THURSDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Pedro Martinez The Red Sox star has given up only three earned runs in his last 34 1/3 innings, going 4-0 over his last five starts. IP H ER SO 8 2 0 11 Hero of the day Angels outfielder Garret Anderson had a two-out single in the eighth inning to knock in Darin Erstad and allow Anaheim to edge Oakland 5-4. The victory allowed the Angels to move two games ahead of the Athletics for second place in the AL West. Goat of the day Cubs outfielder Moises Alou's first error of the season came at the worst time against Philadelphia. Alou dropped Scott Rolen's fly ball in a one-run game in the eighth and helped the Phillies pull away with a four-run inning in Chicago's 6-2 loss. Injury report Giants outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo left the game in the second inning after straining his right hamstring after an awkward slide into second base. Shinjo was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Angels closer Troy Percival threw 1 2/3 innings of a simulated game and said he's ready to pitch. He is eligible to be activated Saturday. Giants catcher Benito Santiago missed his second straight game with an eye infection. Marlins starter Brad Penny left with two outs in the fifth with a blister on his right index finger. Expos second baseman Jose Vidro missed his fifth straight game with stiffness in his lower back. Stat of the day After hitting .200 in June, Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell's season average has risen 20 points to .276. He was 2-for-4 with five RBI in the Astros' 8-0 victory over the Pirates. Streak of the day The Diamondbacks won their fourth game in a row -- a 10-0 rout against the Padres -- to take a season-high four-game lead over the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West. The last word "They were so young and anxious to swing that they swung at some bad changeups." -- Red Sox starter Pedro Martinez after he struck out 11 Tampa Bay hitters in the Red Sox's 6-0 victory.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Devil Rays-Red Sox
BOSTON: Home runs extended Jason Varitek's hitting streak to 11 games and Trot Nixon's to 10. Both are career highs. ... Casey Fossum has replaced Frank Castillo (5-11) in the starting rotation. Castillo allowed six runs in 1 2/3 innings Wednesday. Fossum gave up three runs in the final seven innings. ... Senior golfers Dana Quigley and Dave Stockton took part in the ceremonial first pitch. They are entered in the FleetBoston Classic starting Friday at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord.

TAMPA BAY: Starting with Tuesday's opener of the day-night doubleheader, Tampa Bay allowed 26 straight runs then scored the next 12 against the Red Sox. ... Randy Winn started the game batting .357 since June 1, best in the AL. ... Tampa Bay began the night at 32-67, the same record it had after 99 games last year.

Royals-Tigers
DETROIT: The Tigers optioned pitcher Fernando Rodney to Triple-A Toledo and called up Brian Powell, who will start Friday in Cleveland. Powell made one start for Houston in 2001. He pitched for Detroit in 1998, going 3-8 as a rookie. "I never expected to be back here -- at least until I signed with Toledo this spring,'' he said. "Now I'm thrilled to be back. I just had to remember to come to Comerica Park instead of Tiger Stadium.'' ... Damion Easley's first-inning homer broke an 0-for-10 slump. ... The sweep was Detroit's first since May 20-22 against Cleveland, and their fourth of the year. All four have come at home.

KANSAS CITY: 1B Chan Perry, making his first appearance in the majors since 2000, left the game after tweaking his right hamstring. "I don't think it is any big deal,'' he said. "It shouldn't be more than a day or two.'' ... Carlos Beltran's triple was his seventh of the year, and moved him into a tie for the major league lead with Jimmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal and Johnny Damon. ... Raul Ibanez has 29 RBI in July, just three short of the team record for the month, set by John Mayberry (1975) and Jermaine Dye (1999).

Rangers-Mariners
TEXAS: The Rangers said RHP Jeff Zimmerman, who was supposed to be their closer this season, will undergo "Tommy John'' surgery on his elbow. Doctors John Conway of the Rangers and Lewis Yocum will confer during the next few days to determine when the surgery will take place. Zimmerman, 29, is expected to need 10-to-12 months for recovery time. Zimmerman underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow May 1. He got a $10 million, three-year contract from the Rangers in January.

