FRIDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Gary Matthews Jr. Fourth hit capped O's rally from seven runs down to beat the Blue Jays. AB R H RBI 5 2 4 3 Hero of the day After the Rangers scored 36 runs in two games, Derek Lowe shut them down in the Red Sox's 13-0 victory Friday. Lowe, who won his AL-best 15th game, surrendered two hits in his seven innings against Texas. Goat of the day An eighth-inning throwing error by Dodgers 3B Tyler Houston allowed two Phillies runs to score, lifting Philadelphia to a 3-1 victory. The game was tied 1-1 when Houston threw wildly to first base, letting the runs score. Injury report White Sox INF Jose Valentin, who was slated to start at third, was a late scratched with a stiff neck. He was going to replace 3B Joe Crede, who was out of the starting lineup with a sore left thumb. DH Ellis Burks was out of the Indians' lineup because of a strained left shoulder. He left Thursday night's game in the ninth inning because of the injury. Burks, 37, had X-rays after the game, but they did not show anything. The Expos placed LF Wil Cordero on the 15-day DL because of a strained muscle in his left calf Twins 1B Doug Mientkiewicz had back spasms early Friday and did not start, but he took over at first base in the eighth inning. Cincinnati RHP Elmer Dessens, who left Thursday's start with a strained right groin, will be evaluated again Saturday in San Diego. INF Ramon Vazquez was a late scratch from the Padres lineup because of a stomach virus. Stat of the day Giants closer Rob Nen was within a strike of his 300th save three times and failed to get it each time in San Francisco's 6-5 loss to the Pirates. Brian Giles' two-run double spoiled Nen's bid for the milestone save. Nen (4-1) was trying to become the 16th pitcher in MLB history to record 300 saves. Streak of the day Athletics third baseman Miguel Tejada extended his hitting streak to 22 games - the longest streak in the American League this year - in Oakland's 3-1 loss to the Tigers. His teammate, Barry Zito, had his 16-decision home win streak snapped. The last word "That's the Kerry Wood that I hated to face when I was in Houston." -- Moises Alou of the Cubs, after watching Wood strike out 13 Rockies in Chicago's 6-4 victory.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Orioles at Blue Jays
Baltimore: OF/INF Melvin Mora said he didn't deserve to be suspended four games for fighting with Boston's Jason Varitek during a brawl last weekend. He said his fight with Varitek was justified. "Varitek talked bad language. I said 'Well, you got a problem let's fight,''' Mora said. "Somebody said I punched Varitek behind the back. No way. Watch the tape.'' Mora, who is appealing, said he deserved to be suspended for one or two games. ... Manager Mike Hargrove gave OF Marty Cordova a day off. Cordova has a sore foot and Hargrove didn't want him playing on the turf. ... Baltimore's 11-game road trip is the its longest of the season. Toronto: 2B Dave Berg is day to day with tightness in his right shoulder. ... OF Vernon Wells hit a team-high .340 in July and led the team with six home runs and 24 RBI. ... The Blue Jays entered Friday's game having won 14 of 16 against the Orioles. ... Alumni Week, running from Aug. 6-11, will feature players from Toronto's 1992 World Series championship team. Cito Gaston, Devon White, Tom Henke, Candy Maldonado, Jack Morris and Juan Guzman will attend.

