WEDNESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Greg Maddux Hasn't lost a game since April 30 in leading Braves to MLB's best record. IP H R ERA 7 6 0 2.59 Hero of the day Ken Huckaby of the Blue Jays parlayed a Gary Matthews Jr. misplay into an inside-the-park home run, standing up, no less. It was the first inside-the-park homer by a Toronto catcher. Goat of the day The Reds traded for Ryan Dempster hoping for an ace. So far, they've gotten two poor starts. Since being dealt by Florida, Dempster has yielded 13 hits and 12 runs in 9 2/3 innings. Ouch. Injury report The Devil Rays placed LHP Wilson Alvarez on the 15-day disabled list because of left elbow tendinitis. If he returns this season, he'll work out of the bullpen instead of rejoining the rotation. Angels C Bengie Molina was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Molina pulled up awkwardly near home plate to avoid a collision with Royals catcher Brent Mayne earlier this week. The Reds put RHP Joey Hamilton on 15-day DL with a strained hamstring. Royals 1B Mike Sweeney missed his fifth straight game with stiffness in his back and 3B Joe Randa was out with a sore elbow. X-rays on Brewers CF Jeffrey Hammonds' left ankle revealed no breaks, and he's day to day. Hammonds fouled a ball off the ankle Tuesday night and it swelled up after he ran the bases. D-Backs 1B Greg Colbrunn left after the top of the second inning against the Rockies with a strained right Achilles tendon. Streak of the day The Rangers have homered in 20 straight games, a team record and five short of the major league record, with 41 homers by 10 different players. Stat of the day The Diamondbacks' Curt Schilling, who won his MLB-leading 16th game of the season, has won 10 straight decisions on the road. The last word "I just lost it, man. But that's not me. I wish I could take it back. I'm sorry it happened. I hate that I did it.'' -- Torii Hunter of the Twins, who was hit by a pitch, then recovered the ball and heaved it at Cleveland pitcher Danys Baez's leg.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Orioles at Blue Jays
Baltimore: The Orioles recalled outfielder Luis Matos from the minors. The move comes a day after the Orioles placed shortstop Mike Bordick on the 15-day disabled list with a hairline fracture of his right kneecap. Matos has spent parts of the last two last two seasons with the Orioles, hitting .221 in 103 games. He hit .277 with four home runs and 12 RBI with Double-A Bowie. "I don't know how much he'll play,'' manager Mike Hargrove said. Melvin Mora, who usually plays the outfield, started at shortstop on Wednesday. Mora made an error in the second inning. Hargrove said third baseman Tony Batista also might see some time at short. "Tony proved in the last two weeks of last season that he's still a pretty good shortstop,'' Hargrove said. Toronto: Manager Carlos Tosca said he hoped Jose Cruz Jr., who hasn't played since leaving Saturday's game with a strained left hamstring, will return to the lineup on Thursday. Tosca said Cruz was available to pinch-hit on Wednesday. ... Tosca hoped starter Roy Halladay would pitch deep into the game because the bullpen has been over worked lately. ... 1B Carlos Delgado returned to 1B after DHing on Tuesday because of a sore left knee.

Tigers at Yankees
Detroit: OF Wendell Magee was in the lineup, playing in center and batting seventh. Magee, formerly the Tigers' regular center fielder, was supplanted there by George Lombard, who came to Detroit in a trade with Atlanta on June 19. Lombard is hitting .324. ... All-Star RF Rob Fick had his ninth outfield assist in Monday's game against the Red Sox. He is tied atop the AL with fellow All-Star Randy Winn of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. ... The Tigers didn't have a left-handed reliever available. ... Detroit's first two hits of the game never left the infield. OF Bobby Higginson's ticked off Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte's glove in the first, and Pettitte and C Jorge Posada ran into each other on 1B Carlos Pena's chopper in front of plate in second. New York: RHP Roger Clemens continues to target a late July return from a right groin strain. He threw from his knee for the second straight day at the Yankees' minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday as part of a light rehab program. He plans to "intensify'' his workouts Friday. "It's just to make sure he doesn't lose the arm'' strength, manager Joe Torre said. Clemens was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 13, one day after he re-aggravated his strained right groin while pitching against Cleveland. He expects to be ready when eligible to be activated on July 28. ... Left-hander Sterling Hitchcock threw 50 pitches in the bullpen at Tampa and reported no problems Wednesday after his second bullpen session in three days. He is slated to throw off the mound again Friday and might make a rehab start next week. Hitchcock was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 28 with a lower back injury. He started the season sidelined by back problems and went 1-0 with a 7.48 ERA in nine games after returning May 8. ... SS Derek Jeter received the Sporting News' "No. 1. Good Guy in Pro Sports'' award before the game. The publication cited Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

