WEDNESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Brad Penny Marlins beat Rockies on a single controversial run. IP H R BB SO 8 2 0 1 7 Hero of the day Geronimo Gil hit his ninth home run of the season, ending a 4½-hour marathon and giving the Orioles a 6-5 victory at Minnesota. "He picked a good time to break out of a three-month slump,'' Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said of the light-hitting catcher, who is batting .255 this season. Goat of the day Somebody had to lose, and this time it was Blake Stein. The Royals reliever was on the hill when the Yankees manufactured a run in the 14th inning for a 3-2 victory over K.C. Injury report Mets C Mike Piazza was out of the lineup for the second game in a row after being diagnosed with tendinitis in his left wrist. Padres OF Mark Kotsay was out of the Padres' lineup again. He missed Tuesday's game because of a bruised left thumb. Indians CF Milton Bradley had an appendectomy and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He is expected to miss three to four weeks. Astros SS Julio Lugo will miss the rest of the season after having surgery Wednesday on his broken left forearm. Lugo was hit by Kerry Wood on Monday night. Stat of the day Indians DH Ellis Burks reached 2,000 career hits with a first-inning single at Tampa Bay. Streak of the day The Mets have lost seven straight home games, their longest since also dropping seven straight at Shea Stadium in July 1982. The last word "I was definitely going to challenge (Barry) Bonds. Obviously, you want to keep it in the park. That was a little close.'' -- Braves closer John Smoltz, after Bonds flew out to the warning track in the ninth inning of Atlanta's 1-0 victory over San Francisco.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Blue Jays at Athletics
Toronto: SS Chris Woodward was out of the lineup again to rest a bone bruise sustained when he was hit by a pitch just above the left wrist Monday night. Woodward remained in the game, but was unable to hit and was replaced in the ninth. "It didn't hurt to catch the ball, but there was no chance I was going to hit,'' he said. "I would have bunted.'' Woodward is expected back in the lineup when the Blue Jays travel to Texas to begin a series Friday. ... OF Jose Cruz Jr., nursing a sprained left ankle, missed his fifth straight game. He was available as a pinch-hitter during the series and could return to the lineup Friday. Cruz was 0-for-9 before the injury. ... 1B Carlos Delgado, who went on the disabled list Sunday, did not make the trip to Oakland. He remained in Toronto to receive treatment and will rejoin the Blue Jays in Texas. ... RHP Pete Walker, Wednesday's starter, has not thrown a complete game since 1992 for Birmingham of the Southern League. Oakland: LHP Ted Lilly, acquired in a three-way deal from the New York Yankees on July 5, is a little ahead of schedule as he tries to come back from an inflamed shoulder. He's currently on the DL and began throwing Monday. The session went so well he threw again Tuesday, instead of waiting an extra day. "He came in feeling good so we moved it up,'' A's trainer Larry Davis said. "The idea is to get the number of throws up.'' Lilly is also undergoing an intensive shoulder strengthening program. He's not expected back in the rotation until September. ... OF Adam Piatt, sent down to Triple-A Sacramento in late July, was named the PCL hitter of the week after batting .517 with two homers and 14 RBI. ... OF Jermaine Dye stole his first base of the season in the third inning, on his first attempt. Dye had nine of his 17 career steals last year.