SEATTLE: LHP Doug Creek arrived at Safeco Field to join the Mariners' bullpen after an all-day flight from Florida. The Mariners purchased his contract from Tampa Bay on Wednesday. They optioned LHP Brian Fitzgerald back to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for Creek, 33. Creek said he was having lunch with his wife at his home in Tampa when the phone call came that he'd been traded to Seattle. "I don't think I finished it,'' the veteran reliever said Thursday night before his first game in a Mariners' uniform. "I was really excited. I picked my wife up and swung her around a little bit.'' Creek will be the second LHP in the Mariners' bullpen behind Arthur Rhodes. He is looking forward to making a contribution and helping the Mariners in their tight AL West race with Anaheim and Oakland. He left a team with a 32-67 record to join a team with a 61-40 mark. "It's an amazing thing to come over here and expect to win every day,'' Creek said. "The guys here know how to win. It's going to be a lot of fun playing here.''

Athletics-Angels
OAKLAND: The Athletics had two hits and a walk in the first, but sent only four batters to the plate without scoring. Terrence Long was thrown out stealing after hitting a one-out single. Then, after Miguel Tejada singled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and Eric Chavez walked, catcher Jose Molina picked Tejada off second. ... Jermaine Dye's second-inning single snapped an 0-for-13 drought. He wound up going 1-for-4.. . 3B Chavez's wild throw in the second was his 13th error of the season -- one more than he committed last year when he won his first Gold Glove.

ANAHEIM: Garret Anderson, who drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the eighth in Anaheim's 5-4 victory, has hit in 11 straight games -- longest by an Angels player this season. ... Troy Glaus, mired in a 4-for-31 slump to drop his batting average to .244, wasn't in the starting lineup. He entered the game in the eighth and struck out in his only at-bat. ... Closer Troy Percival threw to five batters in a simulated game and pronounced himself ready to pitch. On the disabled list since the All-Star break due to an infection near his left Achilles tendon, Percival is eligible to be activated Saturday. "I feel fine,'' said Percival, 3-1 with 22 saves in 24 chances. "Our bullpen's been doing a great job. As long as we win, you can handle being out. I'm anxious to get back in there.''

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pirates-Astros
PITTSBURGH: The Pirates were shut out in the first inning Thursday for the first time in six games. They scored 12 runs in the first innings of the previous five games. ... Pittsburgh has failed to draw a walk in six games this season, including Wednesday's 10-5 loss to Cincinnati. In games they have not had a walk, the Pirates are 2-4.

HOUSTON: Home runs and RBI have been what has drawn the most attention for Lance Berkman this season, while his average has been far below the .331 he hit last year. But with a 4-for-5 night Wednesday he upped his average to .296. "I'm feeling better at the plate and I hope that continues,'' Berkman said. "Getting the singles is just as important as getting the home runs.'' ... Jose Vizcaino leads all major league pinch-hitters (with 15 or more at-bats) with a .500 average (8-for-16).

Phillies-Cubs
PHILADELPHIA: Manager Larry Bowa said he would trade for LHP Dan Plesac if he had a team in the playoff hunt. Plesac is 2-1 with a 4.61 ERA and one save in 13 2/3 innings for the Phillies since being acquired in May from Toronto. "From a selfish standpoint, I would like to see him stay,'' Bowa said. "But if I was in a pennant race, I'd be calling everybody to get him.'' ... With RHP Robert Person on the disabled list, RHP Joe Roa takes his place in the rotation. Roa, who has a 2.45 ERA in 7 1/3 relief innings, is slated to pitch Saturday against Greg Maddux and Atlanta. Person, who is 4-5 with a 5.44 ERA in 16 starts, has pain in his shoulder and elbow. ... Rookie Brett Myers gets his second major league start Tuesday as the Phillies open a series against the San Francisco Giants.

CHICAGO: Jason Bere was supposed to begin a rehab assignment Friday, but manager Bruce Kimm said the right-hander had a setback and is not ready to pitch. Bere has been on the disabled list since June 27 because of a sore groin. "I have no idea how long it'll be. That's for the medical people to decide,'' Kimm said. "The groin didn't respond after a workout. It actually seemed to go back a little bit. We're just being extra careful with him. It's got to be healed before he can go out there.'' ... Kimm said he has confidence in all of his relievers, but Antonio Alfonseca is the closer -- first, last and almost always. Alfonseca is 13-for-17 in save opportunities with a 2.84 ERA in 41 appearances. Joe Borowski (two saves) and Kyle Farnsworth (one) have the other saves on the club. Kimm could also turn to Tom Gordon -- who had 27 saves last season. "When I look down there, I see a lot of guys. 'Flash' has proven he can do it. Farnsworth, Cruz and even Jeff Fassero, who's done it, all have closer-type stuff. "Antonio is a big, strong guy who could pitch 10 days in a row if you asked him. Unless he gets his pitch count up there two days in a row, Antonio is the closer,'' Kimm said.

