FRIDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Aaron Boone Smashed two home runs in the first and added another in the fourth in the Reds' 12-10 victory against the Padres. Boone became the first Reds player to homer twice in an inning since May 13, 1980. AB R H RBI HR 5 3 4 5 3 Hero of the day First baseman Erubiel Durazo has been fighting injuries all season, but when he's in the lineup he has produced for the Diamondbacks. Durazo's second homer of the game with two outs in the ninth lifted the Diamondbacks to a 2-1 victory over the Marlins. Goat of the day Padres starter Brett Tomko wasn't rocked against the Reds, he was crushed. Tomko gave up 10 earned runs and nine hits -- including four home runs -- in 3 1/3 innings in San Diego's 12-10 loss to Cincinnati. Injury report Yankees starter Orlando Hernandez left after the first inning after experiencing numbness in his left leg. Blue Jays outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. left the game after the fifth inning with a twisted left ankle. Mariners shortstop Carlos Guillen left the game with a strained left adductor muscle after hitting a single in the fourth. Brewers outfielder Alex Sanchez didn't play because of flu-like symptoms. Dodgers outfielder Brian Jordan missed the game with a stiff back. Braves starter Jason Marquis was scratched after coming down with flu-like symptoms. Stat of the day Giants outfielder Barry Bonds became the fourth player ever to hit 600 home runs with a solo home run in San Francisco's 4-3 loss to the Pirates. Streak of the day Rangers starter Kenny Rogers retired 21 straight batters before losing his bid for a perfect game and a no-hitter in the eighth of Texas' 3-2 victory over the Indians. The last word "To be in that select group is great, but nothing's more satisfying than doing it front of 40,000 fans here in San Francisco. I don't think that it could ever be more gratifying than that.'' -- Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on hitting his 600th home run at Pacific Bell Park.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Angels at Blue Jays
Anaheim: OF Garret Anderson was at DH for the fourth straight game Friday. He is still nursing an injured hamstring. ... 1B Scott Spiezio, who has a bruised right knee, didn't start for the fourth straight game. Brad Fullmer took his place. ... CF Darin Erstad has made just one error since the beginning of the 2001 season. He has not made an error this year.

Toronto: 1B Carlos Delgado has missed five of the last six games with a sore back. He returned to the lineup as the DH on Thursday, but was too sore to play Friday. "He was really sore after the game. He probably tried to come back too soon,'' said manager Carlos Tosca, who won't play Delgado for at least a couple of days. "It bothers him when he tries to swing. We don't want it to linger.'' Delgado played 432 consecutive games before missing Sunday's game. ... INF Dave Berg (bruised left calf) isn't expected to play until Monday.

Twins at Red Sox
Minnesota: Pitcher Eric Milton had successful surgery Wednesday to repair a tear in his left knee. He is expected to miss 4-to-5 weeks. ... The Twins entered Friday night's game with a four-game losing streak. During those games they had 31 hits, 24 of those singles.

Boston: CF Johnny Damon has not committed an error in 232 consecutive games, which leads all major league outfielders. His last error came on May 3, 2001, when he was with Oakland, against Toronto. ... Nomar Garciaparra first-inning home run Friday, Boston has 37 home runs in its last 19 games. ... The Red Sox have outscored their opponents 100-47 in the third inning. The 53-run differential is the best in any inning by any team in the major leagues this season.

Rangers at Indians
Texas: Manager Jerry Narron said RHP Ismael Valdes likely will not miss a start because of a blistered finger that forced him out of a game Thursday in Detroit. "His turn comes up Wednesday, so we will see, but it is not as serious as Chan Ho (Park),'' Narron said. Park went on the disabled list Wednesday with a blister. "That was the right thing to do with Chan Ho, take two weeks off and get him back right,'' Narron said. ... RHP Rudy Seanez, who had back surgery June 25, is scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday and every other day for a while as part of his rehab. ... Pitching coach Orel Hershiser, a key member of Cleveland's World Series teams in 1995 and 1997, brought his entire family on the trip. "It's like coming home,'' Hershiser said. "Playing in Cleveland was a life-changing experience. Sellouts every night, lots of wins, and people in the stands that love you capped it all off.''

