SATURDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Alex Rodriguez Had third multi-homer game of the season, smacking two homers in the Rangers' 10-6 victory over the Tigers. AB R H RBI HR 4 2 3 3 2 Hero of the day Randy Winn hit a two-out, three-run homer in the ninth inning to allow the Devil Rays to end their 15-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory over the Orioles. Goat of the day Tigers starter Steve Sparks' knuckleball didn't knuckle too well Saturday, giving up seven earned runs and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Injury report Red Sox right fielder Manny Ramirez broke the index finger on his left hand sliding into home plate and left the game after the third inning. White Sox outfielder Magglio Ordonez left in the second inning with a sore lower back. Orioles designated hitter David Segui missed his sixth game out of the past eight with a sore left wrist. Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz had a sore wrist and didn't start against the Yankees. Padres first baseman Phil Nevin hurt his arm during his final at-bat and could be "out for a while," according to manager Bruce Bochy. Royals outfielder Mark Quinn, who has been on the disabled list since spring training with a fractured rib, will be activated Sunday. Pirates third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who has been out with a sprained ankle, failed to start for the 20th consecutive game. Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs missed his third straight game with a sore right shoulder. Tigers catcher Brandon Inge separated his left shoulder on a slide in the sixth inning. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Streak of the day Now that the Devil Rays have snapped their 15-game losing streak, the Astros and the Padres now have the majors' longest losing streak. Houston and San Diego have both lost five games in a row. Stat of the day The Twins lost their first home series of the year against the Yankees. The last word "One mistake cost me the game. Sometimes it's up to me to win the close ones." -- Rockies starter Mike Hampton, who lost to his former team, the Mets, 4-3. He gave up a three-run homer to Joe McEwing in the sixth inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Yankees at Twins
New York: LHP Ted Lilly started Saturday against the Twins, but manager Joe Torre said he'll probably be taken out of the rotation now that Sterling Hitchcock is back from the disabled list. "I talked to him five or six days ago and told him he's a bullpenner," Torre said, "and he was fine with it. He doesn't need to try to impress us. Whether he pitches well or not, we know what he can do and he's going to help this team. If he does go back to the bullpen I don't want it to be though of as a demotion." Torre didn't rule out Lilly staying in the rotation if he pitched well Saturday. ... LF Rondell White, hitting .222, was given Saturday off, a day after being bumped to ninth in the order. Rookie Nick Johnson returned to the lineup after getting Friday off and batted second. Torre doesn't want Johnson to platoon, though, and will continue to stay in the lineup provided he does well against Twins righties Kyle Lohse and Rick Reed Saturday and Sunday. "I just want to see some comfortable at-bats," Torre said.

Minnesota: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz and CF Torii Hunter received their 2001 Gold Glove awards before Saturday's game. Hunter's parents, who live in Pine Bluff, Ark., made their first visit to the Metrodome for the occasion. ... Mientkiewicz has a sore wrist and didn't start on Saturday. With Mientkiewicz sitting and left fielder Jacque Jones and catcher A.J. Pierzynski getting a rest, the Twins had only three regulars in the lineup. ... Banners carrying pro-stadium messages like "TWINS STAYdium" and "Build It!" have been hung at the Metrodome for most games this year. But this weekend, the theme went international. The following were seen: "Construisez-Le!," "Bauen Sie Es!," "!Construyalo!" and "Ja, Bygg Det!" That's French, German, Spanish and Norwegian. Time is running out for the Minnesota legislature to pass a bill for funding a new Twins stadium -- the session ends May 20. ... Fans were encouraged to bring Yankees caps to the stadium Saturday, where they were exchanged for Twins caps in a promotion sponsored by a local radio station. The used Yankees caps were donated to charity.

