinnati while playing with Pittsburgh, Houston and St. Louis, then managing the Astros for five years. One of his most vivid memories is from 1983, when catcher Johnny Bench homered against the Astros at Riverfront Stadium on the night when he was honored before his retirement. ... OF David Justice, who grew up in Cincinnati, started in left field. Justice has appeared in six of the A's seven games at NL ballparks, making four starts in left. Justice was activated off the DL on June 4 after recovering from a strained groin. "When he was out, we didn't play very well,'' Howe said. "I'm picking my spots for him in National League games. I'll probably give him off tomorrow. I want him healthy.'' Cincinnati: Reliever Gabe White was hospitalized with a major infection in his pitching hand, leaving the bullpen without a left-hander for the series. He's getting antibiotics and was expected to stay in the hospital for at least one more day. ... Ken Griffey Jr. was back in center field. He was out of the lineup Thursday night to rest his tender hamstring. ... In an attempt to get the Reds out of their hitting slump, manager Bob Boone benched 3B Aaron Boone, 1B Sean Casey and RF Austin Kearns for Friday's game. Boone was in a 1-for-14 slump. Casey was only 3-for-26 and hadn't driven in a run since May 29, a span of 18 games that was the longest drought of his career. Kearns was in a 1-for-17 slump. Asked why he chose those three, Boone said, "It's because I need more than two runs, and I've been looking for it in all the wrong places.'' The Reds had lost their last four games, scoring a total of four runs. They had only one hit in their last 31 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Royals at Mets
Kansas City: The Royals are in the midst of a nine-game interleague road trip. They lost the first six games, three in St. Louis and three in Montreal, and have lost seven straight overall. ... All six losses have been by four or less runs. ... This is the first meeting between Kansas City and the Mets, but not the first visit to Shea Stadium for the Royals. They played at Shea in 1974-75 when the Yankees used the stadium as a temporary home while Yankee Stadium was undergoing renovations. ... Kansas City is 39-58 in interleague games. ... The Royals, in 1985, became the second expansion team to win a World Series. The Mets, in 1969, were the first. New York: The Mets are in the middle of their longest homestand of the year. They are 4-2 with seven more to play. ... New York is 7-5 this season in interleague play. ... The Royals are the last team the Mets will play this season from the AL Central. ... 3B Edgardo Alfonzo needs one double for 200 in his career. ... The Mets are tied for second in the majors, and are first in the NL with seven shutouts. ... CF Jay Payton, in the lineup Friday, leads the Mets with five outfield assists. ... 2B Roberto Alomar has hit safely in 37 of his last 48 games. ... Former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms threw early batting practice to some of the Mets. ... The Mets extended their contract with WFAN radio to broadcast all games through the 2005 season.

White Sox at Braves
Chicago: LHP Mark Buehrle has 10 wins in 16 starts, the fourth-fastest pace to double figures by a White Sox starter since 1990. Only James Baldwin (13 starts in 2000) and Jack McDowell (14 in 1993 and 15 in 1992) have reached 10 wins in fewer starts. ... 1B Paul Konerko began the night with an AL-leading 60 RBI but he wasn't in the lineup. With no DH in the National League park, Frank Thomas made just his third start of the season at first base. Thomas has started 64 games at DH. ... Konerko, Thomas (48 RBI) and Magglio Ordonez (48) came into Friday's game with 156 RBI, the most by any trio in baseball. The Yankees trio of Jason Giambi (58), Robin Ventura (52) and Alfonso Soriano (44) was second with 154. ... The White Sox were playing the Braves for the time in the regular season, but several Chicagoans have ties to Georgia. Manager Jerry Manuel was born in Hahira, INF Willie Harris in Cairo, C Mark Johnson in Warner Robins and Thomas in Columbus. Atlanta: RHP Greg Maddux is questionable for his next start on Tuesday against the New York Mets. Maddux has left his last two starts with a strained left calf muscle, and the outlook wasn't much better Friday. "It's not too good,'' manager Bobby Cox admitted. Maddux pitched five scoreless innings against Detroit on Thursday, but had to come out of the game because he wasn't even able to cover first. Already this season, Maddux had his first stint on the disabled list because of a sore back. ... 3B Vinny Castilla was back in the lineup after missing four straight starts with a strained right hamstring. Castilla did come up as a pinch hitter in Thursday's comeback victory against Detroit; he was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Javy Lopez drove in the winning run with a single. ... Lopez was originally in the lineup at catcher, then was scratched because of a sore left arm. He was hit by a pitch the previous night while pinch-hitting in the eighth inning. Lopez remained in the game, coming through with the winning hit in the ninth, but he decided not play against the White Sox. "Due to the swelling, it hurts when I swing,'' he said. "But if the swelling goes down, I should be in the lineup tomorrow.''

