THURSDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Jeff Kent Batted third in the lineup for the first time this season and responded with six RBI to help the Giants defeat the Padres 11-6. AB H RBI DB 5 3 6 2 Hero of the day Astros catcher Gregg Zaun hit a two-out, pinch-hit grand slam to lead Houston to a 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks. Goat of the day Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen allowed two earned runs in the top of the ninth inning to allow the Brewers to force extra innings. Milwaukee won the game 7-2 in 11 innings. Injury report Tigers RHP Danny Patterson will undergo right elbow reconstruction surgery Friday in Detroit and will miss about 12-18 months. Streak of the day Expos outfielder Vladimir Guerrero went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. It's the second time this season a Montreal player has a hitting streak of 20 games or more. Jose Vidro had a 21-game hitting streak earlier this season. Stat of the day Dodgers outfielder Shawn Green hit his 22nd home run in 34 games after only hitting three homers in his first 44 games. The last word "That's what you get for playing in Kansas City." -- Kansas City first baseman Mike Sweeney on being ignored for All-Star voting despite leading the AL in hitting.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angels at Rangers
Anaheim: After completing their season-long 14-game road trip, the Angels don't have to go on the road for two weeks. They play their next nine games at home, including a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, before the All-Star break. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia will coach in the All-Star game for the first time. He has accepted an invitation from Yankees manager Joe Torre to be on the AL coaching staff for the July 9 game in Milwaukee. Scioscia was a two-time NL All-Star as a player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in 1990 was the first Dodgers catcher to start an All-Star game since Roy Campanella in 1954.

Texas: Kenny Rogers threw off flat ground, but no decision has been made about when he will pitch again. Rogers (8-4, 3.24 ERA) was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday because of stiffness in his back. Rangers manager Jerry Narron said he wants to see how Rogers feels after his regular throwing session Friday before making any decisions. Rogers' next turn in the rotation is Tuesday against Tampa Bay, but he could pitch before that if he's healthy. ... For Narron, there was one positive about the team's winning streak being snapped at eight games. He won't have to shave his head as part of a bet with his players about winning 10 straight games. "Still, it would have been nice to keep it going,'' Narron said. The bet goes back to last year, when Narron gave outfielder Gabe Kapler a hard time when he shaved his head. "It looked terrible, and then I said if we win 10 in a row, I'd do the same thing. I wish I would have kept my mouth shut without saying anything.''

White Sox at Twins
Chicago: Manager Jerry Manuel and a trainer came out to check on reliever Bob Howry after a line drive by David Ortiz glanced off his leg. Home plate umpire Joe West, trying to move the game along, shooed them away when it was clear Howry was OK. ... Starter Gary Glover has completed the sixth inning only once this year, when he went seven innings against Kansas City on June 5. ... Closer Antonio Osuna, who left the club to be with his pregnant wife in Mexico, is expected back Friday. Keith Foulke, who lost his job to Osuna, will share the closer spot with Osuna for a while upon his return, Manuel said. ... The White Sox agreed to terms with OF Jeremy Reed and RHP Josh Rupe, their second- and third-round picks in this month's draft. ... Paul Konerko's lifetime batting average in the Metrodome is .387 after he went 7-for-15 in the series. He tied a career high with four hits Thursday and has done that six times now.

Minnesota: Batting coach Scott Ullger managed the Twins again in the absence of Ron Gardenhire, who's in Oklahoma with his family after his father died Wednesday. The Twins think it could be another five days to a week before he returns. ... CF Torii Hunter, who was plunked in the ribs by a pitch from Chicago's Bob Howry on Wednesday night, said he woke up sore Thursday morning. ... Hunter was third in the most recent All-Star balloting for outfielders. Hunter could be the first Twins player to be voted in since Kirby Puckett in 1995. "I'm happy for him,'' Ullger said. "He's had a great first half, and hopefully he'll have a great second half.'' ... INF/DH Matthew LeCroy did a hilarious impression of Ullger making a pitching change. Ullger likes to wear a sleeveless T-shirt during batting practice, so LeCroy rolled his sleeves up and lumbered out to the mound as teammates doubled over with laughter. ... RHPs Jack Cressend and Bob Wells, both on the disabled list, played catch in the outfield before the game. ... RHP Joe Mays will leave Sunday for Class A Fort Myers and make two starts, next Tuesday and on July 7 before returning to the Twins and pitching July 12 if all goes according to plan. ... Twins starters have failed to make it through five innings in 27 of 79 starts this year -- 34 percent.