Cleveland: RHP Bob Wickman expects to be activated from the disabled list Saturday. "I threw in the bullpen Thursday and feel great today (Friday), so I am ready,'' said Wickman, who went on the DL for the first time in his career July 22 with a strained right forearm. ... Manager Joel Skinner said he wants to take a look at rookie RHP Jason Phillips in a variety of roles. "He could be a swing guy, a starter, used in certain relief situations,'' Skinner said. "He's not overpowering, but has good movement on his pitches and works both sides of the plate.'' ... Skinner and other Indians employees will spend part of Monday as volunteer workers at the reconstruction of a playground at an inner-city elementary school. ... Bullpen catcher Dan Williams, 35, is resting at home after a procedure to remove a slight blockage from his heart was completed Wednesday. Jim Rickon, who played for the Indians' Triple-A team in Akron in 2000 and 2001, will handle the bullpen duties until Williams returns, but no timetable has been set.

Orioles at Tigers
Baltimore: The team put RHP Sidney Ponson (right shoulder tendinitis) on the 15-day disabled list and activated Jason Johnson before Friday's game. "It's probably a 10-day thing,'' manager Mike Hargrove said of Ponson's injury. "It's the same thing Jason had. (Ponson) is going to miss two starts, so we thought we might as well take the full 15 days and give him a chance to get better.'' John Stephens, who had been filling in for Johnson, will take Ponson's spot in the rotation on Saturday. "It's a chance to give him a couple more starts,'' Hargrove said. "He has the chance to be a good major league pitcher, but he needs a chance to settle in, and that's what this (opportunity) gives him.'' Stephens gave up 13 runs in his first two starts, spanning nine innings. ... Friday's game was a homecoming of sorts for infielder Jay Gibbons. Gibbons' father, Jim, played basketball at Michigan State University.

Detroit: Manager Luis Pujols said he was trying to find ways to get outfielders Wendell Magee and Hiram Bocachica in the lineup. "I don't know exactly how I'm going to do that,'' Pujols said. "But there's still a month and a half of the season to go. There's a lot of baseball left.'' Magee, who was benched shortly after the Tigers obtained George Lombard, remains philosophical. "You've got to keep a positive attitude and go out there and prove them wrong,'' he said. ... LHP Adam Pettyjohn is scheduled to have the last of three surgeries related to colitis on Sept. 6. He has been on the 60-day disabled list for the entire season.

Athetics at Yankees
Oakland: With the addition of INF Jose Offerman from Boston on Thursday, the Mariners have seven switch-hitters. The others are Mark Davis, Carlos Guillen, Mark McLemore, Desi Relaford, Ruben Sierra and Luis Ugueto. Ugueto, however, was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to Aug. 8 to make room for Offerman on the roster. "I can play a lineup of six switch-hitters against any team,'' Piniella said. "That's a nice situation for a manager to have.'' ... Piniella juggled his lineup for Friday night's game at Chicago. Offerman made his first start, at first base. Ichiro Suzuki got the night off because the Mariners play day games versus the White Sox Saturday and Sunday.

New York: Yankees manager Joe Torre said 1B-DH Nick Johnson is likely headed to the DL because his bruised left wrist was not improving. "It's not looking good,'' Torre said. "We'll give it a few more days before heading to the DL.'' ... Former Yankees pitcher David Cone was in pinstripes Friday before the game. He was giving a clinic for 60 children.

Mariners at White Sox
Seattle: With the addition of INF Jose Offerman from Boston on Thursday, the Mariners have seven switch-hitters. The others are Mark Davis, Carlos Guillen, Mark McLemore, Desi Relaford, Ruben Sierra and Luis Ugueto. Ugueto, however, was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to Aug. 8 to make room for Offerman on the roster. "I can play a lineup of six switch-hitters against any team,'' Piniella said. "That's a nice situation for a manager to have.'' ... Piniella juggled his lineup for Friday night's game at Chicago. Offerman made his first start, at first base. Ichiro Suzuki got the night off because the Mariners play day games versus the White Sox Saturday and Sunday.

Chicago: 2B Willie Harris, CF Aaron Rowand, 3B Joe Crede were back in the lineup vs. Seattle. Manager Jerry Manuel continues to emphasize patience for the youngsters as they adjust to major league pitching. "Usually, until you get about 1,000 at-bats as a major leaguer, you really don't know what you're going to get from a player,'' he said.

Devil Rays at Royals
Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay is 0-8-4 in its last 12 series, since taking two of three from Florida June 28-30 in Tampa. The Devil Rays are 8-24-5 in series this season. ... The Devil Rays have specialized in close games. They are 7-8 in games decided in "walkoff'' fashion. They lead the majors in games decided in the ninth inning or later with 25 (10-15).

Kansas City: The Royals held a moment of silence before Friday's game to honor former Royal catcher Darrell Porter, who died Monday. ... The Royals entered play with a 30-25 record at Kauffman Stadium. They have had one winning record at home in the last seven seasons (42/39 in 2000). ... The Royals will start three rookies in the three-game series against Tampa Bay: Miguel Ascencio (2-4, 5.85), Shawn Sedlacek (2-2, 4.61) and Runelvys Hernandez (2-1, 3.65).

