TUESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Geoff Blum Tied career highs with five RBI and four hits in 16-3 Astros victory, and missed hitting for the cycle by a double. AB R H RBI 6 3 4 5 Hero of the day Something had to give when the Pirates and Rockies both took six-game skids into their game Tuesday. Kris Benson surrendered just three hits in eight innings as Pittsburgh beat Colorado 4-1. Oh, and Pedro Martinez pitched eight innings of two-hit ball as the Red Sox beat the Angels 6-0. Goat of the day Kazuhisa Ishii had his worst start of the season, getting the hook before the third inning ended in the Dodgers' 12-4 loss to the Reds. Not helped by some shaky defense, Ishii gave up eight runs in 2 2/3 innings as L.A. fell to 5-13 since the All-Star break. Injury report Twins OF Torii Hunter was scratched from the lineup just before the first pitch against the White Sox with a mild left hip flexor strain. Indians OF Ellis Burks missed his second straight game with a left shoulder injury. Yankees starter Roger Clemens will make a rehab start Thursday with Double-A Norwich. Torre said he's healthy enough to pitch in the majors, but needs to work on his sharpness. Texas closer Jeff Zimmerman, out all year with injuries, underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a tendon and a ligament in his pitching arm. He's expected to miss another 10 to 12 months. Dodgers RHP Kevin Brown threw 90 pitches in the bullpen at Dodger Stadium without a problem. Brown will throw in the bullpen again Thursday, then start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. Brown, 37, had surgery on a disc in his lower back. Also, L.A.'s RHP Darren Dreifort had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn cartilage from his right knee. Marlins C Charles Johnson was out of the starting lineup with a sore left thumb -- the same injury that has hindered him all season. Stat of the day Frank Thomas of the White Sox walked twice in a 3-0 victory over the Twins to give him 1,250 for his career, passing Ty Cobb for 37th all-time. Streak of the day The A's Miguel Tejada extended his hitting streak to a career-high 19 games, the longest in the AL this season, with a single in the fifth in a loss to the Indians. The last word "When you're 39, you should get at least 10 runs per game." -- Yankees starter David Wells, who did get four HRs of support in a 9-6 victory over the Rangers.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees at Rangers
New York: RHP Roger Clemens is headed for another rehab start, either Thursday or Friday. Manager Joe Torre said Clemens is physically strong enough to start in the majors Thursday, but with six starters the team can afford to let him take his time. "He's not sharp command-wise,'' Torre said. "So he'll go out and pitch one more time. This is for his mechanics.'' ... RHP Orlando Hernandez did not experience any further swelling after being hit on the right shin with a Alex Rodriguez line drive in Monday night's game. Hernandez stayed in the game and allowed five hits over six innings in the 9-2 victory. ...The Yankees already have acquired Jeff Weaver and Raul Mondesi, so no major deals are anticipated as Wednesday's trading deadline approaches. "I don't expect anything,'' Torre said. ... Closer Mariano Rivera threw 30 times from 50 feet off flat ground in Tampa as he continues his rehab from a mild strain of his right shoulder. Rivera is due to come off the 15-day disabled list in a week, but Torre did not know if Rivera would be ready then. Texas: Alex Rodriguez had 273 homers before turning 27 last Saturday, the most in major league history for a player prior to his 27th birthday. Jimmie Foxx is second all-time with 266 before turning 27 and Eddie Mathews is third with 253. ... RHP Jeff Zimmerman underwent surgery on his right elbow Tuesday in Los Angeles. The operation to repair the flexor tendon and reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, assisted by Rangers director of medical services Dr. John Conway. Zimmerman, who entered spring training as the Texas closer, will need 10 to 12 months to recover.