Angels at Brewers
Angels: The Angels haven't faced the Brewers since Aug. 15, 1997, the year before Milwaukee switched to the NL, when Chuck Finley pitched Anaheim to a 5-3 victory at County Stadium. ... CF Darin Erstad is the all-time leader in interleague play since its inception in 1997, with 138 hits going into Friday night's game. ... Anaheim was 34-35 after 69 games last season and trailed first-place Seattle by 18{ games. This season after 69 games, the team is 40-29 and just three back of the Mariners. ... The Angels started the weekend interleague series batting .299 on the road, the second-best average in the majors behind Seattle. Milwaukee: Anaheim-Milwaukee might not be the most glamorous interleague matchup, but manager Jerry Royster found plenty of reasons why AL vs. NL contests were still exciting to watch. "Don't you want to see Troy Glaus?'' he asked. "They've got some stars on this team. If you're a true fan, you're going to want to see these guys. You're going to want to know what makes these guys click. You usually get to see these only on TV, on highlights. That's what I think interleague is all about -- the players, not the teams. People don't want to see the Giants play, they want to see Barry Bonds play. There's always someone on every major league team that you're going to want to see.'' ... CF Alex Sanchez returned to the lineup after missing three games due to a sprained left wrist and a bruised right knee. He was injured Monday in a game against Houston. OF Jeffrey Hammonds got the day off to rest his sore right shoulder.

Blue Jays at Diamondbacks
Toronto: Manager divi Tosca and third base coach Brian Butterfield were on the staff of former Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter, who was fired after the 2000 season. Tosca, hired in Toronto on June 3 to replace Buck Martinez, thought knowing Arizona's personnel might provide a small edge. "We've played a couple of teams that I didn't feel real comfortable with, not seeing those guys,'' Tosca said. "That's also been the case with me all year with American League teams, but I think the familiarity of it certainly helps, yes.'' ... Esteban Loaiza had the first hit by a Blue Jays pitcher this year when he singled in the fifth inning Thursday night against Los Angeles. That broke an 0-for-20 streak by the pitching staff. ... 1B Carlos Delgado, the only player to start all 70 games for Toronto, came in tied for third in interleague play with 29 home runs and second only to Sammy Sosa in RBI (80). He also ranked second in the AL in walks (52) and intentional walks (11). ... Fourteen of Raul Mondesi's last 23 hits before Friday went for extra bases. ... The game was the first ever between the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks. Arizona: The acquisition of Rick Helling, the starter for this game, and the development of Miguel Batista and Brian Anderson have stabilized the rotation behind aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. All but Anderson have winning records, the quintet has produced 12 starts of six innings or longer in 13 games, and manager Bob Brenly has only used one other starter -- injured Todd Stottlemyre. Last year, the Diamondbacks tried nine through mid-June. ... RF Quinton McCracken got the nod to lead off for the third time this year, moving ahead of INF Craig Counsell in the order. "Couns has been struggling a little bit in that leadoff spot,'' Brenly said. "He's been hitting the ball well for the most part. He's just not getting results right now. In the past, we've had success moving guys around just to change the scenery.'' McCracken, who has hit safely in 15 of his 17 starts, was Tampa Bay's leadoff hitter in the Devil Rays' 1998 expansion year and hit .292. "I'm just glad to be starting and have a chance to help the team,'' said McCracken, a non-roster invitee to spring training who spent most of last year in Triple-A. ... The Diamondbacks' world championship is paying dividends in home attendance, up by an average 7,401 through the first 36 home games. ... Thursday's 5-1 win over Baltimore was Arizona's first in seven games when they had no extra-base hits.

Mariners at Astros
Seattle: The Mariners are victims this season of their success last season. "Everyone expects us to win 116 game and put up career numbers,'' first baseman Bret Boone said. "It just isn't going to happen.'' They don't expect to repeat last year's 116-46 record. "We knew that wouldn't happen again,'' manager Lou Piniella said. "I mean, that happens what, once every century? We started out good and since then we've been treading water, but we should be at full strength again by the All-Star break.'' Houston: The Astros will host the All-Star game at Minute Maid Park in 2004 but they're already planning the big day. Owner Drayton McLane will lead a delegation of Astros officials at the All-Star game in Milwaukee as part of a four-day fact-finding visit. "We'll look at everything from A to Z,'' McLane said. "We'll look at all the little details that make the over all experience fan-friendly and easy for all the teams and participants.'' McLane is particularly interested in hotel availability, shuttles between events and setup for the national media covering the event.

