WEDNESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Richie Sexson The Brewers' slugger tied his career high with four hits and hit his 22nd homer of the season. AB H RBI HR 4 4 4 1 Hero of the day Rangers reliever Danny Kolb worked a perfect ninth inning to preserve Texas' 4-3 victory over the Mariners. He picked up his first major league save, and the Rangers' first since the All-Star break. They've blown three saves in that span. Goat of the day Indians starter Ryan Drese gave up eight runs in the first inning of Cleveland's 14-7 loss to the Yankees. And while Drese's breakdown certainly seems like the once-in-a-career variety, it was actually his second of the month. On July 13, he gave up eight runs to the same Yankees squad in 1 1/3 innings. Injury report Yankees C Jorge Posada isn't expected to play until Saturday. He got nine stitches after being hit in the head by a swung bat on Tuesday. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera still has soreness in his right shoulder and will undergo further exams and treatment before the team decides if he needs to go on the disabled list. Rivera told manager Joe Torre that he ''still felt something'' in his shoulder after playing catch in the bullpen before Wednesday's game. A team spokesman said Rivera will be examined in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday and could receive a cortisone shot. Yankees starter Roger Clemens (groin strain) reported no problems after throwing off a bullpen mound in Tampa on Thursday. He also took part in fielding drills, and is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start Saturday. Torre said Clemens will throw 80 pitches. Royals OF Chuck Knoblauch missed the game after a freak accident Tuesday night. Knoblauch was making his way through the dugout in the ninth inning of Kansas City's 10-1 loss in Detroit when he was struck by Raul Ibanez's bat. ''I saw him standing there, but I didn't think he was going to swing the bat,'' Knoblauch said. ''I came up the steps, took a right and whap. Luckily, he caught me above the elbow, not right on it. I think I'm fine, but they are being cautious today.'' Dodgers starter Kevin Brown, who's on the disabled list, threw 61 pitches in a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, manager Jim Tracy said. He threw all his pitches, Tracy said, ''and threw extremely well.'' Brown is scheduled to throw again on Friday. Expos OF Vladimir Guerrero was in the starting lineup after leaving Tuesday night's game with a bruised left knee. He crashed into the wall to rob Jeromy Burnitz of an extra-base hit. Expos 2B Jose Vidro did not start for the third straight game because of a stiff back. ''He says he's still not there yet,'' manager Frank Robinson said. ''Maybe tomorrow.'' Mets OF Roger Cedeno did not start for the second game in a row after cutting his finger while dropping a flyball Monday night. ''Roger's finger is still a little sore,'' manager Bobby Valentine said. Marlins OF Preston Wilson missed his fourth consecutive game because of swelling in his right wrist. Manager Jeff Torborg said Wilson might rejoin the lineup Thursday at Montreal. Cardinals first baseman Tino Martinez was a scratch with a sore back and is unlikely to play Thursday, according to manager Tony La Russa. Giants C Benito Santiago was a late scratch with a stye on his left eye. Stat of the day Yankees 1B Jason Giambi scored five runs Wednesday, matching the club mark for runs done a total of 14 times by 11 different players. The last to do it was Tino Martinez in 1997. The last word "I wanted to thank all of these people who stuck with me when I wasn't pitching. I think the home plate umpire might have had a date tonight, because he had a big zone. I don't have a date, but I might be able to get one after this." -- Tigers starter Jose Lima, after pitching seven shutout innings to beat the Royals in what turned out to be the fastest nine-inning game in the major leagues since 1984.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Twins-White Sox
MINNESOTA: Rick Reed might miss his next scheduled start due to tenderness in his right index finger. ... Denny Hocking was out of Minnesota's starting lineup with an injured right foot.

CHICAGO: Paul Konerko was 0-for-4, leaving him with one hit in 17 at-bats.

Blue Jays-Orioles
TORONTO: The Blue Jays have won 14 of 16 (4-0 this year) against Baltimore. ... Toronto sent 2B Joe Lawrence outright to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled IF Orlando Hudson, who went 0-for-4 against Baltimore. Lawrence (.180 average) had four hits in his last 21 at-bats. ... OF DeWayne Wise hit his first career home run off Baltimore's Travis Driskill in the fifth inning Wednesday. The Blue Jays exchanged the ball from a fan for a bat autographed by Wise. The homer came on Wise's 10th at-bat since joining the club July 18 from Double-A Tennessee. ... RHP Chris Carpenter is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA in seven starts since returning from the DL June 22. Wednesday's eight-inning stint was his season best. ... 3b Eric Hinske is batting .413 (19-for-46) since the All-Star break. ... RHP Cliff Politte got his first career save Wednesday. ... 1B Carlos Delgado has 10 RBI in his last 11 games.