Tigers at Mariners
Detroit: Manager Luis Pujols worked with C Brandon Inge in the bullpen before Tuesday's game after Inge committed a throwing error and a passed ball in Monday night's 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners. Inge dislocated his left shoulder in May and it popped out again last week. "I'm going to do some drills with him,'' said Pujols, a former catcher. "He had one bad day. I want to talk to him about some stuff. I also want to find out if his shoulder is OK, too.'' ... RF Robert Fick, the Tigers' representative in the All-Star game, was given Thursday's game off. Fick has played in 98 of Detroit's 104 games, hitting .291 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs. "He's played almost every day,'' Pujols said. "I want to make sure he's fresh because he's been playing a lot.'' ... Pujols said he didn't think the Tigers would make a deal before Wednesday's trading deadline. "I think everything is quiet,'' he said. Seattle: Utilityman Desi Relaford was unavailable for the second straight game Tuesday because of a strained muscle in his right side. A switch-hitter, Relaford can't swing from the left side. "I don't want to go on the disabled list,'' Relaford said. Relaford hurt himself swinging from the left side in the batting cage five days ago and reaggravated his injury in Sunday's game. "If he's hurting, we won't use him,'' manager Lou Piniella said before Tuesday's game. "That's for sure.'' Relaford did get into the game as a pinch-runner in the 10th inning, and scored the winning run on Mark McLemore's squeeze bunt. ... Piniella was mum on the possibility of the Mariners making a swap before Wednesday's trading deadline. "I'm not supposed to be talking about trades,'' Piniella said. "That's not my department. I talk about managing this baseball team.'' Mariners Chairman and CEO Howard Lincoln has said the team won't go over its $90 million payroll.

Orioles at Devil Rays
Baltimore: RHP Pat Hentgen, who had elbow ligament replacement surgery last August, threw 90 pitches in a simulated game at the Orioles' minor league complex in Sarasota, Fla. "It was a good outing, it really was,'' manager Mike Hargrove said. Hentgen could start a rehab assignment the first week of August. ... RHP Jason Johnson, on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, threw off a bullpen mound. "He's coming around,'' Hargrove said. ... OF Jeff Conine (hamstring) has started running on a treadmill. He could go out for a rehab stint next month. ... 1B David Segui (left hand) took batting practice left-handed, but remains sidelined indefinitely. ... SS Melvin Mora broke three bats in his first two at-bats Monday against Tampa Bay starter Paul Wilson. "Mora said he got a new order of 12 dozen bats, and so he said keeping throwing,'' Devil Rays catcher John Flaherty said. "That's Mora. He has a good time up there.'' Tampa Bay: GM Chuck LaMar said his gut feeling is the Devil Rays won't make a trade before Wednesday's non-waiver trading deadline. Four or five teams have expressed interest in All-Star CF Randy Winn. "Some clubs would have withdrawn his name and said we're not trading him,'' LaMar said. "With our win-loss record, I can't do that.'' There has also been interest in RHP Paul Wilson. ... Winn was out of the starting lineup. Both LaMar and manager Hal McRae said the move was just to give Winn a break. ... LF Greg Vaughn (right shoulder) reported no discomfort after his latest batting practice session. There is no timetable for his return ... RHP Matt White has been promoted from Class-A Charleston to Double-A Orlando. White, who had rotator cuff surgery 14 months ago, received a $10.2 million signing bonus in 1996. ... Hudson Valley, a Devil Rays' farm team in the New York-Penn League, beat Lowell 13-9 in 18 innings Monday. The contest lasted 5, hours, 56 minutes and ended at 1:05 a.m.

Blue Jays at Royals
Toronto: Steve Parris, the Blue Jays' probale starter Wednesday starter, has been mentioned in possible deals. "I've resigned myself to not worrying about it,'' Parris said. ... Carlos Delgado walked in the first inning Tuesday and leads the American League with 75 walks. ... The Blue Jays' run in the seventh inning Monday snapped an 18-inning scoreless drought. ... The Blue Jays have eight rookies on their roster and have used 13 rookies this season. The club record is 16 rookies in 1977. ...The Blue Jays need nine victories to reach 2,000 in franchise history. Kansas City: Royals manager Tony Pena said he is not expecting first baseman Mike Sweeney back before mid-August at the earliest. Sweeney, who leads the American League with a .355 average, has not played since July 13 because of a lower back and left hip strain. Pena said Sweeney would probably need a two-week rehab in the minors before returning to the big league lineup. Sweeney still has pain and has not been allowed to do any baseball related activities. ... Chuck Knoblauch was caught stealing Monday for the first time this season in 18 attempts. ... Aaron Guiel, who is in a 1-for-18 slump, was held out of the lineup.