Orioles at Devil Rays
Baltimore: 1B Dave Segui (left wrist) will likely be out of the starting lineup for the next few days. "It was obvious the wrist was bothering him last (Friday) night," manager Mike Hargrove said. "It's truly day to day. It may come to the point to where he can't at all. We'll visit that when it happens." Segui, who returned Wednesday after missing five games, took batting practice before the game. ... RHP Rodrigo Lopez did not realize he had developed a blister on his right middle finger until his last pitch in Friday's 6-5 win over Tampa Bay. "During the winter I get a big callous, but my bullpen before this start, the callous came off," Lopez said. Lopez allowed three runs and four hits over six innings to go 5-0 this season. ... LHP Buddy Groom said he "kept positive thoughts" in his head despite falling behind Chris Gomez 3-0 with the bases-loaded and one out in the eighth inning Friday. After getting the count to 3-2, Groom induced an inning-ending double play to preserve the Orioles' 6-5 lead. "It's sure not the way you diagram it coming in," Hargrove said.

Tampa Bay: Manager Hal McRae had not employed any gimmicks in the attempt to snap the Devil Rays' lengthy losing streak that reached 15 in a row Friday. "I haven't done anything out of the ordinary ... so far," McRae said with a laugh before the game. ... Greg Vaughn, who is slated to play the outfield in all three games against Baltimore, will resume DH duties next week. ... McRae said LF Jason Tyner (sore left knee) will be limited to late defensive replacement duties through the weekend. Tyner could return to the starting lineup Tuesday. ... LHP Wilson Alvarez (right ribs) is scheduled to pitch four innings in an extended spring training camp Tuesday. ... INF Brian Hunter was released by Triple-A Durham. Free agent OF Andy Thompson was signed by Durham.

Tigers at Rangers
Detroit: Lack of run support continues to hamper RHP Jeff Weaver. The Tigers were shut out in Weaver's last start on Friday night and have scored three runs or fewer in five of Weaver's eight starts this season. Detroit has been shut out three times this season, twice in Weaver's starts. "Some pitchers are like that," manager Luis Pujols said. "A guy pitches so well that you think you can win the game, 1-0. The guy on the mound is so good that you take it for granted. It's been that way in baseball for a long time.". ... Tigers starters had allowed only 14 homers entering Saturday night's game, fewest in the AL.

Texas: RHP Hideki Irabu's effectiveness as a closer rates as one of the AL's early surprises. "I am surprised," said Tigers manager Luis Pujols, who knows Irabu from their NL days. "When I saw him in Montreal I wasn't too impressed. But he's throwing the ball good (for the Rangers)." Irabu converted nine of his first 10 save opportunities. ... Rookie RHP Joaquin Benoit is expected to be returned to Triple-A Oklahoma on Sunday to create a roster spot for RHP Chan Ho Park. Park will be activated off the DL to make Sunday's start, his first since Opening Day.

Indians at Royals
Cleveland: The Indians, who had lost two straight and are 4-6 in May, held a players-only team meeting before the game Saturday at Kansas City. "It was just a meeting," designated hitter Ellis Burks said. "We all need those every once in a while." ... The Indians are 0-8 in games they have not homered. ...Entering Saturday night, the Indians had not scored in their past 12 innings and just one run in the past 17 innings. ...LHP Chuck Finley, who starts Sunday, is 17-11 with a 2.93 ERA in 38 career outings against the Royals.

Kansas City: OF Mark Quinn, who has been on the disabled list since spring training with a fractured rib, will likely be activated Sunday after completing an injury rehabilitation assignment in the minors. ... The Royals have been out homered 45-17 in their first 34 games. ...RHP Paul Byrd is tied for second in the league with five wins and seventh with a 2.92 ERA. He is also seventh in opponents batting average, .211. ... When the Royals beat C.C. Sabathia Friday, it was only the Royals' second victory in six games when the opponent starts a left-hander.

Red Sox at Mariners
Boston: Manny Ramirez started in right field Saturday night. It was his second start in right field this season. He has been used primarily in left and as the Red Sox DH this season. "I don't know how much you'll see it," manager Grady Little said. "I don't think you'll see him in center, though." ... Little gave RF Trot Nixon the night off against LHP John Halama. "He deserves some time off as hard as he plays," Little said. "It's a perfect time to give him a game off." ... Little is a big admirer of the Mariners' success under GM Pat Gillick and manager Lou Piniella. He pointed out the Mariners have continued to succeed despite the losses of Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. "That says a lot about the team if you ask me," Little said. "You'd certainly rather be playing someone else than this club."

