SATURDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Aaron Sele All he did was put the brakes on the runaway Dodgers, who entered the day tied for the best record in baseball. IP R H SO 9 0 3 5 Hero of the day Ron Gant robbed the Royals of a home run, then hit a grand slam in the top of the 10th inning to give the Padres an 8-4 victory Saturday. Goat of the day Albert Pujols of the Cardinals dropped a routine popup in the seventh inning, allowing the Reds to score the go-ahead run in their 4-2 victory. Injury report Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew missed his third straight start with tendinitis in his right knee. St. Louis trainer Trainer Barry Weinberg said Drew might play Sunday. Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz sprained his left ankle in the seventh inning after hitting a single and was forced to leave the game. He is day-to-day. Marlins outfielder Kevin Millar left in the sixth after fouling a pitch off his left knee. Yankees catcher Jorge Posada left in the seventh with bruising in his left knee while fouling off a pitch. He expects to play Sunday night. The Yankees already had just 23 players available because OF Shane Spencer and INF Ron Coomer are nursing injuries. A ball ricocheted off the face mask of home plate umpire Ed Rapuano in the bottom of the third. White Sox trainer Herm Schneider checked Rapuano out, and he stayed in the game. Giants first baseman J.T. Snow wasn't in the lineup Saturday after leaving Friday night's game in the sixth inning with a sprained big toe on his left foot. He was listed as day-to-day. Jermaine Dye made his first appearance in left field since June 19. He was the A's DH while he nursed tightness in his right hamstring. Houston catcher Gregg Zaun was knocked to his knees after being conked on the top of the head by Juan Gonzalez's bat at the end of the second inning. Gonzalez was following through on a strikeout and Zaun was popping up because Ivan Rodriguez was stealing second. Texas RHP Rudy Seanez, who has been on the disabled list with shoulder problems, has a herniated disc in his back and will have surgery Tuesday. He'll be out 6-to-8 weeks. Rockies 1B Todd Helton missed his second straight game with a strained back and is day-to-day. Streak of the day Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney homered for the fifth straight game -- setting a club record -- but the Royals lost to the Padres. Jim Thome, meanwhile, went deep in his fourth straight game for the Indians. The major league record is eight. Stat of the day The Red Sox might be one of baseball's best teams, but they have problems playing against the national league. Boston's batting average in 17 interleague games is .221 as they fell to 5-12 with a 2-1 loss to the Braves. The last word "I was very surprised myself. I never thought that I could hit a home run to the opposite side at the major league level, so I guess everyone got surprised, too.'' -- Ichiro Suzuki, on his leadoff home run during the Mariners' 8-1 win over the Rockies.

INTERLEAGUE
Braves at Red Sox
Atlanta: Kevin Millwood is just 2-0 in his last six starts, but the Braves have won all six games. ... Darren Bragg scored three runs in the first two games of the series. Of his 16 runs this year, 10 are in interleague play. ... Of Atlanta's six hits, three were for extra bases -- a homer by Gary Sheffield and doubles by Bragg and Rafael Furcal. ... Manager Bobby Cox came out of the dugout to argue an out call on Furcal at home. Furcal crossed the plate on Bragg's double before C Jason Varitek could tag him. And when Varitek did tag him, umpire Paul Emmel called Furcal out for missing the plate. "It wouldn't have done any good to slide because Varitek had the whole plate covered,'' Cox said, "And he (Furcal) didn't miss home plate.'' ... The Braves stranded just four runners after leaving 14 on base in Friday's 4-2 win. Boston: Manny Ramirez is showing signs of getting his stroke back after going 3-for-30 on a rehab assignment and 2-for-11 in three games with the Red Sox after missing more than six weeks with a broken finger. He went 2-for-4 Saturday and drove in Boston's only run. But he grounded into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. ... Leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson, making his first start in four games, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a double play. ... Derek Lowe walked two batters or less for the 13th time in 19 starts this season and gave up two earned runs or less for the 15th time. ... Boston has just 20 hits in its last three games, and five of them came in one inning. It has gone hitless in 14 of the 26 innings.