Indians at Athletics
Cleveland: RHP Ryan Drese attended high school in Oakland and went to Cal-Berkeley. He grew up an Athletics fan and made his debut at the Coliseum on Tuesday night. "It's definitely going to be special,'' said Drese. "I came to 20, 30 games a year growing up. I loved the A's back then. It was a dream of mine to play here and the dream is finally coming true.'' Drese was originally drafted by the A's out of Bishop O'Dowd High School in 1994, but he elected to attend Cal instead. Cleveland drafted him in the fifth round in 1998. He brought an 8-8 record with a 7.03 ERA into Tuesday night's game. "If you're playing fantasy baseball he's not a good guy to have,'' said Cleveland pitching coach Mike Brown. ... INF Marshall McDougall, who's on the disabled list at Midland of the Texas League with a hamstring strain, was acquired in a trade from the Oakland A's for LHP Ricardo Rincon before Tuesday's game. "In Marshall McDougall we have infused yet another upper level prospect into our minor league organization,'' said GM Mark Shapiro. ... OF Ellis Burks missed his second straight game with a left shoulder injury. "He doesn't know when it happened, it just showed up,'' Indians' manager Joel Skinner said. "He complained a little bit, so we'll see how he responds to treatment.'' Oakland: LHP Ricardo Rincon was acquired from the Cleveland Indians just as the team took the field to start Tuesday night's game against the Indians. The A's sent minor league infielder Marshall McDougall to the Indians. Rincon, who got two outs against the A's on Monday, was 1-4 with a 4.79 ERA in 46 games with Cleveland this season. ... LHP Mike Magnante was designated for assignment to make room for Rincon. ... 3B Eric Chavez missed Tuesday night's game against the Indians with a mild hamstring problem. Chavez will likely also miss Wednesday's game as a precautionary measure. "It's better to give him a day or two now than have problems for two or three weeks,'' A's manager Art Howe said. "The trainers recommended we monitor it day to day.'' Mark Ellis was moved to third base and Ray Durham started at second.

Red Sox at Angels
Boston: RHP John Burkett went home to Arlington, Texas, on Monday to be with his ailing 6-year-old daughter. He's scheduled to start Thursday at Texas, and manager Grady Little expects Burkett to make his turn. "He said he would be there to pitch that day, so we don't feel we need a contingency plan,'' Little said. ... Little said before the game that the team is still exploring trades ahead of Wednesday's deadline, but that he'd prefer not to deplete the minor league system for someone who'll be with the Red Sox for just six weeks. The only exception Little made was Montreal OF Cliff Floyd, whom the Red Sox are said to be interested in. "The only player I feel would make a lot of sense, if we could get him,'' Little said. "He's got a lot of sock. The guy can hit.'' ... Little said the reason why Manny Ramirez was moved from LF to the DH spot Monday and Tuesday night was because of a sore arch that affects his running ability. Anaheim: Struggling INF Troy Glaus was given Tuesday off by manager Mike Scioscia. Glaus is batting .240, and was 0-for-4 with a strikeout Monday night. "We want Troy to take a breath,'' Scioscia said. "He'll back out there Wednesday and hopefully move forward.'' ... LHP Dennis Cook, on the DL since July 13 with a torn labrum and rotator cuff, played catch Tuesday. "He felt good and his shoulder feels a lot better,'' Scioscia said. ... Scioscia said Angels GM Bill Stoneman has "a lot of things in the works'' on the eve of the trade deadline. Scioscia said he'd like to add depth to the bullpen and offense, but if the Angels don't make any moves, he said, "I feel very, very confident with the group of guys we have. We're going to continue to move forward.'' ... Retired OF-INF Bobby Bonilla visited on the field before the game. Bonilla was a reserve for St. Louis last season, became a free agent and wasn't picked up by any teams. He works to promote the charity of the players' union, the Player's Trust for Children.