Indians at Devil Rays
Cleveland: CF Milton Bradley was placed on the 15-day disabled lietroactive to Aug. 12, with appendicitis. To replace Bradley, the contract of OF Covelli Crisp was purchased from Double-A Akron. Manager Joel Skinner said Crisp would start in center field. "The guy is an athlete,'' Skinner said. ... SS Omar Vizquel hit leadoff for the third straight game. He came in mired in a 2-for-36 slide. After going 0-for-5 Tuesday night, Vizquel worked in the batting cage after the game. ... RHP Chad Paronto (right elbow) underwent an MRI exam Tuesday in Cleveland. He felt pain and shut down a rehab outing Monday for Double-A Akron after just 10 pitches. Tampa Bay: Despite having the worst record in the majors, the season has not dragged for manager Hal McRae. "It's going fast for me,'' McRae said. "It's not like sitting through a bad play, wondering when it's going to end. I don't get those feelings.'' ... Andy Sheets started at second base and will see playing time at different infield positions. "No reason to sit him if he's playing better than the other guys,'' McRae said. "I'll move him around and as long as he plays well, he's going to play.'' Sheets had 15 RBI in his first 15 games since being called up from Triple-A Durham on July 20. ... McRae has not decided when Rule 5 infielder Felix Escalona will return to the starting lineup. He was hitless in 19 at-bats on a just-completed road trip.

Orioles at Twins
Baltimore: The Orioles have not lost a season series against the Twins in six years, going 43-17. ... At third place in the AL East -- 16{ games behind the New York Yankees -- Baltimore is the highest its been in the standings this late in the season since Aug. 28, 1998. ... The Orioles swept a three-game series from the Twins at Camden Yards last week, their only home games in a 20-game stretch that ends with this series. Minnesota: Minnesota and Atlanta are the only teams in the majors with 40 or more victories at home. With 41 home wins coming in, the Twins have guaranteed back-to-back winning seasons at home for the first time since 1984-1992, when they had nine straight winning records at home. ... Rick Reed's 10th victory of the season Tuesday night gave the Twins three pitchers with at least 10 wins for the third straight year. The last time that happened for Minnesota was 1991-93.

Yankees at Royals
New York: The Yankees entered with a major league-leading 177 home runs, 19 more than any other club. They had 147 home runs after 116 games last season. "You can't rely on this as a general diet, but we're capable,'' manager Joe Torre said. "We didn't have those capabilities the last couple of years.'' The Yankees have 22 three-homer games in 117 games after doing it only 20 times last year. ... In Tuesday's 10-5 victory over Kansas City, 16 Yankees hitters were down in the count 0-2. They combined to go 7-for-14 with two home runs, four runs, six RBI and two walks. On the flip side, the Royals had six batters that fell behind 0-2, and they went 1-for-6. ... The Yankees came in 62-1 when leading after eight innings. ... RHP Roger Clemens is 10-3, giving him 16 career 10-win seasons -- most among active pitchers. Kansas City: Manager Tony Pena said he is skipping rookie right-hander Runelvys Hernandez in his next scheduled start. Hernandez came out after only five innings in his start Sunday against Tampa Bay because of a sore elbow, although he allowed only an infield single. Pena said left-hander Darrell May will take Hernandez's spot in the rotation Saturday against the Devil Rays. ... Kit Pellow, who turns 29 on Aug. 28 and has spent seven years in the minors, made his big league debut, starting at first base. Pellow, who went to Olathe (Kan.) North High School in the Kansas City area, led Triple-A Omaha with 27 home runs and 76 RBI when he was promoted. "It's something I've waited for for a long time,'' Pellow said. ... Mike Sweeney's double Tuesday was the 183rd of his career, moving him past Fred Patek for fifth place on the team's all-time chart. ... The Royals have the same 48-71 record after 119 games that they had last season. They were hitting .266 with 526 runs scored at this point last year, compared to .253 and 532 runs this season.

White Sox at Rangers
Chicago: SS Jose Valentin became the fourth White Sox player to homer from both sides of the plate in a game when hit a grand slam from the right side and a solo shot from the left side in Tuesday night's 12-3 victory over Texas. Brian Simmons (1998), Tim Raines (1993) and Ken Henderson (1975) are the others. ... Tuesday night marked the 19th time this season that the White Sox scored in double figures. Texas: There are five pitchers on the staff 25 or younger. "Every time out is a great chance to make a statement for next year,'' said RHP Rob Bell, 25, who draws his 15th start of the season Saturday night against Toronto. "The next six weeks are critical. I have faith that if you perform now, you'll have an opportunity next spring.'' Pitching coach Orel Hershiser is analyzing all aspects of the young pitchers' performances. "I'm looking for mound presence, physical skills, preparation, how they handle pressure, how they go about their business,'' Hershiser said. ... LHP John Rocker was back in Arlington, Texas, to have his left shoulder examined by team physician Dr. John Conway. Rocker then returned to Double-A Tulsa to resume his rehab assignment. Rocker has left shoulder bursitis. He is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in three relief appearances for Tulsa since Aug. 8.