Twins at Indians
Minnesota: RHP Joe Mays, sidelined since April with an inflammed elbow, has rejoined the Twins, and manager Ron Gardenhire said Mays could start this weekend in Detroit. "Joe says he feels good and he's ready to help,'' Gardenhire said. "And we could use his help.'' Mays was 0-2 in three starts before going on the DL. Last season, he went 17-13 and made the All-Star team. ... Gardenhire said RHP Brad Radke, out since May 31 with a strained right groin, is about ready for a minor league rehab assignment. "Getting two healthy All-Star pitchers back would be like making a great trade,'' Gardenhire said. As for other deals, the first-year manager said, "I haven't even talked with (GM) Terry Ryan. We're very happy with our lineup. We could maybe add another lefty in the bullpen.'' ... 1B Doug Mientkiewicz isn't ready to pop open the champagne just yet and celebrate an AL Central title. The Twins entered Wednesday night leading the division by nine games, but Mientkiewicz says no lead is safe. "We were up five at the (All-Star) break last year and finished six back,'' he said. "Things can change in a hurry. But we're a better team this year and hopefully we will be raising the flag.'' Cleveland: C Eddie Taubensee hasn't retired, but has told the Indians he can longer play. Taubensee has been sidelined all season with degenerative back discs and said he can't do any baseball skills without pain. "In the last eight or nine months I've only had two weeks where my back wasn't hurting,'' he said. Taubensee is under contract for 2002 and 2003 at $1.8 million per season and the Indians have an option for 2004. Taubensee said his agent is working on a settlement deal with the Indians. Taubensee batted .273 in an 11-year career with Houston, Cincinnati and Cleveland. ... RHP David Riske was activated from the 15-day disabled list after being sidelined since June 19 with lower back soreness and a hamstring strain. Riske was fourth in the league in appearances when he got hurt. To make room, the Indians optioned RHP Dave Elder to Triple-A Buffalo. Elder, acquired in December when the Indians traded John Rocker, didn't appear in a game for Cleveland. ... RHP Jaret Wright could be recalled later this week. The Indians have a doubleheader on Saturday in Kansas City, and they may bring up Wright, who hasn't pitched in the majors since last June.

Red Sox at Devil Rays
Boston: RHP Dustin Hermanson (right groin strain) will pitch for Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday and might rejoin the Red Sox on Saturday or Sunday. "We'll see how he does,'' manager Grady Little said. "Physically he's fine. We're not to push him to quickly.'' Little said Hermanson will work out of the bullpen when he returns. ... LHP Alan Embree (left elbow inflammation) will not resume throwing for the next couple days, but should be ready to return when eligible to come off the 15-day DL later this month. ... Little said Embree will attend a memorial service Thursday for Cleveland trainer Jim Warfield at Jacobs Field. "He was one of the nicest guys who has ever been in baseball,'' said Little of Warfield, who died Tuesday. ... INF Carlos Baerga (left hamstring) is taking batting practice. Tampa Bay: Manager Hal McRae said INF Felix Escalona, who strained his right groin Tuesday, will likely be out until Tuesday at least. ... GM Chuck LaMar said he has not heard from INF Russ Johnson or his agent. Johnson was placed on the restricted list July 11 after he left the team for personal reasons. ... 3B Jared Sandberg was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game as he adjusts to new contact lenses. ... McRae said the Devil Rays, who have the majors worst record, can use beating playoff contending teams as a motivating factor. "We haven't shared the pain this year,'' McRae said. "If we can beat them when it really counts, it would be some satisfaction.'' ... Among the teams with scouts in attendance were St. Louis, Houston and the Chicago White Sox.