White Sox at Twins
Chicago: 3B Joe Crede, recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday along with catcher Josh Paul, jumped right into the starting lineup against the Twins. "I think he has developed very well,'' manager Jerry Manuel said. ''(The Charlotte coaching staff) has done a good job with keeping him patient.'' Crede, named by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in a preseason poll, hit .306 with 24 homeruns and 65 RBIs in 95 games with the Knights. Manuel said he hopes to start Crede at third for the rest of the season. ... With Crede at third base, Manuel wants to split time at shortstop between Jose Valentin and Royce Clayton. "As long as people are on the team, you've got to try to take care of everybody,'' Manuel said. Valentin started Tuesday. ... RHP Todd Ritchie did some light throwing Tuesday. Manuel said he would wait until Wednesday to see how Ritchie, who has inflammation in his right shoulder, felt before deciding when to put him back in the starting rotation. "We've got to see how his shoulder responds. I like to take it slowly,'' Manuel said. Minnesota: RHP Brad Radke rejoined the team Tuesday after finishing his rehab assignment Monday night with Class-A Fort Myers, Fla. Radke, who went 4 2-3 innings and allowed five hits and an earned run Monday night, has been on the DL since May 30 after reaggravating a pulled right groin injury, which he originally injured May 13 at Kansas City. He's scheduled to start Saturday night against the Royals, manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's great to be back here,'' Radke said. "It's fun to watch them on TV, but not as fun as it is to be here.'' ... Gardenhire said RHP Rick Reed, who missed his last start Sunday with tenderness in his right index finger, could be back in the rotation for Friday's game against Kansas City. ... Jeff Clement, the Twins' unsigned 12th round pick in last month's draft took batting practice Tuesday, knocking a few pitches into the stands. "He's fun to watch,'' Gardenhire said. "He seemed to not be in awe too much.''

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rockies at Pirates
Colorado: LHP Kent Mercker joined the team after being activated from the disabled list. He had been out since June 6 with a lacerated left hand. LHP Brian Fuentes was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Several teams have contacted the Rockies about RHP John Thomson, who stayed on his regular schedule by pitching three innings in the Hall of Fame exhibition game Monday. Several major league scouts attended to watch Thomson. ... Former Pirates OF Jose Guillen recently signed with the Rockies and was assigned to Colorado Springs. The Rockies are Guillen's fourth team, following the Pirates, Devil Rays and Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh: OF Armando Rios (knee, calf) figured he would be in the Pirates' starting lineup this weekend when they played his former team, the Giants. Instead, he's unhappy to still be on a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Nashville that won't end until Saturday. Rios said he's ready to play now, but general manager Dave Littlefield disagrees. ... The Pirates don't expect to be as active at the trade deadline as a year ago, when they dealt Jason Schmidt, John Vander Wal and Mike Williams. But Littlefield said he is actively engaged in talks as Wednesday's 4 p.m. EDT deadline approaches. Among the Pirates who might draw interest are relievers Scott Sauerbeck and Brian Boehringer. ... Manager Lloyd McClendon doesn't think the six-game losing streak the Pirates dragged in wipes away the positives that occurred earlier this season. The Pirates won nine of 12 immediately after the All-Star break. McClendon said, "We've got to keep everything in perspective. Until six days ago, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves. We've hit a bump in the road, but I don't think the last six games will deter us. We've got to go out and get it back together.''

Diamondbacks at Expos
Arizona: The Diamondbacks brought a season-high seven-game winning streak into the series opener. Arizona, 13-5 since the All-Star break, went 3-0 against Colorado before sweeping four from San Diego for a perfect homestand. ... Arizona swept a three-game home series against the Expos from May 3-5. The Diamondbacks came in 18-18 overall against Montreal. Montreal: Expos GM Omar Minaya has been busy working the phones before Wednesday's trade deadline. Despite being 15 games behind Atlanta in the NL East and seven games behind Los Angeles in the wild card race, Minaya said he has not been given any directive to cut the team's $40 million payroll. "I am in a position where I'm trying to improve the club, if possible, but I also have to be realistic and look where I am in the standings,'' Minaya said. ... C Michael Barrett missed his fifth straight start because of a bruised left forearm. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero is in a 1-for-16 slump and hasn't had an RBI in his last nine games. ... The Expos have hit 31 homers in their last 22 games, including seven by Guerrero and six by rookie CF Brad Wilkerson.