Expos at Blue Jays
Montreal: Manager Frank Robinson was surprised GM Omar Minaya was able to acquire ace Bartolo Colon from the Cleveland Indians. "I just didn't think we could get a No. 1 pitcher that quickly and I didn't think it would be him,'' Robinson said. "It makes us a much better ballclub than we were before. I think we match up with the best teams in the league now.'' Colon highlights an impressive starting rotation that includes Javier Vazquez, Tomo Ohka, Tony Armas Jr. and Masato Yoshii. "I think we have four or five starting pitchers that can go at least seven innings,'' Robinson said. ... Yoshii has allowed just one run in his last three starts. ... Montreal lost for the first time in five meetings with the Blue Jays this season. Toronto: Saturday's 5-2 victory gives the Blue Jays their first winning month of the season. Toronto is 14-12 in June. ... The Blue Jays have won just 13 of their last 31 at SkyDome. ... Reliever Scott Cassidy has retired 26 of the last 27 batters he's faced. ... Seventeen of RF Raul Mondesi's last 28 hits have been for extra bases. ... INF Dave Berg ended a 0-for-17 streak with a single in the sixth.

Diamondbacks at Indians
Arizona: Sit down with Diamondbacks OF Luis Gonzalez and he'll give you his opinion on baseball's labor troubles, the Indians trading ace Bartolo Colon, and Pete Rose. "I hate all this strike talk,'' Gonzalez said. "Let's just lock one guy from each side in a room, let them settle it and when they come out -- we all agree.'' Cleveland's decision to trade Colon reminded him of what happened to the Cincinnati Reds in the late 1970s. "I hate to see teams broken up,'' he said. "I grew up a huge fans for the "Big Red Machine'' and was devastated when they got rid of Pete Rose, Tony Perez, and all those guys.'' As for Rose: "I'm still crushed by his situation,'' Gonzalez said. "I still want to see him in the Hall of Fame. He's baseball.'' ... 3B Matt Williams, out all season since breaking his leg during spring training, is expected to rejoin the Diamondbacks for their first series after the All-Star break in Los Angeles. Williams is scheduled to report to Class A Lancaster on Thursday. ... Manager Bob Brenly said major league baseball has told him Colon, who was traded to the Expos and won't make his first NL start until Tuesday, is eligible for the All-Star team. Cleveland: 2B Ricky Gutierrez will not be activated from the 15-day disabled list as expected. Gutierrez, who has been out since June 16 with a strained groin, will likely play a few games at Triple-A Buffalo before rejoining the Indians. Gutierrez has been a major disappointment to the Indians this season. He was batting .248 when he got hurt, and has grounded into 11 double plays. "I'm hoping I can come back and really go after it,'' Gutierrez said. "I have to forget about the first two months.'' ... The Indians held a "garage'' sale for charity outside Jacobs Field on Saturday where they sold authentic autographed jerseys, bats, game balls and other items that have been collected since the ballpark opened in 1994. Fans could bid on big-ticket items on autographed jerseys of various players, but not Jim Thome. The popular first baseman's collectibles fetch bigger money at the club's other fund raisers. ... The Indians signed INF Pat Osborn, their "sandwich'' second-round from the University of Florida. He hit .414 with 17 homers and 76 RBI for the Gators this spring.

Mets at Yankees
Mets: LHP Al Leiter improved to 6-8 lifetime at Yankee Stadium. "That's a tough lineup. They're probably going to break the single-season record for home runs by a team,'' said Leiter, a former Yankee. "With the big lead it should have been a lot easier, but it wasn't. You know at Yankee Stadium that a couple of singles and a home run and they are right back in the game.''... 2B Roberto Alomar was given the day off and replaced by John Valentin. "Only Cal Ripken can play every day,'' Alomar said. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Roger Cedeno's straight steal of home was the first by the Mets since Tommie Agee did it July 31, 1971, against the Chicago Cubs. "You just try to get there before the ball gets there. You don't even look,'' Cedeno said. ... RHP Grant Roberts, on the DL with a strained rotator cuff, threw a hitless inning in a rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Friday night. Assistant GM Jim Duquette said Roberts could be activated for Sunday night's game against the Yankees. If not, then Monday. ... The Mets have hit nine homers in their last three games. Yankees: LHP Sterling Hitchcock, placed on the 15-day DL Friday night, had an MRI that confirmed a sprained lower back with inflammation. ... OF Shane Spencer, nursing a sprained left wrist, received a cortisone shot and is day to day. ... INF Ron Coomer, bothered by muscle spasms and a pinched nerve in his neck, took two cortisone shots and said he felt better. He might be available to play Sunday night. ... The Yankees are 10-7 in interleague play this season.