BALTIMORE: The Orioles activated DH Chris Richard off the 60-day disabled list and optioned OF Luis Matos to Triple-A Rochester. ... An MRI revealed RHP Jason Johnson is suffering from shoulder tendinitis. Manager Mike Hargrove is unsure whether Johnson will make his next scheduled start Tuesday at Tampa Bay. ... OF Marty Cordova is batting .328 (22-for-67) in July. ... OF-DH Howie Clark has hit safely in seven of eight games (.375, 12-for-32) since having his contract purchased from Triple-A Rochester. ... Since opening 5-0 with a 3.51 ERA through 11 starts, RHP Travis Driskill has gone 1-4 with a 6.99 ERA in his last five starts. ... OF Gary Matthews Jr. is hitting .400 (10-for-25) over his last six games. ... LHP Buddy Groom was charged with just his third run in his last 20 outings Wednesday. ... 1B Jay Gibbons had his career-high eight-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday.

Devil Rays-Red Sox
BOSTON: Casey Fossum was not expected to remain with Boston long. The left-handed reliever was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to take the roster spot of right-hander Dustin Hermanson, who was put on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday. But infielder Carlos Baerga was scheduled to come off the disabled list Thursday, and manager Grady Little has already said he plans to cut his pitching staff from 12 to 11. ... Frank Castillo, Boston's starter Wednesday, had just three days rest since pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief Sunday against New York. It was his first relief appearance with the Red Sox. ... Ricky Henderson started in center field for Boston, moving within one game of tying Stan Musial and Eddie Murray for 6th place all-time for games played list at 3,026. ... There was a moment of silence before Wednesday's game in honor of former team broadcaster Edwin ''Ned'' Martin, who died Tuesday, one day after attending the Ted Williams tribute at Fenway Park.

TAMPA BAY: The Devil Rays traded LHP Dough Creek to Seattle for cash. ... Tampa Bay sent INF-OF Dave McCarty outright to Triple-A Durham.

Royals-Tigers
DETROIT: With Ramon Santiago sidelined for four-to-six weeks by a broken bone in his hand, Shane Halter will take over at shortstop and CF George Lombard moves into the leadoff spot in the order. ... Dean Palmer underwent tests on his neck earlier this week and was given a positive update. ''I'm starting to feel a lot better,'' said Palmer, who is expected to be out until mid-September after having neck surgery. ''Hopefully, when we get back from our next roadtrip, I can start swinging the bat and maybe taking some ground balls. It will be nice to do something baseball oriented again.'' ... C Brandon Inge sat out Wednesday's game with a sore shoulder, but is not expected to miss any additional time.

KANSAS CITY: OF Chuck Knoblauch missed the game after a freak accident Tuesday night. Knoblauch was making his way through the dugout in the ninth inning of Kansas City's 10-1 loss in Detroit when he was struck by Raul Ibanez's bat. ''I saw him standing there, but I didn't think he was going to swing the bat,'' Knoblauch said. ''I came up the steps, took a right and whap. Luckily, he caught me above the elbow, not right on it. I think I'm fine, but they are being cautious today.'' ... The Royals flew six Kansas City high-school students to Detroit for Wednesday's game. The six are members of ''Byrd's Nest'', a fan club they started in honor of Royals ace Paul Byrd, who started against the Tigers on Wednesday. They sat in the front row of Comerica Park's upper deck, similar to the seats they occupy for all of Byrd's outings in Kansas City.

Yankees-Indians
NEW YORK: Closer Mariano Rivera still has soreness in his right shoulder and will undergo further exams and treatment before the Yankees decide if he needs to go on the disabled list. Rivera told manager Joe Torre that he ''still felt something'' in his shoulder after playing catch in the bullpen before Wednesday's game. A team spokesman said Rivera will be examined in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday and could receive a cortisone shot. ... RHP Roger Clemens (groin strain) reported no problems after throwing off a bullpen mound in Tampa on Thursday. He also took part in fielding drills, and is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start Saturday. Torre said Clemens will throw 80 pitches. ... C Jorge Posada was bandaged but feeling better after being hit in he head by a swung bat in Wednesday's game. Posada needed nine stitches to close the cut on his left ear. He is expected to sit out until Saturday. Posada said he wasn't scared until he felt blood trickling down the side of his face. ''That's when I thought it was from inside of the ear.'' Posada did not have a concussion. ... LHP Randy Keisler, sidelined since undergoing shoulder surgery last October, is scheduled to start throwing off a mound next week. Keisler's rehab schedule was pushed back more than a month after he was bitten by a rattlesnake at his Tampa home in May.