White Sox at Devil Rays
Chicago: 3B Joe Crede (sore left thumb) was out of the starting lineup. Manager Jerry Manuel said Crede could return Saturday. ... Jose Valentin, originally scheduled to move from shortstop to third, was a late scratch with a stiff neck. Royce Clayton started at shortstop, and Tony Graffanino got the call at third. ... RHP Gary Glover, who went to high school in Deland, Fla., pitched for the first time at Tropicana Field. ... RHP Todd Ritchie, Saturday's starter, is 5-14 and the talk about a potential 20 loss season continues. "I'm not really going to try and do something different because of that situation,'' Manuel said. "I'll do what I have do to win the game.'' ... The White Sox arrived at their St. Petersburg hotel at 4 a.m. after playing a night game at Minnesota. Tampa Bay: INF Russ Johnson, who left the team for personal reasons last month, was reinstated from the restricted list and then was placed on the 15-day DL. ... The commissioner's office has decided that RHP Esteban Yan will not be suspended for hitting Boston's Manny Ramirez during a game July 18 that saw four batters hit by pitches. "I think we can say that chapter is closed,'' manager Hal McRae said. "They (commissioner's office) seem to understand there is no ill will by either side.'' ... RHP Ryan Rupe (right knee) is throwing five minutes off a bullpen mound every other day. He said the sessions should become longer in the next week or so. ... LF Greg Vaughn, out since June 23 with a right shoulder injury, threw from 90 feet. ... RHP Victor Zambrano, who will moved out the bullpen for his first start of the season Monday, will throw 85-90 pitches.

Red Sox at Rangers
Boston: Thursday night's 19-7 defeat to the Rangers was Boston's most lopsided loss of the season. Red Sox pitchers allowed season-highs for runs and hits (20) and matched a season-high by giving up six homers. ...Trot Nixon and Jason Varitek each went hitless against Texas on Thursday to end their 16-game hitting streaks. Texas: CF Todd Hollandsworth, acquired in a trade with Colorado on Wednesday, says there's a lot to be determined in the next two months. Hollandsworth can become a free agent at the end of the season and he's unsure about his future. With a strong finish, he could interest the Rangers in a long-term contract. "We'll see,'' he said. "It's tough to answer right now. They're testing me out and we'll see how me and my family like Texas.''. ...With 13 letters, Hollandsworth becomes the player with the longest last name in Rangers history. The previous high was 11 letters by nine players, including current Ranger Frank Catalanotto. ...LHP Dennys Reyes joined the club Friday. He was given an extra day to attend to personal business in Colorado after he was traded to the Rangers on Wednesday.

Royals at Twins
Kansas City: Injured 1B Mike Sweeney is beginning a rehab stint at Triple-A Omaha this weekend. Sweeney has been on the disabled list since July 24 with a lower back and hip strain. It's no coincidence that the Royals, who won nine in a row from July 11-20, have lost nine of their last 10. ... Kansas City activated LHP Jeremy Affeldt from the disabled list after their game Thursday. Affeldt had missed 48 games with a finger injury. The Royals sent Kris Wilson to Double-A Wichita to make room for Affeldt. ... Luis Rivas stole second base in the second inning, the first steal against Kansas City since July 6. Minnesota: CF Torii Hunter returned to the lineup after missing the past three games with a mild left hip strain. Manager Ron Gardenhire said the team's 15-game lead didn't affect his decision to hold Hunter out; he simply didn't want Hunter to aggravate the injury ... Relief pitcher Mike Jackson, on the DL since July 27 with shoulder tendinitis, made about 50 throws on Thursday and reported no problems. ... The Twins have recorded attendance figures of more than 25,000 in each of their last seven home games. They hadn't done that since 1993. ... Over the past two seasons, Minnesota is 77-45 against fellow AL Central teams, but 74-75 outside.

Indians at Mariners
Cleveland: DH Ellis Burks was out of the Indians' lineup Friday night because of a strained left shoulder. He left Thursday night's game in the ninth inning because of the injury after going 1-for-3. Burks, 37, had X-rays after the game, but they did not show anything, interim manager Joel Skinner said. Skinner said he did not know how serious Burks' shoulder injury was and did not know how long he was going to be out of the lineup. Burks is hitting .277 with 23 home runs and 63 RBI. ... C.C. Sabathia, who started Thursday night's 10-6 loss to the Mariners, is 0-3 with a 7.44 ERA in his last six starts. A 17-game winner as a rookie, he's 6-9 this season. In Thursday night's game, Sabathia apparently ran out of gas after taking a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning. "That's a barrier,'' Skinner said. "It's been a hump C.C. has had a tough time getting through.'' The Indians list the 6-foot-7 Sabathia at 270 pounds. He appears to be much heavier. "C.C. is a big guy,'' Skinner said. Seattle: Rookie RHP Rafael Soriano, who pitched in 10 games for the Mariners this season, was activated from the 15-day DL and optioned to Double-A San Antonio on Friday. Soriano, 22, was placed on the disabled list on July 10 with a sore right shoulder. Manager Lou Piniella said Soriano was sent to San Antonio instead of Triple-A Tacoma because the weather was warmer in San Antonio. He said Soriano would be a starting pitcher in San Antonio and is expected to make his first start there Monday. Piniella said Soriano could be called up by Seattle in September and possibly in August if the team has an injury to one of its pitchers. "I thought he threw the ball well here,'' he said. "I thought he competed and learned some things. He needs to improve his breaking ball and his offspeed stuff, but I think he has a bright future.''