Devil Rays at Rockies
Tampa Bay: LHP Wilson Alvarez will be on a pitch count in his Saturday start. "Wilson will go 100 pitches and no longer,'' manager Hal McRae said. "I can stretch innings with him, but not the pitch count.'' Alvarez will be making his fifth start since coming off the disabled list on May 31 (rib strain). ... McRae and Colorado counterpart Clint Hurdle were teammates for four years with the Kansas City Royals. "All I remember about Clint was he played hard and was a good teammate,'' McRae said. When asked if he thought Hurdle gave any indications of being a manager, McRae said. "I don't think the thought of him hanging around baseball after retirement crossed my mind.'' ... During the routine meeting that proceeds the start of every series, McRae avoided talking about the team's ineffective hitting in the San Francisco series. The Devil Rays scored two runs in the final two games. "I talked about Coors Field and hope this place will live up to its reputation,'' McRae said. "We'll simplify our game with our pitchers, asking them to just avoid giving up walks, keep the ball down, stay aggressive and not let the ballpark intimidate them. We pitched to Barry Bonds and we were aggressive in San Francisco.'' ... With 29 hits in the month, OF Randy Winn is two hits shy of the Fred McGriff's club record of 31 hits in the June. Colorado: Despite the outburst of scoring in the three-game series against the New York Yankees, Rockies president Keli McGregor said baseballs used in the series were stored in a humidor just as they have been all season. The Rockies began storing the balls in the humidor to keep them from shrinking and becoming smaller and lighter than the manufacturer's specifications. Use of the humidor also makes the balls less slick, so they are easier for pitchers to grip in Denver's dry climate. There was speculation earlier in the year that hot summer temperatures might neutralize the effects of the humidor. ... In the Rockies' first 35 home games at Coors Field this season, teams scored in double digits seven times. In the three-game Yankee series, the teams scored in double digits five times. ... Manager Clint Hurdle said RHP John Thomson, who began the season with a 6-3 record but has struggled in his last four outings, might be suffering from a bit of fatigue. "He pitched the last half of last season, all through spring training and now the first half of this season,'' Hurdle said. "He hasn't had that much of a workload due to injuries and other things.'' Hurdle said Thomson couldn't get the ball down with any consistency in his outing against the Yankees on Thursday. "That's a real tough lineup to pitch up in the zone unless you're throwing 97, 98, 99 miles an hour,'' Hurdle said. "Nothing seems too out of whack, except for him not getting the ball where he wants to.'' ... The Rockies transferred RHP Jason Young, their second-round draft choice in 2000, from Double-A Carolina to Triple-A Colorado Springs. RHP Chandler Martin was demoted to Double-A. ... The Rockies signed RHP Donne Wall to a Triple-A contract. Wall was released by the Anaheim Angels on June 14.

Orioles at Giants
Baltimore: The Orioles are finishing a four-city, 10-day road trip with their first visit ever to Pacific Bell Park, and their first games against the Giants. ... Orioles pitchers have only faced David Bell among the Giants and not fared too well. Jason Johnson, Sunday's starter, has allowed six hits, including a home run, in 12 at bats against Bell. ... The Orioles have not won or lost more than two consecutive games since mid-May, when they lost four straight. ... 1B Jeff Conine remains on the DL with a strained right hamstring. He's eligible to come off on June 30, but may not be ready. "We'll know more when we get through this period,'' Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said. "I say he'll be all right.'' ... SS Mike Bordick has a 53-game errorless streak, six short of his career high. San Francisco: Four home runs were hit at Pac Bell Park on Thursday, only the second time that's been done this year, both during day games. The last time a night game yielded as many as four homers was Oct. 5, when OF Barry Bonds hit No. 71 and No. 72. "I'd never say it's a normal ballpark,'' Giants SS Rich Aurilia said. "I'd say it goes from being a pitchers' park to a fair park when the conditions are right for the hitters. I don't think, in any sense, this is a hitter's park.'' Entering play on Friday, the Giants have hit 35 home runs in 35 home games and 47 in 25 road games. ... Former major-leaguers RHP Manny Aybar and C Edwards Guzman were named to the PCL All-Star team from the Fresno Grizzlies. The Triple-A game will be held on July 10 in Oklahoma City. ... C Benito Santiago had been rooting for Florida's 2B Luis Castillo all along. Castillo broke Santiago's record for longest hitting streak ever by a Latin player when he beat out an infield single on Friday for his 35th straight. "If he comes this far, he'd better not stop until 60,'' said Santiago. "I don't hang out with him or anything like that, but I heard he's a decent kid and a pretty good person, so things happen for a reason.''