Pirates at Tigers
Pittsburgh: For Negro League Day, the Pirates wore the grey-and-red uniforms of the Pittsburgh Crawfords against the pale yellow of the Detroit Stars. In previous years, the Pirates have worn Homestead Grays uniforms. ... Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said 3B Aramis Ramirez will continue to play despite a nagging ankle injury. "He has a chance to be a great player in this league,'' McClendon said. "So I have to show him that superstars have to be able to play with soreness.'' ... The Pirates are the only team in the NL without a grand slam this season. Detroit: RHP Oscar Henriquez was purchased from Triple-A Toledo before the game, returning to the majors for the first time since he was with the Marlins in 1998. "It's taken me a long time to get back here,'' he said. "I just want a chance to put some numbers on the board and show that I can pitch in the majors.'' ... The Tigers hoped OF Bobby Higginson (hamstring) would return before the All-Star break, but now expect him to come back in mid-July. ... 2B Damion Easley moved from the bottom of the batting order to second against lefty Joe Beimel. "We moved him up because he is hitting .300 on the nose against lefties this year,'' said Tigers manager Luis Pujols. Easley is 3-for-10 against left-handers, but hitting just .143 against righties.

Phillies at Orioles
Philadelphia: Through Friday, the Phillies had nine wins in their last 11 road games. Overall they were just 14-24 on the road. ... RHP Robert Person (2-4) makes his fourth attempt at career win No. 50 on Sunday. ... OF Pat Burrell's 19 homers entering Saturday were the most by a Phillie at this point of the season since Mike Schmidt's 20 in 1980. Last year, Burrell hit just nine homers before the All-Star break ... OF Doug Glanville has 17 walks, two shy of his 2001 total. ... Since his average was a season-low .250 on May 12, OF Bobby Abreu had hit .353, raising his overall mark to .310. Baltimore: 1B Jeff Conine is unlikely to be activated from the 15-day DL Sunday, when he is eligible to return from a strained right hamstring. He has run in the outfield before the last two games, but it is possible that the Orioles will hold off until after the All-Star break to activate him. "If he's ready before then, we'll activate him,'' manager Mike Hargrove said. "But the three days of doing nothing are enticing. I wouldn't be real surprised if we wait, to tell you the truth.'' ... 2B Brian Roberts, who has missed the last two games with cramps in his left leg, returned to the starting lineup Saturday night. ... SS Mike Bordick's errorless streak reached a career-high 60 games Friday night. He went 59 games without an error for Oakland in 1983.

Astros at Rangers
Houston: The Astros have a familiar face in the clubhouse. RHP Dave Mlicki, who has been on the DL since May 26 with a strained rib muscle, is with the team for this three-city, 10-game road trip. He's finished with his long-toss sessions and will have his first bullpen session Sunday. ... Orlando Merced would certainly be Houston's representative on an all-interleague team. He was hitting .478 (11-for-23) with four homers and nine RBI through 10 games. Three of his homers came on consecutive interleague at-bats: two Sunday against Seattle, then another Friday against Texas. Texas: RHP Rudy Seanez, who has been on the DL with shoulder problems, has a herniated disc in his back and will have surgery Tuesday. Seanez had been on a rehab assignment when he felt the pain. He'll be out 6-to-8 weeks, making him a candidate for the 60-day DL. Such a move would help open a spot on the 40-man roster. ... LHP Kenny Rogers is scheduled to start Tuesday against Tampa Bay. He was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday because of back stiffness. ... With another bad outing Sunday, RHP Chan Ho Park has the highest ERA of all AL qualifiers at 8.12. He's given up 46 earned runs in 51 innings.