Tigers at Angels
Detroit: RHP Fernando Rodney, who flew all day Tuesday from Toledo to Anaheim after his recall from Triple-A, got to the ballpark 2 1-2 hours after the first pitch and retired the only batter he faced in the 10th inning. Rodney, in his third stint this year with the Tigers, was told to go straight to the ballpark from the airport in case the game went extra innings. ... Rodney's long day's journey into night reminded manager Luis Pujols of his major league debut in 1977, when he took a helicopter ride from Charleston, N.C., to Houston in a driving rainstorm after being promoted by the Astros -- and caught Floyd Bannister's shutout against Cincinnati that same night. ... C Brandon Inge has three hits in his last 32 at-bats, but Pujols wants to keep him in the lineup to work his way out of his slump. Inge has thrown out only four of the last 23 baserunners who have tried to steal against him. ... Damian Jackson's 3-for-5 effort Tuesday night raised his road batting average to .300. He is hitting .211 at home. ... Craig Paquette has one RBI in his last 19 games. ... All four home runs by George Lombard, and all four by Ramon Santiago, have come with the bases empty. ... ... Bobby Higginson entered Wednesday in a 6-for-42 slump. Anaheim: Barring an injury or a players' strike, LHP Jarrod Washburn should have nine starts remaining as he tries to get five more wins to become the Angels' first 20-game winner since 1974, when Nolan Ryan went 22-16 in 41 starts. ... Troy Glaus leads the AL with 16 game-winning RBI, including his RBI single in the 12th inning of Tuesday night's 7-6 victory over Detroit. ... Tuesday night, Bengie Molina and brother Jose both threw out a runner trying to steal in the same game for the first time. The only other brother catching combination to be teammates in the majors in the same season were Amos and Lave Cross -- with the 1887 Louisville Kernels of the American Association. ... Of Anaheim's 33 come-from-behind victories entering Wednesday, 13 have come in the seventh inning or later. ... The Angels entered Wednesday with a league-leading 3.80 ERA. The bullpen's 3.11 ERA also leads the AL. ... The 11 shutouts by Anaheim's pitching staff are the most by the club since 1992, when the Angels had 13. ... LHP Dennis Cook, sidelined since June 5 because of a torn labrum in his shoulder, will throw off a mound on Friday. ... Rookie INF Julio Ramirez, on the DL since June 16 because of a strained left calf, begins a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Salt Lake.