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Padres at Reds
San Diego: RHP Brett Tomko had his worst inning of the season in his first start at Cinergy Field in four years. He gave up nine runs and seven hits, including two homers by Aaron Boone and one by Jason LaRue, in the first inning Friday night. Tomko went to Seattle as part of the Reds' trade for Ken Griffey Jr. in February 2000. ... Tomko hadn't given up more than six runs in any of his 23 previous starts this season. ... In his two starts against the Reds this season, Tomko has had problems in the first inning. He walked four batters in the first inning of a 4-3 loss in San Diego last Saturday. ... The nine-run first was the biggest inning against the Padres this season. The Mets scored eight on May 17 in the seventh inning.

Cincinnati: 3B Aaron Boone hit a pair of two-run homers in the nine-run inning, his 19th and 20th of the season. The last Red to homer twice in an inning was Ray Knight, who did it on May 13, 1980 against the Mets. Knight, now a Reds coach, took batting practice before the game and hit one over the outfield wall. ... The Reds' last nine-run inning was Sept. 4, 1999 against Philadelphia, when they scored nine times in the fifth inning. ... Sean Casey was activated from the DL, started at first base and had a two-run single in his first at-bat, snapping an 0-for-12 slump. Casey had been on the DL since July 23 with a torn muscle below the left shoulder blade.

Braves at Astros
Atlanta: The Braves have a streak of 15 consecutive non-losing road series. ... The Braves announced Friday that Dayton Moore has been made director of player personnel.

Houston: Rookie RHP Ricky Stone has made has made 56 appearances for Houston through Aug. 8. The Astros' record for the most games pitched by a rookie is held by Charlie Kerfeld who pitched in 61 games in 1986.

Expos at Brewers
Montreal: Vladimir Guerrero homered Friday night, making him one of only four active players to have hit 200 before their 27th birthday. The others are Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Juan Gonzalez.

Milwaukee: Manager Jerry Royster called a "reminder'' team meeting in the outfield prior to the game to discuss the team's final 48 games. "It was just a reminder of what needs to be done,'' Royster said. "Nobody else talked. I'm not one of those guys who likes to have meetings where someone else talks.'' ... CF Alex Sanchez, who is batting .301, was unable to play Friday because of illness. "He's in the infirmary,'' Royster said, "He couldn't make the call. ... Montreal swept Milwaukee in a three-game series earlier this year at Olympic Stadium, scoring five runs in each game in winning 5-4 twice and 5-1.

Mets at Cardinals
New York: 3B Edgardo Alfonzo, out with sore ribs for the sixth game, took more than 30 swings off a tee Friday and also fielded some ground balls. His timetable remained unclear, although manager Bobby Valentine was reluctant to place him on the DL. "Those things are just so nebulous, so cloudy,'' Valentine said. "So it's a little step at a time.'' ... C Mike Piazza was wearing a wrap for his sore wrist, injured in a home plate collision, but was in the lineup. ... Valentine visited the Gateway Arch for the first time on Friday. His capsule review: "Lousy views, both ways.''

St. Louis: RHP Matt Morris, whose uncle is a New York City fire fighter, had more than 30 members of the New York City Fire Department flown in for Friday and Saturday's games. ... RHP Woody Williams threw in the bullpen for the second time Friday and is scheduled to throw again on Sunday. He's on the DL with a pulled muscle in his right side. ... CF Jim Edmonds got a day off against LHP Al Leiter. Manager Tony La Russa said he needed to give his regulars more rest. "We're going to play a lot of games in a row and like I've done all my career I'm going to spot guys to keep them fresh. "I've probably done it less the last couple weeks and maybe that's why some of our guys are struggling.'' ... 3B Scott Rolen moved into the third spot for the first time with the Cardinals, into Edmonds' slot.

Cubs at Rockies
Chicago: The Cubs placed INF Delino DeShields on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release and purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Will Cunnane from Triple-A Iowa. DeShields, 33, was hitting .192 with three homers, 10 RBI and 10 steals in 67 games this year. ... Chris Stynes (.531) and Fred McGriff (.449) rank first and fourth in career hitting among visiting players at Coors Field. ... Manager Bruce Kimm came to Denver with some experience in dealing with Coors Field. Kimm was a coach under Rockies manager Jim Leyland in 1999. "You can expect every game to be a war here,'' Kimm said. "You don't want your pitchers to get beat up and you can expect to score runs. I do come in with a game plan, but who knows how it will work.'' Kimm credits Leyland with helping to develop his overall managing philosophy. "I took from Jim primarily as well as something from the guys that managed me and put together my own managing style,'' said Kimm, 14-14 since replacing Don Baylor on July 5. "There is only one Jim Leyland and if I can be half as good as he was, that will be good enough.''