Seattle: The Mariners have big plans for 22-year-old rookie RHP Rafael Soriano, who made his major league debut Friday with three shutout innings for a save in Seattle's 7-2 victory over Boston. And it's not as a closer. Soriano, called up from Double-A San Antonio this week after RHP Jeff Nelson went on the DL with bone chips in his elbow, is projected as a starter. "He's a starter," manager Lou Piniella said. "Our long-range plans for him are not to keep him in the bullpen, believe me." But Piniella said for the time being that Soriano would stay in the bullpen. Soriano, a converted OF, had a top velocity of 96 mph Friday night. Pitching coach Bryan Price loves Soriano's mound demeanor. "He's never given an indication that he's overwhelmed by being a pitcher," Price said. "His real focus is throwing strikes and challenging hitters."

Blue Jays at Athletics
Toronto: C Ken Huckaby has been playing professional baseball for 12 years. On Friday night, he finally got his first major start. He celebrated with his first hit. "The thing was, I wasn't really worried about it," said Huckaby. He does have plans for the ball, though. "I'll keep that forever," he said. "Put it in a little thing up on the wall in the house." ... RHP Esteban Loaiza, who's been on the DL all season with a bad shoulder, is expected to join the Blue Jays in Toronto on Tuesday for their game against Seattle. ... RHP Steve Parris is currently throwing at extended spring training and says he doesn't expect to rejoin the team until at least June 1.

Oakland: C Ramon Hernandez is struggling at .198 after 30 games and was given the day off Saturday as a result. "Maybe we need to give him a day or two to clear his head," said A's manager Art Howe. "For whatever reason he hasn't found his rhythm at the plate." Hernandez led the AL with 137 games behind the plate last year. He caught 142 games, an Oakland record, in 2000. ... OF David Justice is able to walk without pain for the first time since going on the DL with a strained groin, A's trainer Larry Davis said. It's unlikely, though, that Justice will be ready to play when he becomes eligible. ... Scott Hatteberg received his first career start at first base. He's caught and played third with Boston, but came to the A's as a possible replacement for 1B Jason Giambi. That was before Oakland acquired 1B Carlos Pena from the Texas Rangers. Hatteberg was been the A's DH most of the season.

White Sox at Angels
Chicago: The White Sox, whose 19-0 loss at Anaheim was the most lopsided in the team's 102-year history, have lost 19 straight games in which they've scored fewer than four runs. The streak extends back to a 3-2 victory last Aug. 26 at Tampa Bay. ... Two-time AL MVP Frank Thomas entered Saturday hitting .187 on the road (14-for-75). Before this season, he has a career average of .314 away from Comiskey Park. Thomas' next home run will put him ahead of Lee May into 59th place on the career list at 355. ... Ray Durham needs one more homer to become the first second baseman in White Sox history with at least 100 homers and 100 or more stolen bases. He has 208 steals. ... Closer Keith Foulke, whose 42 saves last season were the second most in club history, has gone 14 consecutive games since April 25 without pitching in a save situation. ... The White Sox, who lead the AL in hits, entered Saturday with only three hits in their previous 49 plate appearances -- and one run in a span of 19 innings. ... Royce Clayton, whose .988 fielding percentage last season was the best ever by a White Sox shortstop, has benefited by two reversed official scorers' calls during the road trip that have kept his 64-game errorless streak alive heading into Saturday.

