AMERICAN LEAGUE
Red Sox-Blue Jays
Boston: The Red Sox designated left-hander Bruce Chen for assignment. Chen already has been cut by Houston and Cincinnati this year. The Red Sox have 10 days to trade, waive or release him. He went 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA in five games, including two starts, for Boston. "I was shocked,'' Chen said. "I thought I did what they wanted me to do since I got here. I did all three things they wanted me to do -- start, long relief and face lefties. I thought I was doing OK, but I understand.'' The Red Sox claimed Chen off waivers from Houston on May 7. Manager Grady Little said the team didn't want 13 pitchers. "We felt like we kept the people we have the best chance to win with,'' Little said. ... Little said RHP Pedro Martinez will probably pitch off the mound in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Martinez is on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed tendon and strained muscle high on his right side. Little said it's possible Martinez could be activated next weekend. ... Asked if he's glad that Boston doesn't have to face Atlanta in interleague play this year, Little responded: ``At this point we consider everyone tough.'' Toronto: The Blue Jays have abandoned their idea of going to a four-man rotation in June. Manager Carlos Tosca said a couple of starters weren't thrilled with the idea. ``After researching it a little bit further a couple guys didn't feel comfortable with it,'' Tosca said. Fifth starter Doug Davis, who was expected to be moved to the bullpen, won his last start and pitched well. ... LF Shannon Stewart has missed seven of the last eight games with a strained right hamstring. ... Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus sang the American national anthem. ... C Greg Myers went 4-for-5. ... The Blue Jays have scored 10 or more runs in each of their last three games. ... RHP Roy Halladay has pitched at least six innings in each of his last 12 starts. ... Toronto and Boston combined for 18 extra-base hits, the most in an AL game this year.

Yankees-Tigers
New York: The Yankees committed a season-high four errors, two by 2B Alfonso Soriano. "That is just part of the game,'' Soriano said. ... Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who came out of retirement for one game to be an analyst on Detroit's cable broadcast, pulled for the Tigers during many of his 55 seasons of broadcasting major league games. But knowing they lost Sunday, he was asked if he would've rather seen Roger Clemens win No. 300. "Absolutely,'' Harwell said without hesitating. ... Juan Rivera grounded into three double plays. The last Yankee to do that was Matt Nokes on May 3, 1992. Detroit: The largest crowd (44,095) in the four-year history of Comerica Park showed up. "I hope the fans enjoyed it,'' Brandon Inge said. "Baseball fans had to love this game.'' ... Steve Sparks pitched 7 2-3 innings, the longest relief outing for the Tigers since Roger Mason went eight innings in 1984. ... Detroit won as many games (11) as the Yankees did in May. "I just smile and say that's baseball,'' manager Alan Trammell said. "They struggled after a tremendous start and I'm sure they'll pick it back up.'' ... When the Tigers begin a three-game series in San Diego on Tuesday, Trammell will be going home, where his wife and kids still live. The Del Mar, Calif., native was San Diego's first base coach from 2000-02.

___= ^Rangers-Orioles=

TEXAS: The Rangers ended a stretch of 18 consecutive games against the AL East with a 9-9 record. ... Fifteen of rookie Mark Teixeira's 33 hits are for extra bases. ... Colby Lewis has allowed six homers this year, but only two in his last five starts. ... The Rangers hit four doubles and had 13 in the four-game series against the Orioles. ... Texas has 11 homers against Baltimore in seven games this season. ... The Rangers were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position both Saturday and Sunday. ... Donnie Sadler's fifth-inning double was only his second hit since joining the team from Triple-A Oklahoma on April 29. ... Eight of the Rangers' last 13 errors have come at third base, including six by Hank Blalock.

BALTIMORE: DH B.J. Surhoff was in the starting lineup for the first time since being activated from the DL on May 27. It was his first start since May 3, the last game before he strained a hamstring muscle. Surhoff went 2-for-5. ... Manager Mike Hargrove, asked what he would change about interleague play were he the commissioner of baseball, said: ``Thank goodness I'm not the commissioner. I have enough people cussing at me as it is.'' ... OF Luis Matos has hit in all nine games (18-for-36) since his recall from Triple-A Ottawa. ... OF Melvin Mora extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games with his eighth home run of the year. ... Sidney Ponson is 6-1 in his last seven starts and is 6-1 against Texas in his career. ... The Orioles went 5-1 on the homestand, their best record since going 8-3 in May 2001. ... 3B Tony Batista went 0-for-3, ending his 12-game hitting streak.

