WEDNESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Tim Salmon Made sure Angels didn't have to enter final series vs. Seattle needing a win to make the playoffs. AB H RBI HR 4 2 3 1 (22) Hero of the day With his team desperately needing a victory, Randy Johnson delivered with his 24th of the season. The Big Unit ended Arizona's six-game skid, helping the Diamondbacks open a 2½-game lead over the fast-charging Giants. Goat of the day Padres pitchers Mike Holtz and Brandon Villafuerte couldn't close the deal on the Dodgers in the ninth inning. L.A. scored twice to rally for a 6-5 victory over San Diego. Injuries Blue Jays designated hitter Josh Phelps missed a game against the Orioles with a sore knee. Tigers outfielder Robert Fick was not in the starting lineup against the Orioles after leaving Wednesday's game in the second inning with tightness in his right hamstring. Streak of the day The Angels ended a four-game losing streak with a 10-5 win over the Rangers, finally locking up the AL's wild-card berth. Since Anaheim last played in the postseason in 1986, 25 of the other 29 major league teams had been to the playoffs. Stat of the day Randy Johnson, whose next start will be in Arizona's playoff opener, was 5-0 in five September outings and 11-1 over his last 13 starts. The Big Unit is 28-1 in September in the past 10 years. The last word "Given the circumstances, this might have been his biggest game of the year.'' -- Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly, on Randy Johnson's losing-streak-stopping effort Thursday.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Devil Rays at Yankees
Tampa Bay: OF Randy Winn set the franchise record for doubles with his 39th Wednesday and needs two hits to set the record for hits. He has 178 hits, one behind Quinton McCracken's record set in 1998. ... The Devil Rays have scored three or fewer runs in 78 of their first 158 games, losing 70 of them. ... Aubrey Huff needs 22 plate appearances over the final four games to qualify for the batting title. Huff is fifth in the league with a .320 average. New York: Manager Joe Torre is happy with the way closer Mariano Rivera has pitched since coming off the DL on Saturday. He has thrown three scoreless innings in three outings. "I feel really good about him right now,'' Torre said. "It doesn't take him long to loosen up. He comes in and throws lots of strikes. The last time he came back he didn't look as comfortable as he does now. This is the healthiest I've seen him in a while.'' ... Alfonso Soriano admits he's growing tired about the questions surrounding his bid to become the fourth player with 40 homers and steals in the same season. Soriano is one homer shy of the mark. "I didn't think I would hit 39 homers. That's ridiculous. I never thought I would hit 39. Thirty maybe, but not 39.'' ... OF Shane Spencer (left hamstring) hit in the cage Thursday, but Torre isn't sure Spencer will be healthy enough to play in the first round.

Red Sox at White Sox
Boston: Grady Little's first season as manager of the Boston Red Sox was rewarding in many respects, but fell short in the most important area. `There is nothing more disappointing than coming in second place,'' Little said Thursday, the day after his team was eliminated from the AL wild-card chase. One of his most pleasant surprises was the seasons turned in by 20-game winners Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez. "Coming in, no one knew what to expect,'' Little said. Areas for improvement include better defense on the left side of the infield, where Nomar Garciappara and Shea Hillebrand have combined for 45 errors this season. "I think we can be better there and we will be better,'' Little said. ... Little gave most of his starters the day off Thursday in the road finale against the White Sox, although Troy Nixon and Brian Daubauch were in the lineup. Johnny Damon, Cliff Floyd and Nomar Garciappara made the final outs in the ninth as pinch-hitters. ... Rookie Josh Hancock pitched well for 5 1-3 innings, giving up three runs and five hits in his first major league start. After the game, Hancock was wearing a pink dress and a wig as part of a rookie ritual. Chicago: Frank Thomas got a standing ovation before his final at-bat in the eighth inning, the small crowd of 12,304 anticipating that it might have been his last home appearance in a White Sox's uniform. Thomas, who has a clause in his contract that could reduce his base salary to $250,000 with $10 million deferred, which would give him the right to become a free agent. He expects to be back but did not comment further. "It was nice to see the fans applaud him like that,'' White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "I believe that he enjoyed that moment in time.'' Thomas grounded out to first, ending the inning. He has an eight-game hitting streak going into the final three games of the series at Minnesota. ... OF Carlos Lee left the team to be with his wife, who is expecting a child. He will not return for the final three-game series. ... The White Sox moved three games over .500 for the first time since May 29. ... Dan Wright is 9-4 in 13 starts since the All-Star break.