Indians at Red Sox
Cleveland: 3B Travis Fryman did not start Wednesday against Pedro Martinez. Fryman has struck out 18 times in his 29 official at-bats against Martinez. ... SS Omar Vizquel missed the game with a jammed left shoulder suffered when he made a dive for a ball hit up the middle by Shea Hillenbrand in the second inning Tuesday. Cleveland manager Charlie Manuel said he expected Vizquel to miss two or three games. ... RHP Bartolo Colon returned to Cleveland after feeling a twinge in his right side. Manuel did not rule out Colon making his scheduled start Friday night at home against Arizona. ... Cleveland homered in the first inning for the second straight night, a two-run shot by Ellis Burks. Jim Thome hit a three-run homer Tuesday.

Boston: SS Nomar Garciaparra had an MRI on his sore left wrist but was in the lineup. No results were announced. He missed most of last season after undergoing surgery on his right wrist on opening day. ... Rickey Henderson needs one single to tie Luke Appling for 23rd on the all-time list with 2,161.

Yankees at Orioles
New York: The Yankees activated RHP Orlando Hernandez from the disabled list and purchased the contract of OF Karim Garcia from Triple-A Columbus. To make room on the roster, LHP Randy Choate and OF Marcus Thames were optioned to Columbus. LHP Randy Keisler was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. With no room in the starting rotation, Hernandez was sent to the bullpen. ... INF Ron Coomer, bothered by muscle spasms and a pinched nerve in his neck, was evaluated in New York. He is day-to-day. ... Manager Joe Torre said he isn't averse to picking middle relievers on his AL All-Star team, which enhances the chances of Orioles LHP Buddy Groom, who is 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA and one save. Groom, in his 11th season, has never made the All-Star team. "I'm aware of guys who aren't closers who are doing well,'' Torre said. "I like to pick guys for the first time. That's one of the perks.'' ... Torre is looking forward to the weekend series against the Mets at Yankee Stadium. But he's tired of the sometimes circus-like atmosphere that has surrounded the interleague series between Gotham's teams, most recently the hoopla surrounding whether RHP Roger Clemens would be hit by a pitch in retaliation for his past brushes with Mets C Mike Piazza. "I just hope this weekend is more about baseball,'' Torre said.

Baltimore: OF Jay Gibbons, a left-handed hitter, started in right field against Yankees LHP David Wells. Gibbons has played only sporadically against left-handers recently. ... C Geronimo Gil, who had started in four straight games, got a day off in 95-degree heat. He was replaced by Brook Fordyce. ... Marty Cordova was the DH despite being slowed by a sore heel. ... The Orioles were trying for their first three-game sweep of the Yankees since Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000, in the final series of the season. ... Since being claimed on waivers from Toronto on June 25, 2001, 3B Tony Batista has hit .265 with 29 homers and 88 RBI in 159 games with Baltimore.

Blue Jays at Devil Rays
Toronto: RF Raul Mondesi was back in the starting lineup and hit a solo homer. He did not play the previous two games after arriving late for a team meeting Tuesday. ... Manager Carlos Tosca said the status of SS Chris Woodward, who strained his right groin June 18, will be reviewed when the Blue Jays return home Friday. ... Tosca, who lives in nearby Valrico, has left between 30 and 40 tickets for each game of the series at Tampa Bay. "It's been very nice,'' he said. ... 3B Eric Hinske walked six times in the three-game series. ... RHP Scott Cassidy has retired 20 of his last 21 batters.

Tampa Bay: LF Greg Vaughn said he will have his injured right shoulder examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum when the Devil Rays play at Anaheim July 5-7. Vaughn was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. ... Manager Hal McRae believes the most competitive All-Star game is baseball's Midsummer classic. "There's no fear of injury,'' McRae said. "It's a team game. It's just like a regular game, but with All-Stars.'' McRae was a three-time All-Star. ... RHP Travis Harper tied a team record with five consecutive strikeouts. ... The Devil Rays took two of three from Toronto for their first home series win since May 10-12 against Baltimore.