Cardinals-Giants
ST. LOUIS: The Cardinals won four of six games against San Francisco this season, winning the season series for the first time since 1997. ... Closer Jason Isringhausen got his 100th career save on Thursday. Unlike last season, when his every outing with the Oakland Athletics seemed to be a dangerous adventure, Isringhausen has been mostly solid with the Cardinals. He has converted 24 of 28 save opportunities. "I'm going to keep the ball and write '100' on it and throw it in the cabinet, but it doesn't really mean anything,'' Isringhausen said. "I'm not out here for personal goals.'' ... Edgar Renteria went 1-for-4 on Thursday, giving him 998 career hits. He is 23-for-55 since the All-Star break.

SAN FRANCISCO: Prized prospect Tony Torcato is expected to make his major league debut this weekend after being recalled from Triple-A Fresno on Thursday. Torcato, the Giants' top pick in the 1998 draft and a native of Northern California, has been one of Fresno's top run-producers this season. ... Thursday's loss to St. Louis dropped San Francisco into a tie with Los Angeles for the NL wild card lead. The teams meet in a three-game series at Pacific Bell Park this weekend. ... Shawon Dunston, playing right field in place of injured Reggie Sanders, had his first three-hit game since Sept. 12, 2000. ... Setup man Felix Rodriguez, who has struggled all season, struck out the side in the eighth.

Padres-Diamondbacks
SAN DIEGO: The Padres purchased the contract of LHP Jason Kershner from Triple-A Portland, and he joined the team for the series opener in Arizona on Thursday. LHP Kevin Pickford was released outright to Portland. Pickford was 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 16 games, including four starts. Kershner was 7-2 with a 3.11 ERA in 30 games with Portland. ... San Diego has won three series in a row after going winless in their previous nine series. ... Padres starting pitchers have posted a 2.16 ERA in their last 17 games.

ARIZONA: 1B Erubiel Durazo is to continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Tucson through Saturday. He is to take batting practice with the Diamondbacks Sunday, then should be activated for the series opener at Montreal next Tuesday. ... Manager Bob Brenly says LHP Randy Johnson has added a few stretching exercises to loosen up his sometimes-stiff back. Johnson will start Friday night against the Padres team that scored eight runs off him in five innings in his last outing. ... SS Tony Womack and OF David Dellucci, the team's hottest hitters in the three-game sweep of Colorado, were out of the lineup Thursday because Brenly said they struggle against pitchers with the style of San Diego LH starter Oliver Perez.

Marlins-Expos
FLORIDA: RHP Carl Pavano, LHP Graeme Lloyd and INF Mike Mordecai made their first appearances at Olympic Stadium since they were traded to the Marlins in the July 11 deal that sent Cliff Floyd to Montreal. ... RHP Brad Penny made his second straight start against the Expos. Penny, who allowed three hits in six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win on Saturday, is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA in three starts against Montreal this season. He is 7-1 with a 1.81 ERA in eight career starts against the Expos. ... 1B Derrek Lee is 13-for-29 (.448) over the course of a nine-game hitting streak, his second of the season. Lee, who also had a nine-game streak from May 7-15, had a career-high 12-game streak last season from Sept. 6-26.

MONTREAL: 2B Jose Vidro missed his fifth straight start due to stiffness in his lower back. ... Cliff Floyd has two hits -- including a double -- in his last five games and is in the midst of a 1-for-21 slump. ... The Expos are 30-17 at home this season. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero leads the NL with 224 total bases. Guerrero is third in the NL with 125 hits, including 19 doubles, one triple and 26 homers. ... The Expos will host promotions for the final three games of the four-game series, including an Andre Dawson bobblehead giveaway on Sunday. All ticketholders for Friday's game will win a free ticket to a weekday game if the Expos beat the Marlins and Saturday's game will feature a discount tickets and a hot dogs promotion.