Athletics at Mariners
Oakland: Manager Art Howe is considering a three-man rotation of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder for the first-round series against Minnesota that starts Tuesdays. "We tried using four men in a best-of-5 series last year and we came up on the short end of the stick,'' Howe said. ... He's also thinking about using RHP Corey Lidle, who started against the Mariners, for setup. "He's a team guy. He knows he's going to be part of something that's helping us.'' ... Mulder (18-7, 3.59) is 5-0 over eight starts going into Friday's scheduled start at Texas. Seattle: The sellout crowd of 45,822 established a team single-season attendance record of 3,540,658. That broke the previous mark of 3,507,975, set last year. It was Seattle's 38th sellout this season and the second straight year the team has led the majors in attendance. ... The Mariners haven't swept a three-game series at home against Oakland since Sept. 22-24, 1995. ... With victories Tuesday and Wednesday, Seattle became the first team this season to beat the A's in consecutive games started by Zito, Hudson and Mulder.

Tigers at Royals
Detroit: The Tigers won their 23rd one-run game Wednesday night with a 7-6, 12-inning decision over Kansas City. Despite their 55-103 record, the Tigers are 23-22 in one-run games. They are one of six American League teams with records better than .500. Four of the other five have clinched postseason berths (Anaheim, Minnesota, New York and Oakland), and the other is Toronto. ... Detroit's third-round draft pick, OF Curtis Granderson, was selected as the New York Penn League' Most Valuable Player. He batted .344 with three homers and 34 RBI in 52 games for Oneonta. Oneonta manager Randy Ready was picked as the league's Manager of the Year. Kansas City: Carlos Beltran became the first player in Royals history to record three seasons with at least 100 runs and 100 RBI. He knocked in his 99th and 100th runs of the season with a first-inning homer Wednesday. He also accomplished the feat in 1999 and last season. This is just the ninth time in club history that the feat has been accomplished.

Orioles at Blue Jays
Baltimore: OF Gary Matthews Jr., who hasn't started a game since Aug. 23 because of his tendinitis in his right wrist, won't start again this season. ... 2B Jerry Hairston left Wednesday's game with a pulled groin, and didn't start on Thursday. ... The Orioles have lost eight of their last nine series. Toronto: The Blue Jays entered Thursday's game 43-19 (.694) against the Orioles since 1999. ... Wrestler Nick Foley visited with the Blue Jays before the game. ... DH Josh Phelps missed the game with a sore knee. ... 3B Eric Hinske (82) and Phelps (58) entered Thursday's game first and second among AL rookies in RBI.

Indians at Twins
Cleveland: Travis Fryman, who will retire at the end of the season, was honored by the Twins -- one of his longtime rivals as an infielder for Cleveland and Detroit for since 1990. Manager Ron Gardenhire presented Fryman with some fishing gear and a $1,000 gift certificate at a local outdoors store. "He's what baseball's all about, folks,'' Gardenhire said. "He played the game the right way.'' Twins reliever Mike Jackson, who played with Fryman in Cleveland in 1998-99, joined Gardenhire and veteran INF Denny Hocking on the field. "Thank you for having a great career,'' Jackson said. "The game is not only losing a great ballplayer, but it's losing a great man.'' ... 1B Jim Thome not only reached 50 homers Wednesday night, he stole his first base of the year. It was his first one since 2000, and he has only 18 steals in his 13-year career. Minnesota: The Twins are approaching a sellout of Games 3 and 4 of their first-round series against Oakland next week, to be played at the Metrodome on Oct. 4 and, if necessary, Oct. 5. There were fewer than 700 obstructed-view seats left as of Thursday morning. ... LF Jacque Jones is nearly recovered from a sprained ankle he sustained last week, but manager Ron Gardenhire doesn't want to take any risks with the playoffs coming next week. Rookie Mike Ryan batted leadoff and played left on Thursday against Cleveland. ... 3B Corey Koskie, who fouled a ball off his ankle and had to leave Tuesday's game, was back in the lineup Thursday. "Every time we get him swinging, he gets hurt,'' Gardenhire said. ... Gardenhire said he didn't expect to give his team a win-one-for-the-Gipper speech next week before the Twins' first playoff game since 1991. "There's not a lot to talk about,'' he said. "I don't think we have to turn the switch on. I think they all feel where we're at. I don't know if there's anything written says this is how you do it. We just gotta do it and have a good time doing it.'' ... Brad Radke made his final regular season start on Thursday, looking for his 10th victory. He's won at least 11 games in each of his first seven major league seasons. Radke will receive the team's Carl Pohlad Award Friday for service in the community.