Cardinals at Marlins
St. Louis: 3B Scott Rolen, traded from Philadelphia a day earlier, made his Cardinals debut. Wearing No. 16 instead of No. 17 (Dizzy Dean's retired number), Rolen grounded into a double play in his first at-bat. He singled in his second at-bat. ... The Cardinals took advantage of an off day Monday and a left-handed starter Tuesday to give OF J.D. Drew two days' rest. Drew, battling tendinitis in his right knee, played all three games against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend. The knee injury put Drew on the 15-day DL earlier this month. ... The Cards hit back-to-back homers for the fourth time this season. Tino Martinez and Edgar Renteria had consecutive shots in the fifth inning against LHP Michael Tejera. Florida: The trade deadline could leave the Marlins without several starters Wednesday. It also might not affect them at all, general manager Larry Beinfest said. "I would not be surprised if nothing happened,'' Beinfest said Tuesday. "But if something makes sense, we're going to do it.'' ... C Charles Johnson was out of the starting lineup with a sore left thumb _ the same injury that has hindered him all season. He hurt the thumb late in Saturday's game against Montreal. "We'll give him a couple of days,'' manager Jeff Torborg said.

Giants at Phillies
San Francisco: CF Kenny Lofton homered in his first at-bat with the Giants since coming over from Chicago in a trade Sunday. It was his 24th career leadoff homer. ... RF Reggie Sanders was back in the lineup after missing five games with a strained right hamstring. ... LF Barry Bonds, out with a hamstring injury, took batting practice but didn't run. He's not expected to play in this series. Philadelphia: LHP Hector Mercado was sent to Triple-A Scranton to make room on the roster for reliever Mike Timlin, acquired in a five-player deal that sent Scott Rolen to St. Louis on Monday. ... 3B Placido Polanco, acquired along with Timlin, flied out in his first at-bat with the Phillies. ... Manager Larry Bowa used his 63rd different lineup in 105 games. ... LF Pat Burrell has more homers than the starting infield _ 1B Travis Lee, 2B Marlon Anderson, SS Jimmy Rollins and Polanco. Burrell had a 25-23 lead entering the game.

Astros at Mets
Houston: The team's players' association representatives met with union cheif Donald Fehr, but catcher Brad Ausmus downplayed its significance. "It was just an informational thing,'' Ausmus said. "I don't feel like setting a strike date is imminent, though it is probably necessary in order to get things solved.'' ... Houston had its first day off Monday since the All-Star break. The Astros went 12-6 during that stretch. New York: 3B Edgardo Alfonzo was back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday's 6-5 win over Cincinnati. Alfonzo had a stiff neck that affected his swing, but told manager Bobby Valentine he was fine after a day off. ... Reserve Joe McEwing began his rehab assignment by going 1-for-4 as the DH for Class-A Brooklyn. McEwing continued his assignment as the third baseman for Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday. ... GM Steve Phillips said he wasn't hopeful of making a deal before Wednesday's trade deadline despite several new options arising in the past day. "I'm making more calls than I'm getting, which is good,'' said Phillips, who said he thought there might be some late-season trades. "I still have a feeling that after the waivers period there are going to be some deals made.''