___= ^White Sox-Indians=

CHICAGO: Manager Jerry Manuel remained upbeat after a 5-4 loss in 10 innings that gave the White Sox a 14-24 record after an 11-6 start. ``We just have to keep battling through this because there is a lot of baseball left,'' he said. ... Chicago is 2-4 on a 14-day, four-city road trip, its longest in 19 years. ... 2B D'Angelo Jimenez has hit safely in seven of his last eight games, going 10-for-30 with seven runs scored. ... In going 11-16 in May, the White Sox ranked last in the AL in batting (.241) and runs scored (3.6 per game). Their 4.92 ERA ranked 11th. ... RHP Bartolo Colon is scheduled to start Monday against his former team, the Indians. His 12 complete games since the start of the 2002 season are the most in the majors, four more than Arizona's Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. ... RHP Billy Koch had nine straight scoreless outings, covering 8 1-3 innings, until yielding three hits and one run in two-thirds of an inning Sunday. That raised his road ERA to 2.79, compared with 7.62 at home. ... RHP Tom Gordon leads the AL with an average of 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings (35 in 26 innings).

CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge said INF Ricky Gutierrez, who had neck surgery last fall, is scheduled to start a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Buffalo this week. ``He took some batting practice and fielded some grounders before the game today,'' Wedge said. ``He'll do it again Monday, then hopefully he'll go to Buffalo and play third base.'' Gutierrez had been at the team's extended spring training camp in Florida. ... 1B Ben Broussard has six RBIs in his last four games, batting .500 (7-for-14). ... OF Milton Bradley has reached base in 10 of his last 15 plate appearances. In his last 16 games, he is batting .364 (20-for-55) with five doubles and 11 RBIs. ... The Indians did not allow a first-inning run for the first time in eight games since May 22. ... Rookie LHP Billy Traber is scheduled to make his first major league start Wednesday in Colorado. ... The Indians are 15-12 since going 7-20 in April.

___= ^Angels-Devil Rays=

ANAHEIM: Closer Troy Percival (hip) reported no problems after throwing 46 pitches over 10 minutes in his second bullpen session in two days. ``Everything is better than OK,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``It was great for Troy.'' Percival is scheduled to throw in a simulated game Wednesday and could be activated from the 15-day disabled list as soon as this weekend. ... CF Darin Erstad (hamstring) went 0-for-3 in his first game Saturday for Triple-A Salt Lake. ``He felt fine,'' Scioscia said. Erstad could rejoin the team for a homestand that begins June 9. ... SS David Eckstein was out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. He is hitless in his last nine at-bats.

TAMPA BAY: New York Yankees scout Gene Michael attended the past two games. The Yankees are looking to add a left-handed bat and there has been speculation New York has some interest in 1B Travis Lee and OF Ben Grieve. ... Manager Lou Piniella said LHP Joe Kennedy, who left after one inning with shoulder stiffness Saturday, will undergo an MRI exam. ... SS Rey Ordonez (left knee) might go on a minor league rehab assignment before rejoining the team. He is expected to be out another couple weeks. ... RHP Steve Parris (shoulder) reported no problems one day after throwing three innings in a simulated game. He could be activated from the 15-day disabled list in the next few days and will be used as a long reliever. ... Former Cubs pitcher Jeremi Gonzalez is scheduled to start the Devil Rays' interleague opener Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. ... 3B Jared Sandberg is the nephew of former Cubs star Ryne Sandberg.

___= ^Athletics-Royals=

OAKLAND: The Athletics improved to 13-15 on the road, compared with 19-8 in Oakland. ... Miguel Tejada went 0-for-4, ending his 11-game hitting streak. ... Eighteen of the Athletics' last 22 games have been decided by three runs or fewer, including 13 of the last 15. They are 9-9 in those 18 games. ... The five-game deficit to first-place Seattle is Oakland's largest since last Aug. 5.

KANSAS CITY: RHP Runelvys Hernandez had a rehab start for Triple-A Omaha. Hernandez, Kansas City's opening day starter, gave up one run on three hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. He has been on the disabled list since May 17 with inflammation in his outer right elbow. ... Mike Sweeney extended his hitting streak to nine games and his run of reaching base safely to 33 consecutive games. He has reached base 64 times in 139 plate appearances during the streak for an on-base percentage of .460. He is batting .452 (14-for-31) during the hitting streak.