Mariners at Rangers
Seattle: SS Carlos Guillen was back in the lineup Wednesday, despite a knee bruise he suffered in a collision while tagging out Baltimore's Mike Bordick at second base Monday night. Guillen only missed one game, but Bordick is on the disabled list, and expected to be out a month, with a hairline fracture of his right kneecap. .... In their first six games after the All-Star break, the Mariners hit just .171 (7-for-41) with runners in scoring position. They lead the AL in that category before the slump. ... The Mariners were in their third city in four days, having ended a series at Tampa Bay on Sunday before two-game series at Baltimore and Texas. They play three games in Anaheim this weekend before going home for 13 straight games. Texas: RHP Dave Burba has gone from the starting rotation to the bullpen. The move is being made so that the Rangers can move Aaron Myette into the rotation, starting Saturday at Oakland. Burba (4-4, 5.01 ERA in 19 games) will most likely be used in the seventh and eighth innings of games, but manager Jerry Narron didn't rule out any ninth-inning appearances. ... Rangers closer Hideki Irabu is on the disabled list, and remains in a hospital in Kansas City after small blood clots were discovered in his lungs. ... OF Rusty Greer is back on the disabled list (lower back and hip pain) after playing just one game following his return from a six-week stint on the DL for back problems. "I don't know if he'll be back by the end of the year,'' Narron said. Greer has played just 51 games, which would be a career low. He played just 62 games last year because of injury... The Rangers will wear 41-year-old uniforms the next two weekends. The Rangers will wear the road uniforms of the 1961 Washington Senators at Oakland on Saturday and Sunday, when the A's will be decked out in their green and gold uniforms from 1972. The following weekend in Texas, the Rangers will wear the home uniforms of the '61 Senators, the team that moved to Texas after the 1971 season, and Oakland will wear its 1972 road uniforms.

White Sox at Royals
Chicago: The White Sox were 14-5 against the Royals last year. Ray Durham was held out Wednesday night. He is 4-for-38 against Royals starter Jeff Suppan. "He just needs a little break more than anything,'' said White Sox manager Jerry Manuel. Two 12-game winners, Mark Buehrle of the White Sox and Paul Byrd of the Royals, were scheduled to go on Thursday. Kansas City: 3B Joe Randa and 1B Mike Sweeney were both out of Wednesday's lineup. Randa was hit in the elbow with a pitch on Tuesday and Sweeney missed his fifth straight game with a stiff back. Manager Tony Pena said both were day-to-day and would not go on the DL. The Royals improved to 4-47 when they trail going into the ninth inning after Brent Mayne's 11th-inning homer against Texas on Tuesday night. RHP Blake Stein and RF Chuch Knoblauch are both on rehab assignments at Double-A Wichita.

Angels at Athletics
Anaheim: C Bengie Molina is the injury-plagued Angels' latest casualty. He went on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with a strained left hamstring. Molina, hitting .268 with 36 RBI in 77 games, was injured last Friday in Kansas City when he pulled up awkwardly to avoid a collision with Brent Mayne at home plate. Light-hitting Jorge Fabregas took his place in the starting lineup in Oakland. ... OF Darin Erstad didn't start, but was available to pinch-hit after having a blood blister on top of his left foot drained in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Erstad, in an 0-for-17 slump, didn't play on Tuesday. If Erstad had been unavailable, the Angels would have had just three healthy outfielders on their roster. ... Wednesday night's game against the Athletics was the first of 11 straight for the Angels against AL West rivals Oakland and Seattle. "It's a bad time to have a lot of injuries,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. Oakland: The A's got home from their East Coast road trip at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning after a transcontinental flight from Tampa Bay, where they won for the fifth time in six games on the trip. Oakland essentially was forced to skip batting practice on Wednesday, which didn't please manager Art Howe. "All it tells you is obviously the people who put together the schedule never played the game,'' he said. ... LHP Tim Hudson, Wednesday night's starter, was sent home early from the trip to rest up. ... Howe said the trade rumors swirling around the A's don't distract his players. "No, they're excited, because they know that someone good can help the team,'' Howe said. "The fringe guys know they could be in jeopardy. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. We're happy with the club the way it is now, but if we can improve, we'll do it.'' ... Oakland signed two more draft picks on Wednesday: RHP Joe Blanton, picked in the first round from Kentucky, and OF Brian Stavisky, a sixth-round selection from Notre Dame. The A's have signed each of their first 24 selections, including all four first-rounders.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Marlins at Braves
Florida: The Marlins had batted only .216 in their previous seven games, and their pitching staff had posted an ERA of 5.94 in July -- worst in the National League. During their season-high six-game losing streak, their ERA was 7.47. ... They entered play Wednesday night 0-5 since the All-Star game, the only winless team in the major leagues since the break. ... SS Luis Castillo had hit in his past 27 road games, the longest streak since Rafael Palmeiro's in 1993. ... RHP A.J. Burnett had a rough first inning Wednesday night, allowing five straight singles and a walk before getting Vinny Castilla to hit into a double play. The Braves took a 3-0 lead. Atlanta: RF Gary Sheffield singled in the first inning to stretch his on-base streak to 43 games, but upon further review by Elias Sports Bureau, it's not a franchise record. Dale Murphy had a 48-game streak in 1987, and Elias had not yet determined if that was the best in team history. ... INF Jesse Garcia, designated for assignment after INF Mark DeRosa was activated, took batting practice before the game. ... 1B Matt Franco, who had a career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped Tuesday when he pinch-hit against the Cubs, singled in his first at-bat. ... RHP Greg Maddux threw eight pitches in a 1-2-3 first inning.