Marlins at Devil Rays
Florida: Manager Jeff Torborg has no doubt SS Luis Castillo, who had a 35-game hitting streak earlier this season, should be an All-Star. "When you realize what he's done for our team,'' Torborg said. "He's our leadoff hitter. Makes things happen. Made history.'' Torborg said before the game he hasn't been contacted by NL manager Bob Brenly about potential Florida All-Stars. ... Torborg believes C Charles Johnson, who sprained a left thumb ligament early in spring training, is coming around offensively. "Slowly but surely, it's getting there,'' Torborg said. ... Andy Fox was replaced at short by Homer Bush after starting the previous 37 games in place of the injured Alex Gonzalez (dislocated left shoulder). ... LHP Oswaldo Mairena (strained abdominal muscle) could be activated from the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Tampa Bay: Manager Hal McRae has not been contacted by AL All-Star manager Joe Torre. "He doesn't need my help,'' McRae said. If asked for a Devil Rays' representative, McRae said he would pick CF Randy Winn. ... After a 4-for-42 stretch, 3B Jared Sandberg started the day hitting .323 (21-65) since May 30. "Maybe some speed bumps here and there, but confidence is building,'' said the nephew of former Chicago Cubs star Ryne Sandberg. ... RHP Ryan Rupe (right knee tendinitis) threw off a bullpen mound. He is eligible to return from the 15-day DL July 5. ... The ball hit by Florida DH Kevin Millar, that got stuck Friday on an overhanging catwalk for a double, will be auctioned online with proceeds going to the Devil Rays' charitable foundation.

Cubs at White Sox
Cubs: Moises Alou, who has struggled since joining the Cubs in the offseason, raised his average to .247 with his 4-for-4 outing Saturday. The four hits match his career high. "He's coming around right now,'' Cubs manager Don Baylor said. "That was the best he's swung all year. He's getting locked into a nice comfort zone. We need some other guys to do the same.'' ... Rookie Mark Prior has been hurt by high pitch counts, with his longest outing only seven innings. He lasted five Saturday, throwing 112 pitches, and hasn't gotten a decision in four starts. Asked if he was worried, Prior said he wasn't. "It's just one of those days,'' he said. "I had control of it in the beginning, then I just lost it.'' ... With Jason Bere on the DL with a bruised knee, Carlos Zambrano will start Monday for the Cubs. Zambrano is 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA. He made one start last season. ... The Cubs' five-game losing streak is their longed. "And I'm not saying this because it's the right thing to say. I really feel that.'' White Sox: Frank Thomas' homer was his 14th of the year and first since June 11. It's not been a typical season for the two-time AL MVP -- he's hitting .252 -- but he's adjusting. "I'm not going to say I'm having a horrible year,'' said Thomas, who missed all last year with a torn triceps. "I'm not having a gargantuan year, but I'm doing some good things -- driving in runs at key times. They're not handing anything to me anymore. They're making me work.'' ... When Thomas does homer, they're usually impressive shots. "I don't know too many guys who can hit line drives like that that you think are going to be singles and they just clear the fence,'' Baylor said. "He's a pretty strong man.'' ... Reliever Antonio Osuna has had a big weekend. Not only did he get his fourth save Saturday, his wife gave birth to a son, Yorvitt, on Friday.

Brewers at Twins
Milwaukee: Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, whose daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb runs the Brewers, was not at the Metrodome for Friday's games against the Twins. The commissioner was the focus of a number of vocal Minnesota fans in Milwaukee two weeks ago during the Twins-Brewers series because of the contraction issue. Twins officials say they don't expect Selig or his daughter to attend any games this weekend. ... Brewers third-baseman Tyler Houston is batting .484 (31-for-64) with a .521 on-base percentage and a .797 slugging percentage in June. ... Tickets are still available for All-Star Sunday in Milwaukee on July 7th, which includes the U.S. versus World Futures Game and the Celebrity Softball game, and the Home Run Derby. Minnesota: Clyde Gardenhire's funeral was Saturday afternoon in Okmulgee, Okla. His son, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, will rejoin the team for Monday's game in Oakland. ... A.J. Pierzynski, who homered Friday night against Milwaukee, ranks first or second among all regular American League catchers in nearly every offensive category. He is first in batting average, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and triples. The Twins catcher is second in doubles, runs scored, extra-base hits and total bases. ... Through 80 games last season, the Twins were 49-31 -- four games ahead of this year's pace. ... Twins great and Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew turned 66-years-old Saturday.