CLEVELAND: The Indians placed LHP Heath Murray on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation and recalled RHP Dave Elder from Triple-A Buffalo. Murray allowed runs in each of his last four outings and was 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA in nine games since being called up from Buffalo on June 19. Elder, acquired from Texas before the season for reliever John Rocker, was recalled from Buffalo earlier this month but has yet to pitch in a major league game. ... Indians interim manager Joel Skinner, a former major league catcher, commiserated with Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who needed nine stitches to close a cut on his left ear when he got hit by Milton Bradley's bat on Tuesday night. ''I got hit a lot,'' said Skinner, who played nine seasons in the majors for the White Sox, Yankees and Indians. ''You want to be as close to home plate as possible because it gives you a better chance to catch foul tips and pitches in the dirt,'' Skinner explained. ''The downside is getting caught by a guy with a long backswing. Dave Winfield, Dave Kingman, guys like that, were always tough.''

Rangers-Mariners
TEXAS: RHP Jeff Zimmerman, who was supposed to be the Rangers' closer this season, was examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum on Wednesday in Inglewood, Calif. Yocum confirmed that Zimmerman has a torn flexor tendon and an insufficient ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Zimmerman is considering having surgery this week. It would be performed by Dr. John Conway, the Rangers' team orthopedist, in Fort Worth, Texas. If surgery is done, a bone spur in Zimmerman's elbow also will be removed. Zimmerman would be sidelined from seven to nine months. Zimmerman had right elbow surgery May 1. He has not thrown a pitch this season. ... RHP Ismael Valdes, who left after seven innings Tuesday night because of sorness in his left knee, is not expected to miss a turn. The sorness in Valdes' knee is caused by tendinitis. ... LHP John Rocker threw on flat ground in Arlington, Texas, for the second time Wednesday and reported improvement in his left shoulder. He will throw from 120 feet on flat ground Friday and hopes to throw off a mound Saturday. Rocker has been on the disabled list since July 4 because of left shoulder bursitis.

SEATTLE: The Mariners purchased the contract of LHP reliever Doug Creek from Tampa Bay on Wednesday and designated LHP Mark Watson for assignment to Triple-A Tacoma. Creek, 33, was 2-1 with a 6.27 ERA in 29 relief appearances for Tampa Bay and was designated for assignment July 20. Creek was not at Wednesday night's game between the Mariners and Texas. He will join the team for Thursday night's game with the Rangers. The Mariners are expected to option LHP Brian Fitzgerald to Tacoma to make room for Creek on their 25-man roster. Creek will become the second LHP in the Mariners' bullpen behind Arthur Rhodes. Creek is 6-13 with a 5.32 ERA in 215 career games since 1995, and also has pitched for San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs and the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League.

Athletics-Angels
OAKLAND: The organization received a jolt on Wednesday with the news that Wally Pontiff, a third baseman drafted out of LSU in the 21st round of the June draft, died at his home in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. Pontiff, 21, had not decided whether to sign with the A's or return to LSU for his senior year. ... LHP Ted Lilly, who has made just two starts for the Oakland Athletics since being acquired in a trade from the New York Yankees, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday because of an inflamed left shoulder. Replacing him on the roster is right-hander Aaron Harang, who spent a day with Triple-A Sacramento before getting recalled. Harang was optioned to Sacramento on Tuesday when reliever Jeff Tam was recalled from Triple-A. ... Miguel Tejada's home run Tuesday was the 116th of his career, tying him with Eddie Joost for the most by a shortstop in franchise history. Joost had 3,367 at-bats for the Philadelphia Athletics. Tejada entered Wednesday night's game with 2,698 at-bats. ... Barry Zito's 2-1 victory Tuesday night gave him a career winning percentage of .717 (38-15), tying Spud Chandler (109-43) for the highest since 1900 among pitchers with at least 50 decisions. Zito had a career winning percentage of .641 before winning 13 of his last 14 decisions.