___= ^Mariners-Twins=

SEATTLE: The Mariners have won six straight. They swept their fourth series of the year, and have not been swept yet. ... Seattle hit .306 in May, a 47-point improvement on April, and went 19-8. The 19 wins were one short of the team record for any month. ... Edgar Martinez led the majors with 30 RBIs in May, and his 10 home runs tied him for the top spot with St. Louis' Albert Pujols. ... Ichiro Suzuki had a major league-leading 44 hits in May and batted .389. He finished the month with a 3-for-4 performance Saturday, falling a double short of the cycle. ... The Mariners are 15-0 in day games. ... Seattle begins interleague play Tuesday with its first trip to Philadelphia.

MINNESOTA: Public address announcer Bob Casey, who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame on Saturday, missed Sunday's game to attend his grandson's college graduation. Casey has been the Twins' announcer since the team's inception in 1961 and has missed only seven games. He was replaced by KARE-TV news anchor Paul Magers. ... The Twins were swept at home by Seattle for the second time in three years. The Mariners took four straight at the Metrodome in July 2001, then swept three from the Twins in Seattle the next week. ... Twins starter Kenny Rogers failed for the fifth consecutive time to earn his 150th career win. He lost to the Mariners for the first time in his last eight starts against them. ... The Twins will get their first look at Pacific Bell Park when they travel to San Francisco to open interleague play against the Giants on Tuesday.

___= ^NATIONAL LEAGUE= ^Reds-Marlins=

CINCINNATI: Reds batters lead the major leagues in strikeouts and are on pace to threaten the record of 1,399 strikeouts by the 2001 Milwaukee Brewers. ... The Reds, who begin interleague play on Tuesday, went 2-10 against the American League last season.

FLORIDA: A throwing error Saturday by pitcher Dontrelle Willis ended a five-game errorless streak by the Marlins. The last Florida error also was committed by Willis on May 25. ... June is the most successful month in franchise history and the lone month that the Marlins have a winning record (136-133).

___= ^Pirates-Cardinals=

PITTSBURGH: Kenny Lofton was 2-for-4 on Sunday, a day after his 26-game hitting streak came to an end. ``I just go out there and play ball and I'm not worried about any streak,'' Lofton said. ``I do what I do.'' ... OF Matt Stairs, on the DL with a torn ligament in his right ring finger, began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. He hasn't played since May 18. ... The Pirates have gone 148 games since their last complete game on June 16, 2002. That's the longest in the major leagues since the Reds went 150 games from July 28, 2001 through July 24, 2002. ... The Pirates are 6-3 in road series but 0-8-1 at home. ... Reggie Sanders lined out to third for the game's final out in his only appearance of the three-game series. He missed the first two games with a sore right hamstring. ``The hamstring is still tight,'' manager Lloyd McClendon said. ``He can swing the bat, but running the bases is doubtful. I would have pinch-run for him if he had gotten a hit there.''

ST. LOUIS: LHP Lance Painter begins a brief stint at extended spring training in Jupiter, Fla., on Monday, then will leave for a minor league rehab. General manager Walt Jocketty said Painter, out since April 11 with a torn hamstring, might need two weeks to get ready. ``His arm is OK, it's more about the hamstring and fielding the position so he won't reinjure it,'' Jocketty said. ... SS Edgar Renteria and 3B Scott Rolen received their 2002 Silver Slugger awards in a pregame ceremony. ... The Cardinals concluded a stretch of 26 straight games against NL Central opponents, going 11-15. They're 18-19 on the year in the division after going 57-33 last season. ... RHP Garrett Stephenson, the loser against the Pirates on Friday, isn't scheduled to pitch again until Saturday. Matt Morris, Woody Williams and Brett Tomko will pitch on four days' rest, but a day off on Sunday means Jason Simontacchi will pitch on six days' rest and Stephenson on seven days' rest.

___= ^Braves-Mets=

ATLANTA: LF Chipper Jones and CF Andruw Jones were both taken out of the starting lineup Sunday because of minor injuries. Chipper Jones jammed his left wrist when he doubled leading off the ninth inning Saturday. Andruw Jones was bothered by a hyperextended left knee. The two were in manager Bobby Cox's original lineup but removed following batting practice. Mark DeRosa replaced Chipper Jones and hit fifth, and Darren Bragg took over for Andruw Jones and batted eighth. 1B Julio Franco moved up two spots in the order to cleanup, DeRosa took over from Andruw Jones in the fifth slot, 3B Vinny Castillo moved up one notch to sixth and C Henry Blanco moved up a spot to seventh. DeRosa had an RBI single in Atlanta's two-run first.