Anaheim: Rookie OF Julio Ramirez admitted he was laughing all around the bases on his first major league home run, which came on the first pitch he saw from Mike Porzio in Friday's 19-0 rout of the White Sox -- the team that released him on March 13. "Ken Williams (Chicago's general manager) told me that if I kept swinging at the first pitch, I wasn't going to stay in the big leagues. But I don't really think about that now. If I see a good pitch, I'm going to be swinging all the time," Ramirez said. ... Ramirez is the first Angels player to hit his first big league home run as a pinch-hitter since Damion Easley did it on Sept. 20, 1993, against Minnesota's Rick Aguilera. ... The Angels, coming off their highest-scoring home game in the franchise's 42-year history, outscored their opponents 113-40 during a 14-game stretch preceding Saturday night's game. ... The 19 runs of support LHP Scott Schoeneweis received in his seventh start of the season were three more than the combined total the Angels' offense provided in his first six outings. And he thanked them with seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball. "He kept his focus and pretty much stayed within his game plan, which is tough to do when you have a big lead like that," teammate Garret Anderson said. ... Adam Kennedy's two-homer game Friday was the second of his career. The other was July 4, 2000 against Seattle.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Giants at Expos
San Francisco: The biggest Olympic Stadium crowd since the Expos' season opener didn't get to see Barry Bonds in the Giants' starting lineup. With a crowd of over 25,000 expected for a discount ticket and hot dogs promotion, Bonds was given the night off for San Francisco's second of three games on the stadium's artificial surface. ... 1B J.T. Snow batted third for the first time this season. ... RHP Jason Schmidt made his fourth start of the season, and first since leaving two outs into a 3-0 win over Cincinnati a week earlier due to tightness in his right shoulder. Schmidt missed the first three weeks of the season due to a strained right groin.

Montreal: Before Saturday night, the Expos' biggest crowd since they drew 34,351 for their Apr. 2 opener was 11,672 for an 11-8 win over New York on Apr. 21il Montreal, which drew 11,464 a day earlier, had just three crowds over 10,000 in 20 home games through Friday. ... The Expos signed free agent 1B-OF Wil Cordero, who returned for his second stint with Montreal, and designated OF Lou Collier for assignment on Saturday. Cordero, released by Cleveland on April 29, is one hit shy of his 1,000th career hit. He was in uniform for the game and available to pinch hit. Cordero made his major league debut with the Expos from 1992-95, appearing in the 1994 All-Star game before winning the NL shortstop Silver Slugger award following the strike-abbreviated season.

Dodgers at Marlins
Los Angeles: Paul Lo Duca (.309) batted cleanup again Saturday, with Shawn Green (.252) moved up to the third slot. "We've got to get Shawn Green going," manager Jim Tracy said. "That's the reason for it." ... The Dodgers committed 17 errors in their first 35 games, fewest in the majors. They had 31 at the same time last year.

Florida: Florida activated RHP Julian Tavarez to start Saturday's game against Los Angeles. He had been on the DL since April 17 with a strained right shoulder. ... A.J. Burnett threw 121 pitches in eight innings Friday and is averaging 111 per start, highest in the NL. ... Rookie Josh Beckett, on the DL with a finger blister, threw for 13 minutes Saturday and said his finger felt good. He's scheduled to rejoin the rotation Tuesday at Colorado. ... OF Kevin Millar (abdominal strain) is also eligible to come off the DL Tuesday, but manager Jeff Torborg said the Marlins may wait a few days beyond that before activating him.

Diamondbacks at Phillies
Arizona: 1B Mark Grace said he understands he'll probably have a reduced role when Erubiel Durazo comes off the DL. The four-time Gold Glove winner was batting .231 entering Saturday night's game. "Somewhere I'll help them. I'll be the $3 million glove," he said. ... Durazo, who broke his right hamate bone in spring training, began his rehab assignment Friday night, and went 2-for-3 with two walks for Double-A El Paso. ... Arizona's 22-13 start was the best 35-game record by a NL team after winning the World Series since the 1981 Phillies, who also opened 22-13.

Philadelphia: RHP Vicente Padilla, who came within four outs of pitching a no-hitter against his former team Friday night before finishing with a two-hitter, is 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in eight starts -- the only starts of his career. Padilla, the only pitcher remaining on the Phillies of the three acquired in the Curt Schilling trade two years ago, entered spring training fighting for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, but has more wins than the rest of the starters combined. ... With Randy Johnson on the mound, manager Larry Bowa benched his left-handed hitters Saturday night except 1B Travis Lee. Rookie OF Jason Michaels started for Bobby Abreu in right and Tomas Perez played 2B in place of Marlon Anderson. Michaels even batted in Abreu's No. 3 spot in the lineup. ... Padilla's shutout Friday night was the team's first in 35 games and it also was the first complete game of the season. The Phillies had just three complete games last season.