Tigers at Royals
Detroit: The Tigers recalled RHP Brian Moehler from his rehabilitation assignment but will wait to activate him from the DL until a date is set for his return to the pitching staff. He is returning from shoulder surgery last July. ... RHP Danny Patterson will undergo right elbow reconstruction surgery Friday in Detroit and is expected to miss 12-to-18 months. ... The Tigers went 3-9 on a 12-game road trip.

Kansas City: Mike Sweeney has homered in three straight games. The last Royals player to hit a home run in four consecutive games was Sweeney, last June 28-July 1. ... The Royals have managed three three-game sweeps this season, all at home, where they are 17-18. They also swept Cleveland and Texas. ... Paul Byrd is 3-0 career against the Tigers.

Athletics at Mariners
Oakland: When the A's lost 1-0 to Seattle on Wednesday night, it was the fourth time they were shut out this season. They were blanked three times last season. ... The A's came in 13-3 in one-run games this season, the best winning percentage in the majors. ... The A's are 19-5 in June, with four of the losses coming to the Mariners. ... The A's have outhomered the Mariners 16-5 this season, but the Mariners lead the series 7-5.

Seattle: Edgar Martinez returned as the DH, the first time he was in the starting lineup since rupturing a tendon behind his left knee April 11. The Mariners used Martinez, 39, as a pinch-hitter on their recent road trip to NL cities, but he tore scar tissue in his left leg Thursday in Cincinnati and hadn't played since. Martinez underwent surgery April 13 to remove his ruptured tendon. ... The Mariners also had 2B Bret Boone back in the lineup after he missed three games because of inflammation behind his left knee. ... The Mariners activated reliever Jeff Nelson from the 15-day disabled list and optioned left-hander Mark Watson to Triple-A Tacoma. Nelson underwent surgery May 10 to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Reds at Cubs
Cincinnati: With Adam Dunn, Juan Encarnacion and Austin Kearns having great success, Reds manager Bob Boone is happy with his depth in the outfield. "It is important with this versatility of getting them all involved, but sometimes it is really tough,'' Boone said. "It is nice to know that I can give Encarnacion a day off in the kind of heat he has played in the last two days.'' ... Aaron Boone, normally the Reds' third baseman, made his first career start at shortstop in place of Barry Larkin, who left Wednesday's game in the fifth inning after getting muscle spasms in the right side of his neck and upper shoulder.

Chicago: The Cubs placed RHP Jason Bere on the 15-day disabled list with a severe contusion to his right knee and recalled RHP Francis Beltran from Double-A West Tenn. ... Bere, 1-9 with a 5.18 ERA, has also been battling a sore groin muscle. "I did feel the groin yesterday,'' he said. "If I'm going to miss one then I should take my time and get it completely healed.'' ... After homering Wednesday, Cubs catcher Todd Hundley made an obscene gesture with his finger toward the Reds dugout before he circled the bases. It wasn't clear if the gesture was directed at the Reds or fans in the stands. But Hundley said after Thursday's game that it was directed at the fans that were heckling him. Hundley has been booed routinely by Cubs fans throughout the season. "It was a couple of guys giving me a hard time and it was the wrong thing for me to do,'' Hundley said. "I lost my head for a little bit. I apologize.'' ... The Cubs finished their first half at home with a 16-23 record at Wrigley Field.

Expos at Pirates
Montreal: Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Vidro are the first Expos teammates to have hitting streaks of 20 games or longer in the same season. Guerrero ran his current streak to 20 with a first-inning single Thursday in Pittsburgh. Vidro had a 21-game streak from May 4-27. ... Montreal, 11-4 against AL teams, finishes interleague play this weekend in Toronto. Oakland (14-1) has the best interleague record, while Montreal and Los Angeles (11-4) are second in the NL in interleague victories behind Atlanta (12/3). Montreal was 8-10 against the AL last season. ... Expos manager Frank Robinson will be an All-Star coach again for the second time in his career, and the first time in 26 years. He was selected Thursday as an NL coach by Arizona manager Bob Brenly, the NL manager. He also was a coach in 1976, when he managed Cleveland. Robinson played in 11 All-Star Games and was the MVP in 1971 in Detroit.