ANAHEIM: Adam Kennedy, who failed to make it to second base on a extremely high popup that was dropped by Oakland SS Miguel Tejada in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 loss, was back in the starting lineup Wednesday night following his inauspicious pinch-hitting appearance. ''A don't think it was a huge issue,'' said manager Mike Scioscia, who met privately with Kennedy for a few minutes after the game. ''Adam plays the game as hard as anybody in the league. And for him not to break out of the box is uncharacteristic of him. But nobody on this team has a history of that, so that's good. You won't see that happen very often.'' ... LHP Scott Schoeneweis, who wasn't available to relieve Tuesday because of stiffness in his back, still experienced some discomfort on Wednesday. ... Ben Weber has converted each of his three save opportunities since Troy Percival went on the disabled list. When Percival was on the DL in April, Al Levine was 3-for-3 in his place. ... RHP Brendan Donnelly has stranded all seven runners he has inherited. The 31-year-old rookie, who spent the previous 10 seasons in the minors, has a 3.00 ERA in 13 appearances, and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings. ''It hasn't been easy for him, as far as making it to the major leagues,'' Scioscia said. ''I like his perseverance. It takes a special person to spent that much time in the minor leagues, withstand the grind and have enough faith in your ability that you can play in the major leagues -- even when there's no light at the end of the tunnel.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates-Reds
PITTSBURGH: For the second day in a row, a Pirates pitcher has wondered about manager Lloyd McClendon's decision to issue intentional walks. Kip Wells was told to walk Ken Griffey Jr. twice during the Reds' 7-2 win on Tuesday night. Both times, Austin Kearns followed with run-scoring hits. ''I know he gets paid a lot to drive in runs,'' Wells said of Griffey, who came off the DL on Monday. ''On the other hand, he's only been back a couple of days.'' On Wednesday, McClendon had Joe Beimel intentionally walk Kearns and Brady Clark to load the bases in the third. Todd Walker followed with his second grand slam. Beimel would have rather faced Clark -- a .196 hitter who had been intentionally walked only twice in his career -- with first base open. ''I would have liked to take my chances with Clark,'' Beimel said. ''I can make him hit my pitch. But Lloyd felt pretty confident in the matchup with Walker.'' McClendon preferred having the left-hander face Walker, a left-handed hitter, than Clark, who bats right-handed. ''When you've got a left-hander who throws a sinker and it's not sinking, I think you'd rather pitch to the left-hander,'' McClendon said. ''He just hung a slider. That's the way it goes.'' McClendon bristled when asked whether he would be reticent to issue intentional walks because of the way they've turned out lately. The Pirates lead the NL in intentional walks. ''You think I'm going to be shaken because I made a move that didn't work?'' McClendon said. ''I'm going to do what I think is best.'' ... Despite Beimel's struggles, McClendon said he will stay in the rotation. Beimel hasn't won since June 7, a span of seven starts, and is 1-4 overall in eight starts this season with a 4.85 ERA. ... In the last seven games, Pirates opponents have scored 52 runs and hit .342. Pittsburgh has gone 3-4 over that span. ... Brian Giles hit a solo homer, his 28th, off Jose Rijo. Giles' homer was his 139th with Pittsburgh, moving him past Bill Mazeroski into seventh place on the franchise list.

CINCINNATI: 1B Sean Casey went on the DL with a sore shoulder, opening a roster spot for RHP Brian Moehler. ... Todd Walker's grand slam was the second of his career and the sixth by the Reds this season. Walker's other career grand slam came off RHP Ryan Dempster when he was with Florida on May 22. ... The Reds' record for grand slams in a season is seven. They've done it three times, most recently in 1987. ... Aaron Boone stole a career-high three bases. The last Red to steal three in a game was current Pirates 2B Pokey Reese, who did it on Oct. 1, 1999, at Milwaukee. ... Ken Griffey Jr., still not fully recovered from a pulled hamstring, got a precautionary day off.

Braves-Marlins
FLORIDA: Manager Jeff Torborg says he reads the local papers the morning after a victory, but he skips them when the Marlins lose. ''I don't need to rehash unhappy memories,'' he says with a smile. ... Vic Darensbourg gave up a homer Wednesday to the first batter he faced, Wes Helms, ending a streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings for the bullpen. ... Charles Johnson went 0-for-2 and is batting .114 (4-for-35) in day games.