Red Sox at Mariners
Boston: Starter Derek Lowe entered Wednesday night's start with a chance to become the AL's first pitcher to win 17 games this season. ...OF Cliff Floyd, who left Saturday's game against Minnesota in the eighth inning with a right hip flexor, returned to the starting lineup as designated hitter after missing two games. "He's not going to make the injury worse just by playing on it,'' manager Grady Little said. ... When asked about Boston's struggles in close games, Little said he doesn't want to think about it. The Red Sox are 11-18 in one-run games. "We can't look back now, we've got to look forward,'' he said. "If we look back now we'll get indigestion.'' Seattle: SS Carlos Guillen did not start for the fourth straight game but he was available to play. Guillen strained his left thigh muscle Friday. ... Injured LHP Ryan Anderson is throwing for the first time since January. He threw Tuesday and Wednesday. The 6-foot-10 Anderson, Seattle's 1997 first-round draft pick, was lost for the second straight season because of shoulder surgery. ... Another hurt lefty, Norm Charlton, is making significant progress. He has four more bullpen sessions and if all goes well could play in a simulated game later this month. Trainer Rick Griffin figures Charlton needs to make about three rehab starts in the minors before rejoining the Mariners sometime in September. Charlton tore his rotator cuff and labrum in January. ... Manager Lou Piniella liked the pitching matchup Wednesday of Boston's Derek Lowe and soft-throwing Seattle lefty Jamie Moyer. "I wouldn't want to face either of them,'' Piniella said. "Both present different obstacles and challenges.'' ... Sachio Kinugasa, the world record holder for consecutive games played until Cal Ripken Jr. broke his mark of 2,215 straight, attended the game and met with Ichiro Suzuki during batting practice. Kinugasa played for the Hiroshima Carb in Japan. ... RHP Ryan Franklin will start Saturday against the Yankees, his fifth start of the season. He has replaced James Baldwin in the rotation. LHP John Halama will start Friday's game vs. New York.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Astros at Cubs
Houston: Rookie reliever Ricky Stone notched two milestones Wednesday. Not only did he make his 61st appearance, tying Charley Kerfeld's club record for a rookie, he got his first career save. "It was good to get a save,'' Stone said. "That's Billy Wagner's job and it's a tough job. It's a nerve-racking job and I can only respect him for going in there day in and day out.'' ... LHP Pedro Borbon admits he gets a little extra charge when he faces Fred McGriff, whom he struck out to end the Cubs' eighth-inning rally. "Freddy is a tough hitter, and you've got to use your head and hit pitches. It's always a battle,'' Borbon said. "I have been luckier than him lately. Let's hope it stays that way.'' ... The Astros have won a season-high five in a row on the road. ... The Astros are 58-2 when leading after eight innings. Chicago: Despite his team's 50-68 record, interim manager Bruce Kimm thinks Sammy Sosa deserves to be considered for NL MVP. Sosa leads the majors with 40 homers and is tied for the NL lead with 93 RBI. He also tops the NL with 274 total bases. "It's one thing to have stats, but he plays every day. He doesn't back off against any pitcher,'' Kimm said. "That's a guy who's truly valuable to a ballclub.'' ... Kimm called a team meeting before Wednesday's game, letting his players know that, regardless of their record, they still have more than a month to go. He also reminded them of some team rules, including being on time and acting professional. "It was definitely needed,'' Kerry Wood said. "I agreed with it 1,000 percent.'' ... Even with the disappointing season, Wood said he doesn't think anyone on the team has quit. "I think everybody has more pride than that and more dignity,'' he said. "It's gotten frustrating for probably everybody in this clubhouse, but you've got to rise above that.'' ... With Wednesday's loss, the Cubs are 20-40 in games decided by one or two runs.

Rockies at Marlins
Colorado: OF Larry Walker, who went 4-for-5 on Tuesday, has 31 career four-hit games, fourth-best among active players in the majors. ... RHP Justin Speier has stranded 23 of 24 inherited runners, giving him the best percentage (.958) in the majors. ... The Rockies are the only team in the majors without a complete game by a pitcher. The starters have worked eight innings only three times in 119 games. "When you have an opportunity for a pitcher to go seven or eight innings and have a lead, I want him to leave with a win or no-decision,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. Florida: Despite losing five straight and falling into last place in the division, the Marlins remain optimistic that better times are ahead. "We still have a good chance to come in second,'' manager Jeff Torborg said. "We're way down in the wild-card race, but there are still things to go for that are more important than individual goals. We have some team goals.'' The Marlins trail Atlanta by 21{ games in the division and are 10 games out of the wild-card spot. As dreadful as those numbers are, the Marlins trail the Expos and Mets by 2{ games for second place in the East. ... C Charles Johnson, on the DL retroactive to July 28, is on a rehab assignment at Class-A Jupiter and could be activated Friday for the start of Florida's series against the Giants. ... C Mike Redmond has six hits in 12 at-bats in his last three games and is hitting .480 in his last eight contests.