NEW YORK: RHP Pedro Astacio was put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of tendinitis in his right shoulder that has bothered him since spring training. Astacio, 3-2 with a 7.36 ERA in seven starts, began the season on the disabled list before being activated April 24. LHP Mike Bacsik, recalled from the minors Saturday, will take Astacio's spot in the rotation. To fill Astacio's roster spot, New York recalled RHP Jeremy Griffiths from Triple-A Norfolk of the International League. ... 2B Roberto Alomar was presented a Steuben crystal by Roberto Clemente Jr. before the game for surpassing Roberto Clemente for most runs scored by a Puerto Rican-born player. Alomar broke the record April 12 against Montreal in San Juan when he scored his 1,417th run. His total is up to 1,439. ... With a lefty starting for the second straight day, Alomar was again out of the starting lineup. He has a strained hip flexor, which bothers him against left-handed pitchers. ... Because Saturday's game was played in rain, the Mets said fans can exchange their ticket stubs for tickets to games against Florida on June 24, 25 or 26.

___= ^Astros-Cubs=

HOUSTON: Morgan Ensberg's two-run homer off Mike Remlinger was his second as a pinch-hitter this season. He also had a pinch-hit shot May 6 against the Pirates. ... Manager Jimy Williams gave Craig Biggio the day off the rest. Colin Porter started in center and Orlando Merced took over Biggio's leadoff role. ``You got to take care of your players,'' Williams said. He tried to rest Jeff Bagwell on Saturday, but had to use him as a pinch-hit in the 16-inning marathon. ... Comparing Saturday when the wind was blowing in at 24 mph with Sunday when it was measured at 6 mph was easy enough for Lance Berkman. ``Yesterday may have been the single greatest pitchers' day in the history of baseball,'' Berkman said of the Cubs' 1-0 win in 16 innings. That was the longest game the Astros have played since losing a 6-5, 16-inning game to Milwaukee in 2000.

CHICAGO: Cubs manager Dusty Baker said he planned to call Matt Williams, who was designated for assignment Sunday by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs have been shuffling third baseman all year. Williams played for the Giants when Baker was managing in San Francisco. ``Right now we don't know exactly what is going to happen. Matt is one of my favorite guys. It's a matter of how he can play and how much he has left,'' Baker said. The Cubs have used Mark Bellhorn, Ramon Martinez and Lenny Harris at third this season. ... Kerry Wood got his 31st career double-digit strikeout game and fifth of the season. ... LHP Mark Guthrie, on the DL with a sore elbow, could be activated in time for Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay.

___= ^Rockies-Giants=

COLORADO: LHP Denny Neagle looked good while throwing a simulated game on Sunday, according to manager Clint Hurdle. Neagle, who hasn't pitched this season because of elbow soreness, will be eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list next week. The Rockies will wait until they evaluate him on Monday before considering a plan. ``I felt way better today,'' Neagle said. ``I could get more on the ball than I've done so far with this injury. I have to be more conscious of my mechanics now than ever, but I think that's good for me.'' ... RHP Nelson Cruz, out since May 21 with right shoulder inflammation, will pitch for Triple-A Colorado Springs in Tucson on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Rockies will re-evaluate him after the appearances. ... After yielding six walks and six runs in a 4-0 loss to the Giants on Sunday, RHP Aaron Cook is 0-5 in seven road starts this season. ``I don't know really how to explain it,'' Cook said. ``I know I'm walking more guys than I have in the past, but that's not always the problem.''

SAN FRANCISCO: LHP Jason Christiansen appears ready to return from elbow ligament surgery. He threw 70 pitches in a strong bullpen session on Sunday, and he could be activated as early as Monday. A year ago, Christiansen had ``Tommy John'' surgery, and he estimates he has thrown a baseball on all but five days for the last 12 months. ``I can't wait to put that uniform on,'' Christiansen said in the Giants' locker room. If Christiansen is activated, San Francisco either will send a pitcher to Triple-A Fresno _ or, if manager Felipe Alou goes with 12 pitchers, .180-hitting outfielder Ruben Rivera could be dropped. ... The Giants have won 12 of their 18 series this season. ... LHP Kirk Rueter has started 211 games for San Francisco, tying him with Jack Sanford for fifth place on the franchise career list. ... Backup C Yorvit Torrealba is hitting .350 (7-for-20) with runners in scoring position this season, driving in 11 runs.