Angels at Rangers
Anaheim: The Angels won 45 road games this season, the second-most in team history. The 1962 Angels went 46-35 on the road. ... Garret Anderson has 194 hits, 88 extra-base hits and 343 total bases, all career highs. The extra-base hits are a team record. He hit his 29th homer Thursday. ... Rookie RHP John Lackey's ERA is 3.66 ERA after he allowed three runs in five-plus innings Thursday. Texas: There have been 239 homers hit this season at The Ballpark in Arlington, which tied for the third-most ever in an AL ballpark. The Rangers have 130 of them, a team record. There were six homers in Thursday's 10-4 win by Anaheim -- three by each team. The record is 248 homers hit in Los Angeles' Wrigley Field in 1961, the only season the Angels played there. There were 243 homers hit at Anaheim's Edison Field in 2000, and 239 and Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in 1964, when the Athletics played there. The Rangers and Oakland play three games in Arlington this weekend. ... Texas had a seven-game home winning streak snapped by the Angels. The Rangers have still won 14 of their last 18 at home. ... C Todd Greene has hit home runs in six of his last 15 games.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Reds at Cubs
Cincinnati: Danny Graves was more concerned with his pitch count than wins when he made the switch from reliever to starter. But he's made such a smooth transition he's taken care of both. Graves threw 90 pitches in Thursday's 1-0 win over the Cubs, his first victory as a starter. "We were just going to make it bullpen and not build up the innings. I figured once he got into it, he was going to really enjoy it, which he did,'' manager Bob Boone said. "He came to me right away and said, `Let's build up the pitch count.' I really believe he does it so easily that there isn't much strain on him at all.'' ... Though he's only made four starts after 363 relief appearances, there's no question what Graves likes better. "This is so much more relaxing,'' he said of starting. "I never thought I would say this, but, right now, I actually like starting better than relieving. With relieving, you can't make any mistakes.'' ... The Reds swept the Cubs for the first time since Aug. 11-13, 2000. ... The Reds travel to Montreal for the final weekend, and Boone said he'll check with Ken Griffey Jr. about playing on the hard artificial turf. Griffey has been plagued by injuries this year, missing 17 straight starts earlier this month with a sore hip. "He said softer surfaces bother him more,'' Boone said. "I'll talk to him every day, but he's doing pretty well. I just don't want to hurt him.'' ... Reds head trainer Greg Lynn has resigned. He'll stay with the team until his contract expires Dec. 31. Chicago: Because of the Pittsburgh Pirates' rainout Thursday, Salomon Torres will now face the Cubs on Friday. Torres is the last pitcher to give up a homer to Sammy Sosa, a solo shot last Friday. "That doesn't mean Torres is going to pitch it to me,'' said Sosa, who needs two home runs to reach 500 for his career and become the first major league player with five 50-homer seasons. "This game is not easy.'' ... The Cubs scored a total of two runs against the Cincinnati Reds. "I think the effort's there,'' interim manager Bruce Kimm said. "We've got two guys (Moises Alou and Fred McGriff) who are not available. Those guys are trying to pick up the slack.'' ... Alou missed his second game with a sore calf. McGriff wasn't available because of a sore back. ... With this possibly being his last weekend as Cubs manager, Kimm said he doesn't think he'll feel any more nostalgic. "Right now I say no, but let's wait until it finishes out,'' he said. "Managing the Chicago Cubs is special, this is like the Notre Dame of football. But I'm still sticking with wherever I'm supposed to be, that's where I'll be and I'll be happy.''

Brewers at Cardinals
St. Louis: Manager Tony La Russa kept Albert Pujols out of Thursday night's lineup against Milwaukee, giving him a day of rest. La Russa said Pujols would return to the lineup for the remainder of St. Louis' four-game, regular-season-ending series against the Brewers. ... During the Cardinals' last 18 wins, 12 players have contributed game-winning RBI. Milwaukee: Brewers manager Jerry Royster calls the Cardinals "America's Team'' for their resilience after the deaths of longtime Cardinals' broadcaster Jack Buck and pitcher Darryl Kile. Said Royster: "This team just pulls through, shows a lot of strength. They've been through everything and dealt with it. These guys go out there playing, battling, crying and praying. It's hard for us to focus on the basic fundamentals on the field, and (the Cardinals) have to deal with all these emotions. They can draw on those (in the coming playoffs), and they won't be holding back.'' ... Richie Sexson, not in Thursday's lineup, needs just one home run for his fourth-straight 30-homer season. Sexson's next home run would tie him with Gorman Thomas (1978-80) as the franchise's only right-handers to have consecutive 30-homer seasons.