Mets at Expos
New York: C Mike Piazza returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with a stiff back. Piazza, who went 6-for-13 (.462) with eight RBI during the Mets' 4-2 homestand, is hitting .424 (14-for-33) with three homers and 17 RBI in his last nine games. ... RHP Jeff D'Amico is winless in his last eight starts. D'Amico, who hasn't won since May 26, is 0-4 with an 8.16 ERA over that span. ... The Mets announced that the June 27 game against Atlanta that was rained out has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Sept. 27. ... RHP Grant Roberts, currently on the 15-day DL with right shoulder tendinitis, will visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday. Montreal: Manager Frank Robinson met with GM Omar Minaya on Wednesday to follow up on Robinson' team meeting following Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. Robinson had words with RHP Tony Armas Jr. in the dugout after removing Armas from the game during the fourth inning. Armas upset Robinson when he began to leave before Robinson reached the mound. "When you play 162 games, you're going to have small incidents,'' Minaya said. "Things like that are going to happen. Tony and Frank got together last night and spoke, but right now, we've turned the page and we're going forward from here.'' ... 1B Andres Galarraga has a 10-game hitting streak. Galarraga is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with two homers -- one as a pinch hitter -- and seven RBI over the course of the streak.

Reds at Pirates
Cincinnati: The Reds had a 24-man roster for Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh. P Joey Hamilton went on the DL, retroactive to July 8, with a strained left hamstring. The Reds didn't make a move to immediately fill the spot. Hamilton went back to Cincinnati to have the injury evaluated. ... The Reds are second in the NL with 68 stolen bases. Manager Bob Boone believes that's a product of picking the right spots rather than having an abundance of speed. "It's pretty much just timing,'' he said. "I think putting runners in motion is a huge weapon. If you look at the teams that lead the league, they run at strategic times, and that's gigantic. You're not running just to run. I think you've got to have a good idea you can make it.'' Pittsburgh: SS Jack Wilson took a .279 average into Wednesday's night game against the Reds. Manager Lloyd McClendon says he thought Wilson had the ability to hit that well but he's surprised that the surge has come so soon in Wilson's career. This is his second year in the majors. Wilson, who had a major second half fade last year, said he's taking nothing for granted. "Never be satisfied,'' he said. "I got three hits yesterday but that's over and now I have to do something today. That's the way I look at it.'' ... P Scott Sauerbeck is hearing his name mentioned in trade rumors. A lot of contenders are looking for a lefty reliever and Sauerbeck's name has been tossed around. "It's flattering but I don't think anything is going to happen,'' he said.

Cubs at Phillies
Chicago: On Thursday the Cubs will finish their short two-game series in Philadelphia, the only time they will play there this season. Before realignment, the Cubs and Phillies were both in the NL East and played several times year. The Chicago White Sox played three games in Philadelphia this season. ... In another quirk of the schedule, it has been 15 months since the Cubs have faced the Phillies. The two teams last squared off in April 2001. ... Thursday's starter RHP Matt Clement is 5-1 in eight career starts against the Phillies. Philadelphia: The Phillies honored Tony Taylor with the 2002 Latino Legends Award. Taylor, who played for the Phillies for 15 seasons, was also a coach in Philadelphia twice (1977-79 and 1988-89). He played a club record 1,003 games a second base and will be inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame on Saturday before the team's game with Atlanta. ... Also on Saturday, the Phillies will also induct LHP Rube Walberg, a member of the Philadelphia A's, into the Wall. Rube's son, George, will accept the award in honor of his late father. ... Thursday's starter RHP Vicente Padilla has won one game in his last five starts. He is 1-1 with three no-decisions. ... During their upcoming weekend series, the Phillies and Braves will wear vintage uniforms. Philadelphia's will come from its 1980 championship season while Atlanta will don uniforms from the 1974 season when Hall of Famer Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth's record. The two teams will also wear the uniforms during a series in Atlanta from July 26-28.