Dodgers at Reds
Los Angeles: RHP Kevin Brown threw 90 pitches in the bullpen at Dodger Stadium without a problem. He also threw 80 pitches in the bullpen on Sunday with good results. Manager Jim Tracy said Brown will throw in the bullpen again Thursday, then start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas. "There's a good chance that he will pitch again (with the Dodgers) before Sept. 1,'' Tracy said. Brown, 37, has been on the disabled list this season with a sore elbow and a bad back. He had surgery to fix a disc in the lower back on June 11. Brown went 2-3 with a 4.06 ERA in nine starts before the elbow and back sidelined him. He has been on the disabled list 10 times in his 15-year major league career, including twice this season and six times since signing a $105 million, seven-year contract with Los Angeles in December 1998. ... RHP Darren Dreifort had exploratory arthroscopic surgery in Los Angeles to find out what's causing pain in his right knee. Doctors removed cartilage chips from the knee. Dreifort, who had reconstructive elbow surgery last July, has been on the disabled list all season. He threw a simulated game July 15 as part of his comeback. ... Setup man Paul Shuey joined the team from Cleveland, which traded him Sunday for Terry Mulholland and two minor league pitchers. Shuey had to take No. 44 instead of his customary 53 _ Don Drysdale's retired number. Cincinnati: SS Barry Larkin was back in the lineup after missing two games with a sore lower right calf. ... Left-handed reliever Gabe White did some fielding drills before the game, but was still bothered by the broken small toe on his right foot. White, who's been on the DL since July 13, is hoping to be activated in the next few days. ... RHP Joey Hamilton had no problems with his hamstring as he went six innings for Triple-A Louisville on Monday night, giving up two runs in six innings. Hamilton went on the DL, retroactive to July 8, to recover from a pulled hamstring. He said it's been no problem in two starts for Louisville. "It's to a point where it won't be a factor for the rest of the year,'' he said Tuesday. "My velocity is real nice. The leg is good. It's just a matter of politics.'' The pitching staff is full, leaving no place for Hamilton. ... 1B Sean Casey got a cortisone shot in the back of his left shoulder over the weekend, but he won't know whether it's working until he takes batting practice in a couple of days. He tore a muscle in the shoulder early this season, and got a cortisone shot last month that helped for a couple of weeks.

Brewers at Braves
Milwaukee: C Raul Casanova began a 20-day rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday and went 0-for-3. ... 1B Richie Sexson was named NL player of the week for the first time. He hit .550 (11-for-20) with two home runs and nine RBIs. Coming in, Sexson was 11-for-15 (.733) in his last four games. ... LHP Glendon Rusch is 0-5 with a 7.46 ERA in his past six starts and has allowed eight homers in 27 2-3 innings in his past five starts. Atlanta: Reliever Kevin Gryboski, placed on the 15-day DL Saturday (retroactive to July 24), had an MRI exam on his sore right elbow. It revealed a strained flexor muscle, but no structural damage. The right-hander will not throw for 10 days. "I've got 10 days to get the swelling down, then work my way back slowly,'' said Gryboski, who was 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 39 2-3 innings. "Knowing there's no structural damage, I can throw my way through this.'' ... John Smoltz needs one save to match Mark Wohlers' club record of 39 in 1996. Smoltz has an Atlanta-record 24 straight saves.

Padres at Cubs
San Diego: The Padres' bench had only right-handed hitters, a problem that creeps up from time to time for manager Bruce Bochy. "It's been like that the last few games, when you put certain lineups out there. It's probably a need for us,'' Bochy said. ... OF Ray Lankford, whom Bochy said could come off the disabled list Friday, would provide a left-handed option. Lankford has been out since July 5 because of a a sore hamstring. "He's real close, about ready. Probably when we get back home, we're going to have to decide which way we're going to go,'' Bochy said. ... Bochy has been operating with 12 pitchers, but said the team would go with 11 starting next weekend. ... Bochy can relate to Cubs interim manager Bruce Kimm, who has made himself culpable publicly for recent moves that have backfired. "He's taking responsibility for the losses. It takes a load off the players,'' Bochy said. "We're going through a rough year here and I feel responsible. I've always thought 'Maybe there was something I could have done differently.' But you can't kill yourself doing that every game, or you're not going to make it.'' Chicago: C Joe Girardi is expected to come off the disabled list when he's eligible Thursday. Girardi, who strained his left ribcage July 17, was practicing defensive drills at full speed. "He looked pretty good,'' manager Bruce Kimm said. "By all indications, looks like he will be able to come off. I've touched base with him quite a bit and (last weekend) he said he felt great.'' ... RHP Mark Prior made his first appearance against his hometown team. The 21-year-old rookie made sure to stop Padres broadcaster Rick Sutcliffe in the clubhouse. Sutcliffe said Prior, who was named San Diego County's player of the year in 1998 by the Union-Tribune, provided him with a long list of people to acknowledge on the telecast back to Southern California.