Marlins at Expos
Florida: LF Tim Raines started for just the fourth time this season in what will likely be his final Olympic Stadium appearance. Raines, who turned 43 on Sept. 16, played with Montreal from 1979-90 and returned for the 2002 season before signing with Florida in February. He was given a warm ovation from the small crowd on hand prior to Thursday night's game as the Expos presented him with a painting. ... LF Kevin Millar has reached base in 40 consecutive games. Millar's streak is the second longest in team history behind only 2B Luis Castillo's 45-game streak from Apr. 25-June 21. Millar is hitting .400 (64-for-160) with 20 doubles, five homers and 23 RBI over the course of the streak. Montreal: RF Vladimir Guerrero is one homer short of a 40 homer-40 steal season with three games remaining. Guerrero has walked four times in six plate appearances since hitting his 39th homer in the fifth inning of Tuesday's 9-6 loss to Florida. ... CF Endy Chavez has a 14-game hitting streak. Chavez is 26-for-64 (.406) with five doubles, four triples, one homer and eight RBI during the streak. ... Expos manager Frank Robinson set his rotation for the final three-game series against Cincinnati. RHPs Javier Vazquez will start Friday's series opener followed by rookie RHPs Sun Woo Kim and Zach Day to close out the season.

Padres at Dodgers
San Diego: RHP Jake Peavy started Thursday night's game instead of scheduled starter RHP Brett Tomko, who was pushed back until Friday night because of a stiff neck. "I threw a bullpen Sunday, woke up Monday morning and I could barely move my head,'' Tomko said. "It's gotten about 80 percent better. I'll get an extra day to try and get all the stiffness out. If I progress like I have, I should be OK.'' ... The Padres entered the game leading the 19-game season series against the Dodgers 8-7. San Diego has won five of the last six season series. ... Manager Bruce Bochy said beating the Dodgers doesn't mean any more to the Padres than beating the Giants, who went 14-5 against San Diego this season. "They're rolling now, we caught a hot team,'' Bochy said of the Giants, who outscored the Padres 18-3 in beating them Tuesday and Wednesday nights. "We'd like to play the Giants better, they've had their way with us for quite a while.'' Los Angeles: CF Dave Roberts, who has a partial tear of a ribcage muscle, hopes to pinch run or play defense over the weekend but is unlikely to hit. "We're starting to do some activity on a treadmill,'' he said. "I'm getting therapy daily. I don't want to push it.'' ... Roberts was injured Saturday night in San Diego -- right before hitting a homer to open the game in what will probably will turn out to be his final at-bat of the season. ... RHP Kevin Beirne will start Saturday's game against the Padres instead of RHP Andy Ashby, who is still hampered by a blister on his right middle finger. "There's still a cut,'' manager Jim Tracy said. "Andy hasn't touched a ball in five days. He just hasn't healed enough to pitch.'' ... Beirne has made two starts this year and three in his big-league career.

Rockies at Diamondbacks
Colorado: 1B Todd Helton was back in the lineup Thursday after missing two games to be with his wife Christy, who gave birth to the couple's first child on Tuesday. ... The Rockies' 3-2 loss at Los Angeles on Wednesday night was the first game they have lost on the road this season when leading after eight innings. ... RHP Todd Jones tied a franchise record with his 78th appearance of the season on Wednesday night. ... While Colorado swept three at home against the Diamondbacks last week, they were 0-7 at Arizona entering Thursday night's game. Arizona: Manager Bob Brenly will choose rest for players over the chance to earn home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. "I don't think home-field advantage is that big of deal,'' he said. ... OF Danny Bautista, sidelined since May while recovering from shoulder surgery, took batting practice before Thursday's game. Team physician Dr. Michael Lee said there is a "low chance'' that Bautista could be activated for the playoffs. ... Brenly says he will go with nine or 10 pitchers on his postseason roster.