Padres at Royals
San Diego: When they lost 14-10 to the Royals on Friday night after scoring five runs in the first inning, the Padres became the first team in modern major league history to post back-to-back losses after plating five in the first. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 1884 Philadelphia Keystones and 1883 Chicago Colts also did it. It was also the 11th time in club history the Padres scored 10 runs and still lost. Toronto is now the only major league club the Padres have never faced. Kansas City: The Royals designated for assignment RHP Mac Suzuki and purchased the contract of infielder Mike Caruso from Triple-A Omaha. In 21 innings, Suzuki had given up 21 earned runs. ... RHP Jeremy Affledt threw a simulated game Saturday and said he felt no pain in the finger that put him on the DL. He will throw again Monday in Seattle and then report to Double-A Wichita for two rehab starts on July 4 and 9. 2B Carlos Febles missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury.

Giants at Athletics
San Francisco: Giants manager Dusty Baker joked that his son is a big fan of Athletics SS Miguel Tejada -- to the point of imitating the drummers at the Coliseum who have a special Tejada chant. "My son was playing his little drum singing `Tejada!','' Baker said. "Boom, boom, boom, Tejada! All night long.'' ... 2B Jeff Kent says he likes the Oakland Coliseum for offense more than Pacific Bell Park. "Better weather, less windy,'' he said. ... 1B J.T. Snow wasn't in the lineup Saturday after leaving Friday night's game in the sixth inning with a sprained big toe on his left foot. He was listed as day-to-day. Damon Minor was at first Saturday. ... Kent has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games. Oakland: The A's are a major league-best 15-2 in interleague play, with their only two losses coming against the Giants. ... There were 53,501 fans at the game between the A's and the Giants on Saturday -- the third-largest baseball crowd in Coliseum history. ... The A's made four errors for the second straight game. "We can't seem to make the plays right now,'' Oakland manager Art Howe said. "Up to now the defense has been pretty good, but four errors in back-to-back games is something that concerns me.'' ... The A's won two of three at Pacific Bell Park in the season's first series between the interleague rivals. ... Jermaine Dye made his first appearance in left field since June 19. He was the A's DH while he nursed tightness in his right hamstring.

Rockies at Mariners
Colorado: 1B Todd Helton missed his second straight game with a strained back. Helton said it hurts to swing, and he didn't take batting practice Saturday. He said he will try hitting again Sunday before the last game of the three-game series. Trainer Tom Probst said X-rays on Helton's back were negative, showing no spinal abnormalities. He has a soft tissue injury on the right side in the middle of his back. ... LHP Todd Belitz will have surgery next week on his injured left knee and will be sidelined four to five months. ... Colorado is hitting .262 against lefties and .275 versus right-handers. ... Manager Clint Hurdle said the Rockies will consider adding another LHP in the bullpen and maybe two. ... Colorado needs to continue to make little strides to improve, and work on one aspect of that at a time. "We've talked about not quitting,'' he said. "Your goal would always be to make the playoffs. But we've got to be realistic. A lot of good things have to happen for us to be in contention.'' ... The Rockies are 1-6 on the road in interleague play after Friday's 6-2 loss. Since interleague play began in 1997, they are 9-30 away from Coors Field. Seattle: RHP Paul Abbott was resting at his home a day after surgery on his throwing shoulder. He will be able to start doing motion exercises in three to four weeks. Minor league LHP Matt Thornton also had surgery Friday, to repair ligaments in his left elbow area. ... Manager Lou Piniella expects three or four Mariners to make the All-Star game. He said RHP Freddy Garcia, RF Ichiro Suzuki and closer Kazuhiro Sasaki should be locks and he's hoping for one more. The Mariners had eight representatives in the 2001 game played at Safeco Field. ... Seattle is hitting .277 in its current 14-game homestand after coming into the homestand batting just .249 at Safeco Field this season.