Red Sox at Dodgers
Boston: The Red Sox reinstated LHP Jeff Wallace and RHP Paxton Crawford from the 15-day DL and optioned them to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... Pedro Martinez, who spent his first four seasons mostly in the Dodgers' minor league system, was traded to Montreal for Delino DeShields after the 1993 season. Martinez, who went on win the Cy Young once at Montreal and twice at Boston, said he feels no bitterness toward the Dodgers. "I don't blame anybody. At the time it was the manager's (Tommy Lasorda's) decision to trade me and the GM's decision to trade me. It must have been (GM) Fred Claire,'' Martinez said. He added that the Dodgers probably considered him, at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, too small to be an effective starter. ... The Red Sox's last series at Dodger Stadium was in 1965, when they were swept in a doubleheader by the Los Angeles Angels, who played their home games at the stadium back then. Los Angeles: 2B Mark Grudzielanek expects to have surgery in the offseason for a problem with cysts on the back of his right hand. He has the cysts, which cause him some continuing pain, drained periodically. ... RHP Darren Driefort, slowly working his way back from the elbow surgery he had last July, plans to pitch this season, but is uncertain when he might be ready to go. He threw 67 pitches in the bullpen Friday afternoon, and manager Jim Tracy said the next step for him will be to throw to batters. ... Eric Gagne got his 25th save of the year in the Dodgers' 2-1 victory over Toronto on Thursday, Los Angeles' 71st game of the season. When Todd Worrell set the club record of 44 saves in 1996, he didn't get his 25th until the 103rd game.

Yankees at Padres
New York: 1B Jason Giambi was a late scratch with a jammed right thumb, forcing manager Joe Torre to juggle his lineup. Bernie Williams was moved up from cleanup to No. 3, and Ron Coomer was moved from sixth to cleanup. ... Roger Clemens isn't expected to miss a start after being forced out of Thursday's game at Colorado after he was hit on the right forearm by a line drive. Torre said Clemens might be pushed back a day or two. He's currently scheduled to start Wednesday at Baltimore. "This was pretty bad, but I've been hit pretty bad before and pitched,'' Clemens said. "It may cause me a problem here or there but it ain't going to keep me out.'' If Clemens is pushed back two days, he'd start the opener of a series against the Mets at Yankee Stadium. ... Yankees LHP David Wells, who grew up in San Diego, made his first big league start at Qualcomm Stadium. He faced the Padres while with Cincinnati in 1995, throwing a complete game and winning 8-1. He beat the Padres in Game 1 of the 1998 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Wells graduated from San Diego's Point Loma High, the same school that produced Don Larsen, who also pitched a perfect game for the Yankees. San Diego: 1B Ryan Klesko didn't start Friday night after hurting his right wrist and forearm while diving for a groundball in Thursday night's loss to Boston. Manager Bruce Bochy said Klesko should be back Saturday. ... Only closer Trevor Hoffman and INF-OF Mark Sweeney remain from the Padres team that was swept by the Yankees in the 1998 World Series. ... RHP Bobby Jones was put on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a strained pitching elbow, meaning the Padres will start rookies in consecutive games against the New York Yankees. RHP Jake Peavy, 21, was promoted from Double-A Mobile to take Jones' rotation spot and will make his big league debut against the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. On Friday night, 20-year-old RHP Oliver Perez made his second big league start for the Padres.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cardinals at Cubs
St. Louis: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa attended Jack Buck's funeral Friday morning and arrived to Wrigley Field before the first pitch. ... Friday's game took 1 hour, 49 minutes to play. ... The teams combined for only three runners left on base. ... RHP Jason Simontacchi makes his eighth start of the year on Saturday. He will try to become the first Cardinals rookie starter to open his career 6-0 since Allen Watson did it in 1993. Chicago: OF Moises Alou was not in the Cubs' starting lineup Friday because of a jammed right middle finger. Alou injured the finger diving back to second base on a pickoff attempt in the ninth inning Thursday. Cubs manager Don Baylor was upset about Francisco Cordero's pickoff attempt that late in the game when they were ahead. "It was one of those unfortunate plays in the ninth inning when you are three runs ahead,'' Baylor said. "Not to just get you out, but the guy really wants to embarrass you.'' X-rays were negative and Alou is listed day to day. ... RHP Kyle Farnsworth was fined an undisclosed amount after missing Monday's game against the Rangers. Farnsworth was in Orlando expecting the birth of his first child. Farnsworth and his girlfriend are still expecting. Farnsworth will miss Saturday's game against the Cardinals. "We are sympathetic to his problem,'' said Jim Hendry, the Cubs vice president, player personnel. "He feels strongly enough that he wants to be there for the birth of his first child. ... It wouldn't be a good thing to deny him of that.''