___= ^Brewers-Dodgers=

MILWAUKEE: The Brewers, who did not draw a walk in the first two games of their three-game series against the Dodgers, got three from Kazuhisa Ishii _ who led the majors with 106 last season. ... Brewers announcer Bob Uecker said he is not preparing a speech for his induction into the broadcaster's wing of the Hall of Fame induction on July 27 _ nor will he use index cards with key words to remind him of what he wants to say. He's going to wing it. ... The Brewers have played 29 consecutive errorless innings. ... INF Luis Vizcaino turned 26 on Sunday. ... The Brewers took the rubber game of their series at Dodger Stadium. It's the second time this season that they've won consecutive road series. ... Slumping LHP Glendon Rusch, who was skipped over in the rotation on Sunday, is scheduled to face his former Mets teammates on Thursday. Tom Glavine will start for the Mets.

LOS ANGELES: CF and leadoff hitter Dave Roberts, in and out of the lineup because of a hamstring problem that has plagued him for more than a month, was activated from the DL on Sunday and was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt. ... OF Daryle Ward was placed in the 15-day DL, retroactive to May 29, with tendinitis in his right wrist. ... Backup C Todd Hundley, sidelined since May 3 because of a back problem that already has required three epidural injections, was given permission to leave the club for a couple of days to attend to personal matters. He is scheduled to rejoin the team on Tuesday. Manager Jim Tracy said that the club is not ruling out the possibility of surgery for Hundley, and that a decision on whether that will be the next step will be made in a matter of days, instead of weeks. ... The Dodgers have the 24th pick in Tuesday's draft. None of their first-round picks have made an impact since Paul Konerko, who was selected in 1994 and traded three years later to Cincinnati for closer Jeff Shaw.

___= ^Diamondbacks-Padres=

ARIZONA: RHP Edgar Gonzalez made his major league debut Sunday against the Padres. At 20, he became the youngest player in the majors, nearly four months younger than Detroit pitcher Jeremy Bonderman. ... RHP Curt Schilling remains on target to make his next start on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. Schilling, who was knocked out of the game Friday night when he took a line drive off his throwing hand, still has soreness from a bone bruise.

SAN DIEGO: With RHPs Brian Tollberg and Scott Linebrink appearing in Friday night's game, the Padres have used 38 players this season, including 19 pitchers. San Diego set a major league record last season by employing 59 players (tied by Cleveland later in the season), including a record 37 pitchers.

___= ^Expos-Phillies=

MONTREAL: SS Orlando Cabrera is the lone Expo to play in all 57 games. ... RHP Dan Smith is concerned about the Expos, who have dropped six of their last seven games, ``We better shake ourselves during this interleague play or we will be in trouble.'' The Expos will play Anaheim and Texas in a six-game series in Puerto Rico before embarking on a six-game road trip to Seattle and Oakland. ... 3B Jamey Carroll is hitless in his last 13 at-bats. ... RHP Sun-Woo Kim will make his first start of the season on Wednesday against Anaheim.

PHILADELPHIA: Phillies manager Larry Bowa had some high praise for LHP Rheal Cormier. ``He's the MVP down there (in the bullpen) right now,'' he said after Cormier pitched two hitless innings in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader. After a rocky 2002 season, Cormier is 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA. ... Bowa faced some criticism when he lifted Randy Wolf for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning of his May 21st start against the New York Mets. Bowa faced a similar situation again on Sunday and followed the same pattern. There was one big difference this time according to Bowa, ``Randy had stuff in the start against the Mets. This time, he didn't have anything. Randy never tells me that he's done and he came up to me and said that was enough. ... Dallas Green, manager of the World Series championship team in 1980, changed the Vet Countdown sign in right field. There are 53 regular season home games left in Veterans Stadium.