Astros at Brewers
Houston: RHP T.J. Mathews was activated from the 60-day DL and the Astros optioned RHP Scott Linebrink to Triple-A New Orleans. To make room for Mathews on the 40-man roster, the team designated RHP Ryan Jamison, who was at Double-A Round Rock, for assignment. ... RHP Tim Redding had an MRI on Tuesday on his right knee. It was negative and he's day-to-day. ... OF Lance Berkman, who has 29 home runs and 83 RBI, didn't start against left-hander Glendon Rusch in Milwaukee on Wednesday. "You don't ever mind that guy not going to play against your team,'' Milwaukee manager Jerry Royster said. Milwaukee: Being able to go 7-2 against the Cubs and 6-4 against the Cardinals, but going 3-10 against the Pirates and 2-11 against the Reds has been difficult to explain for the Brewers. "When you play so many times against a number of teams, you're going to have teams you'll have success against and some that you won't,'' pitcher Jamey Wright said. "But it's a mystery to us, too.'' ... Wright, who starts Thursday afternoon against Houston, is 0-7 with a 7.58 ERA in 11 games against the Astros. In two starts against Houston this year, Wright has lasted only 7 2-3 innings and gave up 11 runs. ... The Brewers have batted .281, second only to the Yankees, since May 25. But Milwaukee has managed only a 16-28 in that time. ... Bullpen coach Billy Castro said the TV cameras were deceptive, that Reds catcher Jason LaRue's first home run Tuesday night wasn't snatched out of left fielder Alex Sanchez's grasp by a manual scoreboard operator at the last moment, as it appeared on broadcasts. "It wasn't close at all,'' Castro said, noting the ball cleared the wall by several feet and at a steep decline when the employee reached out over reliever Nelson Figueroa, who was seated behind the wall and was about to catch the ball.

Giants at Cardinals
San Francisco: San Francisco optioned LHP Aaron Fultz to Triple-A Fresno and purchased the contract of LHP Troy Brohawn. Brohawn joined the club Wednesday in St. Louis. ... Barry Bonds is five home runs shy of 600. Bonds has hit just 10 of his career total of 595 homers in St. Louis. At Busch Stadium, he has homered just once every 34.9 at-bats. Last year when he hit 73 homers, he hit one ever 6.5 official at-bats. Bonds' batting average in St. Louis is .267. St. Louis: Placido Polanco has hit safely in 27 of 31 games for a .344 average. In that span, Polanco has raised his average from .249 to .290. "He wasn't himself early but he's swinging like he did the last two years,'' manager Tony La Russa said. "That's nice to see.'' Polanco said: "I feel more comfortable at the plate right now. It's more fun to go out and play when you're doing well.'' ... The Cardinals are home for just two days or 42 hours. St. Louis just went 4-1 on a West Coast road trip. After the short homestand, St. Louis hits the road for a seven-game road trip. "I didn't even unpack my suitcase,'' La Russa said. J.D. Drew said: "This just seems like a stop on a long road trip.'' From July 8 to Aug. 5, the Cardinals will play just five home games.