Dodgers at Angels
Los Angeles: Head trainer Stan Johnston said backup C Chad Kreuter should be ready to come off the 15-day DL when the Dodgers return from the All-Star break on July 11 for a four-game home series against Arizona. Kreuter has been sidelined since last Sunday, when he injured himself sliding into second base. "If it's not taken care of properly, he could lose his foot. So that's why we're being cautious over it,'' Johnston said. "He broke a blood vessel, which caused a lot of bleeding in the tissues of his lower leg and spread into his knee. If he hit that area again, he would have a chance of having a `compartment syndrome,' which would require surgery.'' ... Andy Ashby has allowed 10 earned runs in his last two starts after giving up only 11 in his previous seven outings. ... Darren Dreifort pitched early batting practice for the second time since his elbow surgery last July 9, throwing 31 pitches after throwing an additional 30 in the bullpen. "I got whacked around a little bit more today, but I felt better,'' Dreifort said. "It's like spring training -- you throw in the bullpen, then throw to hitters and get your work done. My arm strength is there, it's just a matter my arm getting used to just throwing a ball with max effort off the mound.'' Anaheim: Trainer Ned Bergert, in his 24th season with the Angels, will be a member of the AL All-Star staff for the second time. He also worked the 1992 game at San Diego. ... RF Tim Salmon, the Angels career home run leader, is resigned to the fact that he will not make the All-Star team for the 11th straight year. "At this point of my career, I'm just happy to be playing decent again. The All-Star Game was never a thought,'' said Salmon, who was the 1993 AL Rookie of the Year and averaged 30 homers and 99 RBI over his first five big league seasons. ... INF Benji Gil, trying to make up for lost time with an aggressive approach at the plate after spending the first two months on the DL, has not drawn a walk in 57 plate appearances this season. Before that, he averaged a walk for every 16.05 plate appearances. ... The Angels, who gained 9½ games on AL West-leading Seattle in a span of 6½ weeks and closed to within one game on June 7, still haven't been alone in first place since Aug. 15, 1997. They entered Saturday 4½ games out -- their largest deficit since May 18.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Reds at Cardinals
Cincinnati: OF Reggie Taylor, caught trying to steal third in the ninth inning on Friday while running on his own, was out of the lineup Saturday. ... SS Barry Larkin sat for the third straight game with spasms in his right upper shoulder and neck and Aaron Boone made his third career start at that position. ... A lack of clutch hitting is a big reason for the Reds' slide from first place. In the last 14 games, they were batting .117 (12-for-103) with runners in scoring position, going 5-9. ... Ken Griffey Jr., on the disabled list for the second time this year, has missed 129 starts the last two seasons. ... Adam Dunn has 66 walks and is on pace to draw 137 walks, which would break the team record of 132 by Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. ... RHP Luis Pineda makes his second career start Sunday in the series finale against the Cardinals. He became the first Reds pitcher since Larry Luebbers in 1993 to win his debut, beating the Cubs with five scoreless innings. St. Louis: Tino Martinez made no concessions to an infield shift that had Reds SS Aaron Boone behind second base on Friday night, pulling the ball every at-bat. Martinez said a few teams have tried the shift this year. "It doesn't bother me at all,'' he said. "I'm not going to change my game.'' Manager Tony La Russa would like Martinez, who was batting .229, to hit the ball the other way more. "As a general rule, the more you use the whole field, the tougher you are to defend against,'' La Russa said. ... Closer Jason Isringhausen had worked in four consecutive games before Saturday night's game. He said he once worked in eight of 10 days while with Oakland. "No big deal,'' Isringhausen said. "Usually, the more I throw the tireder I get and the better I get, because I don't try to do too much.'' ... C Mike Matheny, who threw out Reggie Taylor trying to steal third in the ninth Friday, has caught only 12 of 37 this year.