Giants at Braves
San Francisco: CF Tsuyoshi Shinjo made his first start since coming off the disabled list. He was activated before Tuesday night's game after spending 19 days on the DL with a strained right hamstring. ... Three other San Francisco players are hindered by sore hamstrings, including RF Reggie Sanders. He was barely running after hitting a grounder that turned into an inning-ending double play in the second. ... Coming into Wednesday's game, 2B Jeff Kent had raised his average 73 points (from .260 to .333) by hitting .389 (101-for-260) since June 1. Atlanta: C Henry Blanco missed another game with a muscle strain in his rib cage. He wasn't even able to take batting practice Wednesday, three days after receiving a cortisone shot. The Braves' No. 1 catcher, Javy Lopez, is on the DL with a sore shoulder but eligible to come off Friday. "I'm OK,'' he said during batting practice. With the top two catchers ailing, Steve Torrealba made his second career start. ... RHP Kevin Gryboski is set to make rehab appearances for Class-A Macon on Friday and Sunday. He has been on the DL since July 27 with a sore elbow. ... INF Wes Helms will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a partially torn ligament in his right thumb. The injury isn't serious enough to require surgery, but will require him to wear a cast. Helms went on the DL after injuring himself in a freak incident Friday at Houston, stumbling as he broke from the batter's box and using his right hand to break his fall.

Dodgers at Expos
Los Angeles: LHP Kazuhisa Ishii has not allowed fewer than two walks in any start this season and has allowed at least three in 21 of his 23 starts. Ishii has allowed 91 walks in 133 1-3 innings. ... LF Marquis Grissom is hitting .444 (12-for-27) in his last nine games. The Dodgers are 30-16 when Grissom is in the starting lineup. ... The Dodgers have had 10 or more hits in 13 of their last 22 games. Montreal: SS Orlando Cabrera returned to the lineup after missing four straight starts. Cabrera rejoined the Expos on Tuesday but did not start. He missed the team's three-game series in Milwaukee in order to return home to Colombia to attend to personal matters. ... LHP Scott Stewart entered Wednesday's game one save short of tying the team record for saves in a season by a left-hander. Stewart, who celebrated his 27th birthday Wednesday, got his 16th save in 18 opportunities this season in Tuesday's 4-3 win. Woodie Fryman set the mark with 17 saves in 1980.

Cardinals at Pirates
St. Louis: Manager Tony La Russa needed four pitchers to get three outs in a game the Cardinals led by eight runs on Tuesday. He thought RHP Matt Duff could handle the job. He didn't, walking two and allowing a hit. Duff's performance got him sent to the minor leagues Wednesday. RHPs Mike Matthews and Kevin Joseph also failed, forcing La Russa to call on closer Jason Isringhausen, who was able to warm up quickly. It wound up being a save situation for Isringhausen because the tying run was on deck. After falling behind 3-0 on Jack Wilson, Isringhausen was able to come back and get Wilson to fly out, leaving Brian Giles on deck. ... The Cardinals had a season-best 18 hits Tuesday night without two of their regulars. 2B Fernando Vina and 1B Tino Martinez got the day off. It was just the eighth start Vina missed and the 12th for Martinez this season. Pittsburgh: After years of having a barren farm system, things are looking up for the Pirates. All six of their minor league affiliates have winning records and their combined .578 winning percentage is the best among all 30 organizations. Each of the six minor league teams has a chance to participate in postseason play. ... Reliever Joe Beimel was unavailable for the games on Tuesday and Wednesday because an infected finger on his pitching hand. Beimel said he expected to be ready to pitch on Thursday.