Pittsburgh: Ryan Vogelsong, recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, will pitch Friday at the Pirates' spring training complex in Bradenton, Fla. ... The Pirates missed a chance to sweep Montreal in Pittsburgh for the first time since a three-game series May 14-16, 1999, at Three Rivers Stadium. ... The Pirates are 2-7 during a stretch that finds them playing 16 of 19 at PNC Park until the All-Star break. ... The Pirates had gone a season-high seven straight home games without a rain delay before play was stopped for one hour, 37 minutes in the third inning Thursday and another 50 minutes before the game was called in the seventh. The Pirates are setting an unofficial club record for delays in a season, with 16 delays (14 at home) for a total of 19 hours, 52 minutes. The home delays have totaled 16 hours, 14 minutes. ... The Pirates are 14-11 in day games. ... Manager Lloyd McClendon said before Thursday's game that 2B Pokey Reese was only getting a day off, then said afterward that Reese had a hyperextended shoulder and sore thigh. McClendon didn't pinch-hit for P Sean Lowe in the sixth because he wanted to save his only healthy bench player, Craig Wilson, the emergency catcher. C Keith Osik (cramping in his right side) was already out of the game.

Phillies at Marlins
Philadelphia: Phillies pitchers walked 10 batters in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Florida. In the last two games, 19 batters have been walked, three intentionally. It is the most in a two-game stretch since April 9-10, 1991, when they walked 21. Three of those were intentional as well. ... The Phillies open a three-game series at Baltimore on Friday with Randy Wolf on the mound. Wolf (3-6) hasn't won in his last five starts, but is 2-0 against the Orioles.

Florida: Brad Penny threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class A Jupiter, allowing three hits. ... 42-year-old Tim Raines gets his first start, replacing Kevin Millar in left field. Millar was hit on the left forearm by pitcher David Coggin in the sixth inning Wednesday night and is day to day. ... OF Preston Wilson is nursing a sore right hamstring and is day to day. The Marlins want Wilson, who hurt the hamstring in Minnesota to rest before playing on artificial turf in Tampa this weekend. ... Michael Tejera could be the odd man out in the Marlins rotation and go back to the bullpen after Penny returns July 2 and Josh Beckett returns on July 16. Tejera has won two of his last three starts with a 1.00 ERA. He also hit a home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over Philadelphia.

Braves at Mets
Atlanta: OF Gary Sheffield was caught using an illegal elbow pad in the series and the Braves will likely be fined by the commissioner's office. Sheffield's pad exceeded the 10-inch limit players are allowed unless they have a preexisting injury. "It's the most amateurish thing I've ever heard,'' said Sheffield, homered with a pad that appeared smaller Thursday before the game was rained out. "I've never heard anything like it. It makes no sense.'' ... RHP Albie Lopez was placed on the DL with tendinitis in his right shoulder and RHP Tim Spooneybarger was recalled from Triple-A Richmond. ... The Braves have outscored opponents 47-23 in the first inning this season.

New York: RHP Mark Corey had a seizure late Wednesday night and was placed on the DL while doctors conduct tests to determine the cause. "They don't think he's in any danger or jeopardy,'' GM Steve Phillips said. "They want to run some tests so they can come to a conclusion on the cause.'' ... The Mets recalled LHP Jaime Cerda from Triple-A Norfolk to take Corey's place. ... C Mike Piazza didn't start because of a bruised right foot. he is day to day. ... Without the excitement of Roger Clemens batting at Shea Stadium, this weekend's Subway Series doesn't have quite the buildup as the one two weeks ago. "I haven't thought about it,'' 1B Mo Vaughn said. "We have a game to win today.''

Diamondbacks at Astros
Arizona: Curt Schilling's wife, Shonda, gave birth to their fourth child Thursday, a boy named Garrison Michael. Curt had flown back Wednesday from St. Louis after attending the Darryl Kile memorial service to be with her in Phoenix. He will return to the team in Cleveland Friday and is scheduled to pitch Sunday. ... Matt Williams, on the disabled list since March 22 with a broken fibula, had a rehab start in Triple A Tucson Wednesday and went 0-for-2 against New Orleans. He's not expected back with the Diamondbacks until after the All-Star break.

Houston: Ricky Stone leads all major league rookies in relief appearances with 39 and in ERA at 1.99. Stone also leads the Astros in appearances and his ERA is the team best among those with 10 or more appearances. ... Houston is 2/39 in games in which it trails after the eighth inning. The Astros are 5-33 in games they trail after six innings.