Colorado: The Rockies recalled RHP Aaron Cook from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Cook, one of the team's top prospects, takes a roster spot vacated by reliever Rick White, who was designated for assignment on Thursday. Cook, the Rockies' second-round selection in the 1997 June draft, was 4-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 10 starts at Colorado Springs. He began the year at Double-A Carolina, where he was 7-2 with a 1.42 ERA, including back-to-back shutouts. "Cook is going to go into the bullpen mix to start with,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. "Obviously, our long-range plan is to eventually find him a spot in the starting rotation. This is a power arm.'' ... The club also purchased the contract of INF Casey Lambert from High-A Salem and added him to the 40-man roster. The club then optioned Lambert back to Salem and recalled Cook.

Marlins at Diamondbacks
Florida: SS Andy Fox, a favorite of Arizona fans in the Diamondbacks' expansion season, has batted .390 (16-of-41) in 12 games, hitting safely in 11. Switch-hitter Luis Castillo and Fox were the only non-right-handers in the lineup against Arizona starter Miguel Batista, a right-hander, and manager Jeff Torborg wishes he had more balance. "That's why we run so much,'' Torborg said. "If the other pitcher has a slider or cutter locked in, we'd better be locked in going the other way or else it's a groundout.'' ... 3B Mike Lowell needs three hits for 500 in his career. ... With C Charles Johnson disabled by a lower back strain, Torborg gave Mike Redmond his 47th start behind the plate for this game, with third-stringer Ramon Castro scheduled to start Saturday and Redmond on Sunday. Redmond will sit on Saturday because it's a day game. Torborg said Redmond's batting average against Randy Johnson (.303) is impressive, but not as much as his .429 against Curt Schilling, Arizona's starter on Sunday. "We hit right-handers better than we do left-handers,'' Torborg said. "That's one reason we get away with it.''

Arizona: C Damian Miller, on the DL (back strain) since July 24, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tucson in Salt Lake City. He could rejoin the Diamondbacks on Sunday and play Monday in an exhibition game against Class A South Bend, a Midwest League farm team. ... LF Luis Gonzalez is mired in an 0-for-17 slump, but was in the lineup even though he was 1-for-8 career against Marlins starter Brad Penny. Brenly said Penny, who throws mostly fastballs, may be what Gonzalez needs. "Sometimes the way to get a guy out of a slump is send him up against a guy where there's no guesswork,'' Brenly said.

Phillies at Dodgers
Philadelphia: The Phillies, who have yet to be involved in a shutout on the road this season, began a three-game series Friday night against the Dodgers -- who have shut out opponents a league-leading 11 times and have been blanked 11 times themselves.

Los Angeles: LF Brian Jordan sat out Friday night's game because of a stiff back. ... Manager Jim Tracy said that he will never subject himself to being wired during games, no matter who is televising. The subject came up this week when Fox Sports Net, which broadcasts the Dodgers' games locally, miked pitching coach Jim Colborn. They aired a comment he made to Andy Ashby about pitching strategy against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and another to Tracy about when to bring in Jesse Orosco late in the game. "I'm always a little squeamish with that,'' Tracy said. "I've never been miked, and I never will be miked -- ever. I've been asked a few times, but there are certain things I will draw the line at. I'm always hesitant about strategy that I'm going to utilize during the course of a game getting out there on the airwaves. You have to use better discretion and sounder judgment when you play back some of these things.''

Pirates at Giants
Pittsburgh: Scott Sauerbeck soon should take over the NL lead in relief appearances by a left-hander. Atlanta's Mike Remlinger leads with 58 appearances, but he recently went on the disabled list. Sauerbeck has made 54 appearances, tops on the Pirates. Sauerbeck's durability was one reason the Giants coveted him to fill their left-handed relieving vacuum at the trade deadline.

San Francisco: The Giants sent LHP Troy Brohawn outright to Triple-A Fresno on Friday night to make room for newly-acquired LHP Scott Eyre. The Giants claimed Eyre off waivers from Toronto on Thursday, and he was in the bullpen Friday night. Eyre went 2-4 with a 4.97 ERA in 49 appearances for the Blue Jays this season. He held left-handed hitters to a .218 average, making him very attractive to Giants manager Dusty Baker. "He gets lefties, that's his job,'' Baker said. "We've needed somebody to do that consistently all season.''