Rockies at Mets
Colorado: LHP Mike Hampton hit his first home run of the season after tying an NL record with seven last year. He is batting .313 (5-for-16). On the mound, Hampton (1-5) lowered his ERA to 6.85. The left-hander is 6-16 since starting last year 9-2. ... The Rockies are 0-8 in one-run games. ... Three members of the Mets' 2000 World Series team were in the Colorado lineup -- Hampton, Benny Agbayani and Todd Zeile, who rejoined the Rockies after missing Friday night's game to attend the funeral of his godfather in California. Agbayani left in the fourth inning with a strained left hamstring. He is day-to-day. ... Colorado is 6-14 on the road. ... OF Larry Walker was given the day off, and manager Clint Hurdle chose not to use him as a pinch-hitter for Mark Little with two outs and two runners on in the ninth against RHP Scott Strickland. "He just played six straight games on Astroturf," Hurdle said. "If we're going to be good, we're going to have to use the complete roster, top to bottom." Little struck out to end the game. ... Hampton dropped to 6-5 career against the Mets, with a 2.44 ERA in 17 appearances.

New York: Left-handed batters are 1-for-13 (.077) against LHP Mark Guthrie this season. ... Before the game, the first 2,000 fans were permitted to walk around the dirt warning track and take pictures of Mets players. ... In a pregame ceremony on the field, Mike Piazza's father, Vince, presented equipment manager Charlie Samuels with a brand new Lexus convertible for losing 100 pounds. Samuels lost 107 pounds on his diet and now weighs 181. "The last time I weighed this much was 1986, so maybe we'll win again," Samuels said. ... 1B Mo Vaughn singled in the seventh for his 1,500th career hit. ... Jeromy Burnitz snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a second-inning single. ... On this date 30 years ago, the Mets acquired Willie Mays from the San Francisco Giants.

Astros at Pirates
Houston: 3B coach Gene Lamont is back in uniform in Pittsburgh for the first time since being fired as the Pirates' manager following the 2000 season. He was Boston coach last season. ... LF Daryle Ward returned to the lineup Saturday after being bothered for several days by a sore quadriceps. ... RF Jason Lane made his first major league start Saturday. He lined out in his first career at-bat Friday. The former Southern Cal star is the seventh rookie to play for Houston this season.

Pittsburgh: OF Chad Hermansen, recalled late Friday night from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Nashville, expects to make his first start this season Sunday. For now, manager Lloyd McClendon plans to play both Hermansen and Adrian Brown in center, hoping that one of them will get hot. Hermansen was the Pirates' regular center fielder for the first month of the 2000 season, but was sent back to the minors after hitting only .185. ... Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy raised more than $85,000 for cancer research by completing last weekend's Pittsburgh marathon in just under four hours. ... 3B Aramis Ramirez (sprained ankle) failed to start for the 20th consecutive game Saturday. ... If it's spring in Pittsburgh, it must be raining. The Pirates, who had more than 10 hours of rain delays and one postponement during a very wet April, were greeted again by a steady rain at the start of Saturday night's game against the Astros. It was their first scheduled Saturday home game since April 27 when they were rained out against San Diego. The Saturday before that, April 20, their game against Philadelphia was delayed nearly two hours. ... Because of injuries and suspensions, McClendon has started his regular lineup only four times in 34 games.

Cardinals at Reds
St. Louis: Darryl Kile has lost his last three starts, though it's not entirely a matter of poor pitching. During those three games, the Cardinals have scored only five runs and gotten 12 hits. ... J.D. Drew singled in four at-bats, leaving him in a 1-for-11 slump. ... Fernando Vina singled on the first pitch of the game. He has led off seven of the last 12 games with a hit or a walk. ... Vina's next steal will be the 100th of his career. ... The Cardinals stranded five runners Saturday. They've left 293 on base this season, most in the majors. ... Bud Smith, shifted from the rotation into the bullpen for the series, relieved in the eighth and gave up Corky Miller's solo homer. ... The Cardinals haven't won more than two games in a row since April 9-13, when they won five straight. They're in third place in the NL Central, 5{ games behind Cincinnati.