Padres at Giants
San Diego: The Padres scored five runs in the first inning Thursday, the most they'd scored in the first since scoring four against Arizona on July 19, 2001. ... Backup C Wiki Gonzalez, who left Tuesday's game in the seventh inning with a mild left hamstring strain, was not in the lineup on Thursday. Tom Lampkin got the start. ... Eugene Kingsale was the first Padre to homer at Pacific Bell Park in five games this season. ... OF Mark Kotsay has driven in at least one run in seven of the last 10 games. ... The Padres, at 8-16 for June, will have to win two of their final three games to avoid finishing the month with fewer than 10 wins for the first time since 1986.

San Francisco: Manager Dusty Baker tweaked his lineup, batting Jeff Kent third and Barry Bonds fourth. Before the game, Baker said the flip came to him at 5 a.m. this morning, and he woke up to write it down. ... The Giants signed top draft pick Matthew Cain, a right-handed pitcher out of Houston High School in Germantown, Tenn. Cain, who was 7-3 with a 1.02 ERA in 13 games his senior season, was the 25th overall pick in the draft. Terms were not disclosed. ... The Giants committed three errors Thursday for the second straight game. ... Rich Aurilia, who hadn't had a hit in his last three games, was 3-for-5 Thursday with an RBI. ... Reggie Sanders has hit safely in 34 of his last 44 games, batting .281 with 31 RBI.

Brewers at Cardinals
Milwaukee: Richie Sexson has been in the cleanup slot all but one of the Brewers' first 78 games. Matt Stairs hit fourth once. ... Sexson has hit 14 home runs against the Cardinals, more than against any other team. ... RHP Jose Cabrera makes his first career road start Friday at Minnesota. He's 0-3 in 17 relief appearances on the road. ... C Marcus Jensen accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis and was to join the team Thursday in Durham, N.C. ... RHP Luis Vizcaino has allowed only two of 15 inherited runners to score.

St. Louis: Jim Edmonds is taking over Kile's Kids, the charitable program run by the pitcher in which disadvantaged kids got tickets and got to chat with players in the dugout. "There are a lot of things he was involved with that I don't think should suffer because of the tragic situation,'' Edmonds said. "I want to be sure to keep that going.'' ... Left-handed batters J.D. Drew, Jim Edmonds and Tino Martinez were out of the lineup against RHP Ruben Quevedo. Drew has a sore knee and Edmonds was removed in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game with nagging pain in the sprained wrist that landed him on the disabled list earlier this month. Martinez was batting .233 and was 1-for-6 in the first two games of the series.

Rockies at Dodgers
Colorado: Manager Clint Hurdle is incredulous at the absence of RF and three-time batting champ Larry Walker from the top 15 outfielders in the All-Star fan balloting. Walker entered Thursday third in the league with a .338 average, and first in the majors with 10 outfield assists. "It's a nice opportunity for the fans to become involved, but when Larry Walker's not one of the top 15 vote-getters in the outfield -- and Armando Rios is still ahead of Shawn Green, that's when it becomes a little ludicrous,'' Hurdle said. ... LHP Denny Neagle went into Thursday night's start winless 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in his previous four outings. "Denny's kept us in every game. It's just that he's gotten in trouble a couple of times in the seventh inning,'' pitching coach Jim Wright said. "He's had problems getting through the order the third time around. When I came here, the thing about Denny was that he was always a high-count pitcher through five or six innings, and our goal has been to get his pitch count down -- which he's done. He competes out there, but sometimes he loses his focus by trying to do add something to his pitches the third time in the order.''

Los Angeles: Manager Jim Tracy confirmed Thursday that he has been selected as one of Bob Brenly's coaches for the All-Star Game, although it won't officially be announced until Sunday with the rosters. "I found out a few days ago and was asked to keep it quiet, which I was more than happy to do,'' Tracy said. "I'm flattered to have the opportunity and I'm grateful. But I am very much of the opinion that the reason I'm getting the opportunity to go is because of these guys that I manage every day. It's that simple. And I really hope there's a few guys on this team who are going with me. That's very important to me.'' ... RF Shawn Green, who set a Dodgers franchise record last season with 49 home runs, had 21 homers in 33 games entering Thursday. But he was only 14th in the fan balloting among outfielders. "It's one of two things -- either we're not casting enough (ballots) here, or they're not staying up late enough on the east coast,'' Tracy said. "To do what he's done to this point, there's no way you can leave him off that team.'' ... RHP Kevin Brown is on step two of his five-step trunk stabilization program, which has to be completed before his throwing program starts.