Tigers at Athletics
Detroit: LHP Mark Redman made his first start for the Tigers since the trade deadline Friday. Redman was the most coveted member of the Tigers, GM Dave Dombrowski said, but it would have taken a spectacular offer to pry him away. Dombrowski stood pat at the deadline, hanging on to his building blocks such as Brandon Inge and Carlos Pena -- and also failing to move high-priced veterans such as Damion Easley and Bobby Higginson. ... The Tigers endured a five-game losing streak despite holding opponents to 7-of-40 hitting with runners in scoring position. Homers were often their downfall, such as the four homers Oakland hit on Thursday night. ... 3B Shane Halter returned to Detroit's lineup on Friday after missing Thursday's game. C Matt Walbeck took over for Inge, and Craig Paquette, who had struck out in each of his previous eight games, was the DH. Oakland: The A's released LHP Mike Magnante on Friday, possibly ending the reliever's 12-season career. Magnante, 37, had been mostly terrible for Oakland this season, going 0-2 with a 5.97 ERA in 32 games and allowing opponents to hit .317 against him. His ineffectiveness led the A's to pick up LHP Ricardo Rincon from the Indians on Tuesday for prized prospect Marshall McDougall. ... In Magnante's final appearance for the A's, he allowed Lee Stevens' game-winning homer in Cleveland's 8-6 victory on Monday night. ... The A's will allow fans to contribute to a fund established for Jaunnicia Milton, a 7-year-old Oakland girl who witnessed the murders of both her father and her mother in the past year. Milton's plight has attracted an outpouring of support from the community, and the A's will take donations for the fund at their executive offices through the end of the season.

Yankees at Angels
New York: Expos president Tony Tavares and GM Omar Minaya issued a statement Friday asking New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to apologize for his criticism of the deal that sent Cliff Floyd to Boston. The club had no comment, but manager Joe Torre expects the Red Sox to be an even bigger challenge to their string of four consecutive AL pennants. "They've given us a tough time without him,'' Torre said. "So with his addition, it's going to be tougher because it gives them more balance from the left side. But it's still going to come down to how well they can pitch.'' ... Roger Clemens, expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday after being sidelined with a groin injury, got a cortisone shot in his right foot Friday. He will throw on Monday in New York with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre observing, and a decision will be made where to slot him. Clemens, who turns 40 on Sunday, needs 12 victories for 300. ... Closer Mariano Rivera threw 20 pitches off a mound Friday with no problems. He is expected to throw to live hitters on Sunday and make a rehab appearance before being activated sometime late next week. ... Derek Jeter has 25 stolen bases in 26 attempts this season, and is 74-for-82 since the start of the 2000 season. His career stolen base percentage entering Friday was .796 (160-for-201). "He had to be shoved early on,'' Torre said. "He was always a daring player, but on the basepaths, I don't think he was as comfortable the first couple of years as he is now. He isn't afraid of making a mistake. He's on his own, but we have a sign that will stop him.'' Anaheim: INF Jose Nieves cleared waivers Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Sale Lake, one day after the Angels designated him for assignment. Nieves was jettisoned in order to make room on the roster for C Bengie Molina, who returned from the DL. ... Alex Ochoa, whom the Angels acquired Wednesday from Milwaukee in exchange for C Jorge Fabregas, made his Angels debut Friday as the starting right fielder while Tim Salmon served as the DH. The Angels are Ochoa's seventh major league team in six seasons. "I've never taken it as a negative,'' Ochoa said. "I've enjoyed every place I've played. It's tough leaving your teammates, but when you go from last place to first, you can't help but be excited. The hardest part is moving all your stuff.''