Diamondbacks at Rockies
Arizona: RHP Rick Helling, who has a sore right ankle, threw on the side Wednesday. The Diamondbacks are concerned about velocity Helling has lost from his fastball. "Rick normally tops out at 90 mph and now he is down to the 83-to-84 range,'' manager Bob Brenly said. "We know he can't push off the right ankle as he should so we'll take a gun down to the bullpen and see where his velocity is at.'' Helling is scheduled to start Saturday at San Diego. ... C Damian Miller got off the plane with soreness in his lower back. Miller left Friday's game against Los Angeles with back spasms and was held out of the two-game series at San Francisco. "Damian got off the bus walking gingerly and will be kept out of tonight's game,'' Brenly said. "If we win we might keep him out of Thursday's game and have him ready for the San Diego series.'' ... Brenly is tiring of continued criticism of his All-Star decisions, especially from national media. "One guy called me an idiot and another called me a buffoon,'' Brenly said. "I can take it from fans, but not the media.'' He also was still defending his decision in adding Arizona 2B Junior Spivey to the All-Star team. "The criticism is uncalled for. "Those critics must not have seen our ballclub play and what Spivey has done for us.'' Colorado: Manager Clint Hurdle said the Rockies had every reason to be excited about facing the World Series champions and ace Curt Schilling on Wednesday night. "Those are games, as a hitting coach, I enjoyed more than the other ones. What's the worst that can happen? He wins? He wins a lot. So your opportunity to do something special is out there. You're the underdog going in, go out there with a loose attitude, let it fly and see what happens.'' ... Hurdle said he was pleased with the way C Walt McKeel responded in his first game in the majors in five years. "The way his career has gone, with five years in between action, was special. He held his own back there.'' ... Hurdle said had simple advice for his players in dealing with all of the trade rumors involving the club. "I asked them to be grown up about it. One of the greatest goals in life we can accomplish as individuals is to control what we have control of and let go of what we can't. It's easier said than done. It comes down to if you want to stay, play better and if don't want to stay, play better. More people will want you.'' ... SS Juan Uribe didn't start for the second straight game due to swelling on the back of his left hand, but Hurdle said he was doing much better Wednesday.

Padres at Dodgers
San Diego: The Padres entered Wednesday night 18 games out of first place with a 37-56 record. They hadn't been this far off the pace after 83 games since 1993, when they were 25 games out with a 36-57 mark. ... Jake Peavy's first big league victory Tuesday night made him the first Padres starter other than Oliver Perez to record a win since Brett Tomko beat Boston on June 19. Steve Reed's save in that game was the first by a Padres pitcher other than Trevor Hoffman since June 23 of last season, when Rudy Seanez closed out a 6-2 victory for Brian Lawrence. ... C Wiki Gonzalez entered Wednesday with just three hits in 26 at-bats after sitting out five games with a strained left hamstring. ... Phil Nevin is the only player in the majors to have improved his batting average, home run and RBI totals in each of the previous three seasons. But injuries have forced him to miss 49 of the Padres' first 93 games this season because of a strained left elbow and a fractured left arm. As a result, he entered Wednesday hitting 24 points lower than last year (.306), with 36 fewer homers (five) and 105 fewer RBI (21). ... Entering Wednesday, the Padres had recorded two extra-base hits in the same inning only once in a span of 78 innings. Los Angeles: Most of the Dodgers' pitchers were on the field four hours before Wednesday's game, fielding simulated bunts and throwing them to first and third base. But the drills were not a knee-jerk reaction to Hideo Nomo's two-run throwing error to third base on a sacrifice bunt by St. Louis' Mike Matheny in Tuesday's 9-2 loss. Reliever Terry Mulholland said it was his idea, because he hasn't been comfortable with the way he has been making throws to first. Darren Dreifort and Nomo joined in, and the rest soon followed. "It just kind of snowballed into a PFP (pitchers fielding practice) session,'' Mulholland said. "I thought it was kind of nice that everybody decided to join in. It shows the kind of character of the guys we've got on this team. But it really had nothing to do with yesterday.'' ... Prior to Wednesday's game, 1B Eric Karros, C Paul Lo Duca and LF Brian Jordan totaled just 11 hits in 63 at-bats combined following the All-Star break -- one of several reasons why the Dodgers have lost six of their previous seven games. "Individual guys are getting frustrated because they want to play well, and they feel that if they play better, then they can make a difference,'' CF Dave Roberts said. "But it's not a matter of frustration with the team or anything like that. We've got a lot of competitors here and we want to win, and we realize what's at stake. So that's the only frustration.'' ... Karros said that manager Jim Tracy's 15-minute closed-door meeting with the players after Tuesday's sloppy loss was blown out of proportion in Wednesday's local papers. "I've read reports that it was a ranting and raving session, but it wasn't anything like that,'' Karros said. "He told us, `We're a good ballclub, we got here by stressing fundamentals, moving guys over and getting good pitching and playing good solid defense. So let's continue to focus on that.' And that was all it was about. Obviously, if we continue to play like we have, then it becomes a big deal.''