Brewers at Phillies
Milwaukee: RHP Nick Neugebauer, who is returning from a shoulder injury, will pitch Saturday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He was scratched from his rehab start Monday because of a strained sacroiliac joint in his lower back. ... Right-hander Ruben Quevedo, who starts Thursday night, is 2-0 lifetime against the Phillies, but 0-5 with a 6.75 ERA against the NL East this season. ... LHP Jimmy Osting made a rehab start Wednesday night against Columbus. Philadelphia: CF Ricky Ledee was scratched from the starting lineup Wednesday night to be with his wife, Theresa, who is expecting the couple's third child. ... After getting nine hits in his last 10 at-bats, SS Jimmy Rollins was back in the leadoff spot after Ledee was scratched. Rollins had been hitting second, seventh or eighth since going into a long slump shortly before making his second straight All-Star team. He hit a double in his first at-bat Wednesday night. ... Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt will participate in an alumni hitting contest before Friday night's game against St. Louis.

Padres at Mets
San Diego: OF Bubba Trammell is 13-for-41 with two homers against the Mets since he was dealt to San Diego by the Mets in exchange for RHP Donne Wall on Dec. 13, 2000. In his career, Trammell is hitting .370 (20-for-54) with four homers and 17 RBI against the Mets. ... OF Mark Kotsay was out of the Padres' lineup again. He missed Tuesday's game because of a bruised left thumb. He left Sunday's game against Cincinnati with a bruised left hand after Danny Graves hit him with a pitch. He is day to day. ... RHP Brian Lawrence made his team-high 25th start of the season on Wednesday. ... OF Ron Gant has 29 RBI in his last 31 games, dating to June 29. New York: C Mike Piazza was out of the lineup for the second game in a row after being diagnosed with tendinitis in his left wrist. Vance Wilson started in place of Piazza, who is hitting .285 with 23 home runs and 73 RBI. Wilson homered Tuesday night in the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Padres. ... 2B Roberto Alomar was back in the lineup and batting leadoff a day after being taken out of the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Padres with tightness in his groin. He said he received treatment after the game, and again before Wednesday's game. He is not 100 percent, but improving daily, the Mets said. Alomar entered Wednesday night's game two homers away from No. 200 in his career. ... OF Jeromy Burnitz needed one homer to reach his 200th, but was out of the Mets lineup. Burnitz hasn't homered since July 31.

Diamondbacks at Reds
Arizona: The start of Wednesday's game was delayed 65 minutes by rain. ... INF Craig Counsell went on the 15-day disabled list with a sore neck. Counsell had missed the last four games with a pinched nerve. He has started 88 games at third base, 11 at shortstop and 10 at second base, batting .282 with two homers and 51 RBI. Counsell was the primary fill-in while third baseman Matt Williams recovered a dislocated left ankle and broken bone in his lower leg. ... The Diamondbacks replaced Counsell on the roster by activating C Damian Miller, who had been disabled since July 24 with a strained lower back. ... OF Luis Gonzalez was out of the starting lineup with a strained ribcage. Gonzalez had played in 446 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the majors. Oakland's Miguel Tejada was next at 390. ... Left-hander Randy Johnson will start Thursday, his first appearance against the Reds since he struck out 20 at Cinergy Field on May 8, 2001, but didn't get the decision as Arizona won 4-3 in 11 innings. Johnson is 2-1 with a 1.26 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance against the Reds. Cincinnati: C Jason LaRue had three passed balls in the first inning, one shy of the major league record. LaRue had trouble flagging down Jared Fernandez's knuckleballs -- one deflected off his shoulder. He also failed to block a wild pitch that let a run score. LaRue had 13 passed balls heading into the game, and the Reds led the NL with 19 overall. ... RHP Scott Sullivan had a cortisone shot in his sore right shoulder Sunday, but was available to pitch against the Diamondbacks. Sullivan gave up nine runs in 6 1-3 innings in his last five games, prompting him to get the shot. ... Manager Bob Boone said Adam Dunn had permission to try to steal Tuesday night after he led off the ninth inning with a single. Boone thought the Diamondbacks would concede second base with a 6-1 lead. Instead, Dunn left too soon and was caught stealing. Boone wanted Dunn to steal to avoid a double play.