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Rockies at Cubs
Colorado: The Rockies recalled OF Jack Cust from Triple-A Colorado Springs before the game and optioned catcher Ben Petrick back to Triple-A. Cust hit his first major league home run in the ninth off Cubs closer Antonio Alfonseca. Cust was hitting .265 with 23 home runs and 55 RBI for Colorado Springs. He was called up last September with the Arizona Diamondbacks and played in only three games, going 1-for-2 with a single. ... Larry Walker was named NL player of the month for July. Walker hit .438 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI in the month. Walker hit .410 in June and became the first player since Paul O'Neill in 1994 to hit over .400 in consecutive months. ... With the acquisition of Gabe Kapler, the Rockies add depth to their outfield. "Crowded is a good word. Kapler is going to play on the corners, but he can play center,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. Chicago: OF Chad Hermansen reported to the team after being traded from Pittsburgh. "I think a change in scenery, a change in atmosphere will be really good for me, and hopefully things work out,'' Hermansen said. With limited playing time in Pittsburgh, Hermansen was hoping to be dealt. "It was kind of coming to that point,'' he said. "I felt like I had a couple of different chances with Pittsburgh and things just weren't going well. With the role that I was coming off the bench with them after starting, and it was just kind of getting hard to play once a week and trying to be successful. I will probably have that same role here, but at least it's a different atmosphere and hopefully I can get used to it.'' ... RHP Jon Lieber was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of right elbow tendinitis. He will see Dr. James Andrews on Monday. Chicago recalled RHP Francis Beltran from Double-A West Tennessee.

Astros at Expos
Houston: The Astros brought a four-game winning streak at Olympic Stadium into the game. Houston swept a three-game series here last May on its way to a 6-0 mark against Montreal last season. The Expos won two of three in Houston earlier this season. ... The Astros' .988 fielding percentage leads the majors. Houston has made 49 errors this season, the fewest in the majors. Montreal: Expos president Tony Tavares and general manager Omar Minaya issued a statement asking New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to apologize for his criticism of the deal that sent Cliff Floyd to Boston. Tavares discussed the statement with commissioner Bud Selig before issuing it. "I sort of regret doing this because I think this is a time that owners should be showing unity, but we didn't pick this fight,'' Tavares said. ... LF Wil Cordero was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained muscle in his left calf. Cordero was hurt in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Arizona. INF Henry Mateo was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa for the third time this season. ... The Expos have a Gary Carter bobblehead promotion scheduled for Sunday's series finale.

Brewers at Marlins
Milwaukee: The Brewers placed pitcher Jimmy Osting on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 14 with a strained left shoulder. ... C Jorge Fabregas, who was acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Wednesday, was the fourth Brewers player to make a homecoming visit Friday. Fabregas, infielders Lenny Harris and Ron Belliard and outfielder Alex Sanchez live in South Florida during the offseason. Florida: The series opener marked the 1,500th regular-season game in franchise history. ... Marlins pitchers have rebounded from a 10-0 loss to Atlanta on July 24 with a 3.19 ERA. in their past seven games.