ATLANTA: Atlanta also beat Florida 10-0 on July 17. ... Damian Moss gave up only one hit but threw two wild pitches and leads the Braves with nine. ... Wes Helms had four hits Wednesday, hiking his average against left-handers to .119. ''Every pitch I saw within two inches of leaving his hand,'' Helms said.

Phillies-Cubs
PHILADELPHIA: For eight straight seasons, the Phillies have had a starting pitcher make his major league debut. Brett Myers beat the Cubs in his first big league game Wednesday. Last year it was Brandon Duckworth, preceded by David Coggin (2000), Anthony Shumaker (1999) and Randy Wolf (1999), Carlton Loewer (1998), Edgar Ramos (1997), Carlos Crawford (1996), Rafael Quirico (1996), Rich Hunter (1996), Matt Beech (1996), Michael Mimbs (1995), Mike Grace (1995) and Dennis Springer (1995). ... The 21-year-old Myers was the youngest Phillies starter to make his major league debut since Larry Christenson, who was 19 when he made his in 1973. ... The Phillies have won 17 of their last 27 at Wrigley Field since 1996. ... Myers said an exhibition start against the New York Yankees got him ready for his debut Wednesday. ''It prepared me a little bit. I might have been more nervous then. It settled me down for this one.''

CHICAGO: Sammy Sosa's homer was just his third since the All-Star break but second in three days. ... The Cubs are 9-6 under interim manager Bruce Kimm. ... Mark Prior walked a career-high five in Wednesday's loss. In his previous outing, he didn't walk a single batter in a strong eight-inning performance against Houston. ''Too (ball four) pitches were blatant, three were good pitches that just missed. But you still have to pitch your game,'' Prior said. ''I'm not just going to throw it down the middle.'' ... Moises Alou returned to the Cubs' lineup after missing two games with a bruised right elbow. ... Jason Bere, on the DL with a sore groin, re-aggravated the injury while throwing on the side Monday.

Dodgers-Padres
LOS ANGELES: RHP Kevin Brown, who's on the disabled list, threw 61 pitches in a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, manager Jim Tracy said. He threw all his pitches, Tracy said, ''and threw extremely well.'' Brown is scheduled to throw again on Friday. Brown had surgery on June 11 to repair an extruded disc in the nerve canal of his lower back. Three days later, Brown visited the clubhouse and said he felt good. Brown, 2-3 with a 4.06 ERA in nine starts this season, already was on the disabled list since May 27 with pain in his surgically repaired right elbow. ... RHP Darren Dreifort, sidelined since undergoing surgery on his pitching elbow last July, had an MRI due to inflammation in his right knee. The MRI was inconclusive, trainer Stan Johnston said. Dreifort is scheduled to throw in the bullpen on Friday.

SAN DIEGO: LHP pitcher Jason Kershner got his first big league promotion Wednesday when the Padres outrighted LHP Kevin Pickford to Triple-A Portland. When Kershner makes his debut, he'll be the 13th Padres player -- and ninth pitcher -- to make his big league debut this year. Kershner was 7-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 30 games for Portland when the Padres purchased his contract. He was Philadelphia's 12th-round pick in the 1995 draft and signed with the Padres as a minor league free agent on Nov. 23. Kershner will join the Padres for their four-game series at Arizona starting Thursday. Pickford went 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 16 games, including four starts. ... The Padres hired Steve Violetta as executive vice president for business operations. He had worked as executive VP of the NHL's Ottawa Senators and the Corel Centre for six years.

Cardinals-Giants
ST. LOUIS: 1B Tino Martinez sat out Wednesday's game to rest a sore back. It helped that the Giants used a left-handed pitcher. Cardinal trainer Barry Weinberg said Martinez would be re-evaluated before Thursday's game, but St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa says he'll probably keep Martinez out an extra day as a precaution. ... OF Jim Edmonds has a .357 career average at Pac Bell Park. ''I really don't think about what park I'm hitting in,'' he said. ''This place has a big outfield and there's a chance to hit the ball in the gaps.'' ... Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty said he considered trading for RHP Brian Moehler, who won his Cincinnati Reds debut Wednesday. ''He was a guy we scouted,'' Jocketty said. ''I think he will certainly do a good job for them.'' ... There's still no timetable for when RHP Woody Williams will begin a rehab assignment. He's been on the DL since July 13 with a strained left oblique. ... RHP Andy Benes lasted 4 2/3 innings Wednesday, his longest outing of the season.