Cincinnati: The Reds were missing their top hitter against Kile. Ken Griffey Jr., on the DL with a torn patella tendon, is 7-for-11 career with three homers off the right-hander. ... 1B Sean Casey was out of the starting lineup for a second consecutive game after slightly pulling his right hamstring. ... Juan Encarnacion has a six-game hitting streak (10-for-24). ... 3B Aaron Boone singled in the sixth inning, ending an 0-for-16 slump. It was his longest since he also went 0-for-16 in May 2000. He's in a 5-for-49 slide overall. ... The crowd of 25,006 booed loudly when Kile's pitch hit Austin Kearns in the forearm, and again when he nicked Encarnacion in the fifth. The Reds have been hit 20 times this season, most in the NL, and Kearns and Casey have been hit in the head. Kearns has been hit five times, most on the team.

Brewers at Cubs
Milwaukee: RHPs Jamey Wright and Curtis Leskanic both started rehab assignments Friday night for Triple-A Indianapolis. Wright, recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis, threw 60 pitches over 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on four hits and one walk, striking out five. Leskanic, who had a torn labrum and a subsurface tear in his rotator cuff, threw 21 pitches in a scoreless inning. He gave up a hit and a walk, striking out one. Manager Jerry Royster said he hopes both pitchers would rejoin the team by June 1. ... RHP Ruben Quevedo, the scheduled starter for Saturday's rainout, will be skipped Sunday in favor of LHP Glendon Rusch. Quevedo allowed six baserunners and four earned runs in just one inning in his last start May 6. "I have a lot of concerns. Big concerns," Royster said. "He's getting too many balls up and he's getting behind in the count. When you throw an 86 mph fastball, those things get you in trouble. He doesn't have the velocity to get away with stuff like that."

Chicago: The Cubs lineup Saturday was to have three switch-hitting infielders. 3B Bill Mueller, 2B Bobby Hill and SS Augie Ojeda all swing from both sides. "That's the first time I can recall being in a lineup like that," said Ojeda, who is filling in for Alex Gonzalez (sore left hamstring). "Being a switch-hitter gives me more chances to play. It's exciting for me, because I get a chance to get into a rhythm at the plate." ... Manager Don Baylor said the Cubs are a short start and heavy bullpen usage day away from needing another relief pitcher. Top candidates are Pat Mahomes, whom Baylor said is throwing 94 mph at Triple-A Iowa, or Courtney Duncan, who pitched for the Cubs last season.

Padres at Braves
San Diego: 3B Sean Burroughs was out of the lineup for the third straight game with a sore right shoulder, missing a chance to face his hometown team. Burroughs was born Sept. 12, 1980, in Atlanta. His father, Jeff, played for the Braves from 1977-80, and hit a career-high 41 home runs in 1977. ... The Padres' weak offense -- next-to-last in runs, total bases, doubles -- has been even worse in their previous 10 games before Saturday night; they've scored more than four runs just once in that span. ... Before Friday night, when Atlanta's Andruw Jones and Keith Lockhart combined for three home runs with men on base, 81 percent of the homers allowed by San Diego pitchers had been with the bases empty.

Atlanta: 2B Keith Lockhart started in place of Marcus Giles. Lockhart was 1-for-2 Friday, including a two-run homer, after pinch-hitting for Giles in sixth inning. After hitting .326 as a pinch-hitter last season, Lockhart is just 1-for-22 in 2002. "The funnest thing about this game is to try to beat a pitcher the next at-bat," Lockhart said. "You don't get to do that when you're pinch-hitting." ... CF Andruw Jones had his batting average up to .268 before Saturday night's game, and he'd homered in three of the previous five games. He had hit safely in 17 of the previous 23 games (.330 average). ... RHP Jason Marquis made his first start since April 14, when he gave up 11 hits and seven runs -- all earned -- in six innings against Florida. He threw 129 pitches that night.