Giants at Pirates
San Francisco: LF Barry Bonds returned to the lineup after not starting Thursday in Philadelphia because of his sore hamstring. He expects to start Saturday night, but might not start Sunday, a day game following a night game. He went into the series needing four homers to become the fourth major leaguer with 600 home runs. After this weekend, the Giants return home for six games against the Cubs and Pirates. ... The Giants have lost each of their last three series. ... RHP Jason Schmidt starts Saturday night against Pittsburgh, which traded him to the Giants a year ago this week. The Giants are 21-8 in his 29 starts since the trade. Schmidt has a 3.01 ERA in his last 12 starts. Pittsburgh: The Pirates played the Giants for the first time this season. Pittsburgh still hasn't played Florida or Atlanta. ... The Pirates' 3-0 loss Thursday to Colorado was their 11th shutout defeat, as many as they had during their 100-loss season a year ago. ... The Pirates would have to lose 41 of their final 54 games to lose 100 again. ... GM Dave Littlefield said both minor league pitchers acquired Friday from the Cubs have major league potential. The Pirates plan to keep the left-handers, Ricardo Palma and Tim Lavery, in the bullpen. They were acquired, along with cash, for minor league OF Aron Weston to complete the Wednesday trade that sent OF Chad Hermansen to the Cubs. OF Darren Lewis, traded by the Cubs to Pittsburgh, has decided to retire and won't report.

Dodgers at Phillies
Los Angeles: The Dodgers purchased he contract of RHP Kevin Beirne from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned LHP Victor Alvarez to Las Vegas. Beirne was 10-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 22 starts at Las Vegas. He made two relief appearances for the Dodgers earlier in the season and had an 11.57 ERA. ... 3B Adrian Beltre is hitting .429 (12-for-28) with two homers, 10 RBI and five runs scored in his last six games, but Tyler Houston started in his place. ... The Dodgers came in 55-1 when leading after eight innings. ... Scheduled starter Omar Daal (8-6, 4.12 ERA) was pushed back to Sunday after he threw 26 pitches and took the loss in a 6-4, 13-inning decision against Cincinnati on Thursday. Philadelphia: CF Ricky Ledee is hitting .276 (21-for-76) with 16 runs, six doubles, five homers, 12 RBI and 19 walks since June 24. The streak lifted Ledee's average from .140 to .218. ... RF Jeremy Giambi batted second. Since being obtained from Oakland, Giambi has hit first, second, fifth and sixth in the order. ... Entering the game, the Phillies led the NL with 216 doubles. The team record for two-base hits is 345 set in 130. Chuck Klein hit a club-record 59 doubles that season.

Diamondbacks at Mets
Arizona: The Diamondbacks activated 1B Greg Colbrunn from the 15-day disabled list. Colbrunn had been out with a strained right calf. INF Chris Donnels was put on the 15-day DL because of a lower back strain. ... With Randy Johnson overpowering the Expos on Wednesday and Curt Schilling taking a hard-luck loss in Montreal on Thursday, the Diamondbacks pitched consecutive complete games for the first time in their 4½-year history. New York: LHP Mark Guthrie's scoreless streak of 26 2/3 innings is the longest by a Mets pitcher since Dwight Gooden threw 31 straight shutout innings in 1985. ... The Mets signed their first-round pick in the June draft, LHP Scott Kazmir, and assigned him to Class-A Brooklyn.

Cardinals at Braves
St. Louis: The Cardinals were 17-9 in July and had an NL-leading batting average of .289 and a league-high 146 runs. ... SS Edgar Renteria came in hitting .410 (16-for-39) in his last 10 games. He hit .404 (38-for-94) in July and is leading the NL with a .376 (38-for-101) batting average with runners in scoring position. Atlanta: Manager Bobby Cox decided to give 3B Vinny Castilla a day off and might keep him on the bench Saturday, too. Castilla is in a brutal slump, with three hits in his last 44 at-bats. His average has fallen to .230. Castilla was replaced by Wes Helms, who hit a grand slam off Jason Simontacchi in the first inning. ... C Javy Lopez was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation of the right shoulder. C Steve Torrealba was recalled from Triple-A Richmond.

Reds at Padres
Cincinnati: Jared Fernandez became the first knuckleball pitcher to start against the Padres this season. ... RHP Elmer Dessens, who left Thursday's start with a strained right groin, will be evaluated again Saturday in San Diego. ... It was the first game between the Reds and Padres this season. San Diego: OF Ray Lankford (hamstring) and C Wiki Gonzalez (hip flexor) are eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list but won't return for at least two days, according to trainer Todd Hutcheson. He said both players need to do more running before being activated. ... The Padres came in 9-3 in their previous 12 games against the Reds, including 4-2 last season.