SAN FRANCISCO: The injury list continues to grow for the Giants as C Benito Santiago was a late scratch due to a sty on his left eye. He came to the ballpark with the eye nearly swollen shut. OF Barry Bonds and Reggie Sanders were already out with hamstring injuries, while 2B Jeff Kent returned to the lineup after taking two days off with a sore upper left leg. ... Giants manager Dusty Baker said he sees no silver lining in having Bonds on the bench for any length of time. ''A day or two is fine, but when it gets to be a week or more, then there's the factor of him losing his stroke and his timing,'' said Baker. ''We need him to win. He's our big bopper.'' ... RHP Felix Rodriguez, who has an ERA of 6.02, threw two scoreless innings against the Cardinals on Tuesday. That's a good sign for Baker. ''He's been struggling, but the only way to get your act together is to pitch. He can't do it on the sidelines,'' said Baker. ''The last couple of weeks he's been having trouble with one of his fingers, but I think it's getting better.''

Expos-Mets
MONTREAL: All-Star RF Vladimir Guerrero was in the starting lineup after leaving Tuesday night's game with a bruised left knee. He crashed into the wall to rob Jeromy Burnitz of an extra-base hit. ... All-Star 2B Jose Vidro did not start for the third straight game because of a stiff back. ''He says he's still not there yet,'' manager Frank Robinson said. ''Maybe tomorrow.'' ... OF Cliff Floyd, acquired from Florida was out of the starting lineup. He came in batting only .200 with two RBI in 11 games for the Expos. ''He's not having good swings. He's not comfortable,'' Robinson said. ''He's a little lost right now. He's just not focused.'' Wil Cordero started in left field.

NEW YORK: LHP AL Leiter agreed to an $18 million, two-year contract extension. He could have become a free agent after the season. ''I made it clear that I wanted to stay here,'' Leiter said. ''I didn't think it was imminent until last night. I'm grateful to be able to get it done and not have it prolonged. I've been hearing enough about this team being dismantled. Hopefully, this will put a stop to that.'' ... Utility player Joe McEwing, on the disabled list with a strained ribcage, took about 50 swings and did some running. ''He feels much better than yesterday,'' manager Bobby Valentine said. ... OF Roger Cedeno did not start for the second game in a row after cutting his finger while dropping a flyball Monday night. ''Roger's finger is still a little sore,'' Valentine said.

Brewers-Astros
MILWAUKEE: Despite suffering his fourth consecutive loss Tuesday night, Jamey Wright extended his streak of road games without giving up a home run to four, covering 23 innings. ... The Brewers sent RHP Nelson Figueroa to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday. He was replaced on the roster by LHP Jimmy Osting who was purchased from Indianapolis.

HOUSTON: Houston and its Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate New Orleans announced a two-year extension of their player development contract Wednesday. ... Craig Biggio was hit by a pitch for a major league-leading 15th time Tuesday night. Biggio is the active major league career leader, being hit 212 times. He ranks third all-time in the category.

Rockies-Diamondbacks
COLORADO: OF Larry Walker went 3-for-4 Tuesday night to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He already has four streaks of at least 10 games this season. Walker is hitting .429 in July, second only to Jeff Kent (.431) in the NL. He had batted .531 (17-for-32) during the streak. ... Entering Wednesday night's game, the Rockies were 2-9 against Arizona this season. ... Colorado has won just three of its last 14 road games and are two games into a 14-day, 12-game trip. ... 2B Juan Pierre got his 36th infield hit in Tuesday night's 8-5 loss, the most in the NL. ... SS Jose Uribe is batting .325 against Arizona and .227 against the rest of the league.

ARIZONA: Arizona manager Bob Brenly says he'll ''try to find a way to keep everyone happy'' with the return soon of 1B Erubiel Durazo and 1B-3B Greg Colbrunn. The return of the two sluggers could, depending on roster moves, leave the team with as many as nine infielders. ... RHP Mike Fetters, whose exhuberance and intensity already has made him a crowd favorite since his acquisition from Pittsburgh, was unable to pitch Tuesday night because of a blister on his middle right finger, but said he was ready to go on Wednesday. ... Arizona's 59-41 record after 100 games is its best in the franchise's five-year history. Last year's World Series champions were 58-42. ... Arizona RHP Erik Sabel was claimed by Detroit off waivers, and OF Jose Guillen cleared waivers and became a free agent.