Detroit: Tigers manager Alan Trammell opted to start C Matt Walbeck over slumping Brandon Inge against RHP Pat Hentgen. Inge was 3-for-46 against right-handers and 7-for-57 overall since April 6. ``He's looking for more, and so are we,'' Trammell said. Inge has been working on a flaw in his swing, according to the manager. ... Trammell said he recently spoke with San Diego manager Bruce Bochy. ``It was a hang-in-there kind of thing,'' said Trammell, who served as first base coach for Bochy from 2000-02. ... Steve Sparks, who earned his second career save Monday, could see more action in the near future. ``When we broke spring training camp I said he'd be our safety valve. I really haven't been able to use him as much as anticipated,'' Trammell said. ... Trammell likes the idea of having 12 pitchers on the roster. ``It's nice to know they're there and available,'' he said.

Baltimore: Slumping Gary Matthews Jr. hit ninth for a third straight game. Matthews entered in a 1-for-14 funk that dropped his batting average to .217 and dropped him from his customary No. 2 spot in the lineup. ... Jerry Hairston stole his AL-best 11th base in the first inning. ... SS Deivi Cruz returned after getting Monday off, eager to snap out of a slump that dropped his batting average to .172. He entered having gone 9-for-67 in his previous 18 games. ... The Orioles have outscored their opponents 21-6 in the first inning.

Twins-Devil Rays
Minnesota: 2B Luis Rivas was out of the starting lineup because of a stomach problem. Manager Ron Gardenhire said Rivas, who did take batting practice, would undergo a medical examination. ... 1B Doug Mientkiewicz (bruised thumb) took batting practice and might return to the lineup by Thursday. ... The Twins are taking a wait-and-see approach on RHP Rick Reed (back). Should he not be ready for his next start, LHP Johan Santana would likely replace him. ... C Matt LeCroy (hamstring) is available for pinch-hitting duties. ... C A.J. Pierzynski (ankle) was back in the starting lineup. ... Gardenhire went fishing in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday's off day. Among the fish he caught was a red fish.

Tampa Bay: CF Carl Crawford was out of the starting lineup. He is working on his swing with hitting coach Lee Elia. ``Once he's comfortable, we'll get him back out there,'' manager Lou Piniella said. ... INF Damion Easley (knee) took grounders for the first time and should play in the field later this week. He has been limited to DH duties and pinch-hitting. ... LHP Bobby Seay (shoulder) received a cortisone shot Monday and could resume throwing in the next four to five days. ... Piniella said LHP Jim Parque (shoulder) will be activated from the 15-day disabled to start Friday's game against Detroit. ... RF Ben Grieve (thumb surgery) might be cleared to start swinging a bat by the end of the week. ... OF Damian Rolls (thumb) might swing a bat in the next couple days. ... The Devil Rays signed OF Mark Quinn to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Durham.

Blue Jays-Rangers
Toronto: Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca, third base coach Brian Butterfield and a few other members of the staff visited the Dallas Cowboys' Valley Ranch practice facility and coach Bill Parcells on Tuesday. Tosca and Butterfield had known Parcells in the past. They visited Parcells and got a tour of the Cowboys' facility, which is about a half-hour from the Ballpark in Arlington. ... RHP Tanyon Sturtze will start Wednesday, his start moved back a day so Roy Halladay could pitch Tuesday on his normal fifth day. ... RF Frank Catalanotto, who signed as a free agent with Toronto after playing the past three seasons with the Rangers, wasn't in the starting lineup for the opener of a three-game series.

Texas: RHP Ismael Valdes was eligible to come of the 15-day disabled list, but instead threw a simulated game. Valdes has tendinitis in his right shoulder. Manager Buck Showalter said Valdes could pitch Saturday against Cleveland. ``We'll make a decision tomorrow or the next day if he pitches Saturday or we push him back,'' Showalter said. ``To say he doesn't feel anything would be less than frank. Will that be eliminated the next couple of days? We'll see.'' ... Showalter and his coaches met for more than an hour before the game with owner Tom Hicks and general manager John Hart. Hicks, whose NHL Dallas Stars were eliminated from the playoffs Monday night, routinely sits down with his manager and general manager to discuss the progress of the team. ``We updated a lot of different scenarios, and things going on with the club,'' Showalter said.

Red Sox-Royals
Boston: When Damian Jackson threw out Joe Randa at home in the fourth inning Monday night, it gave the versatile outfielder three outfield assists for the season -- one from left, one from right and one from center. ... RHP Robert Person might rejoin the Red Sox next week when they return from their current road trip. He was expected to make one more appearance at Triple-A Pawtucket. He had shoulder and elbow surgery last year. ... OF Trot Nixon was out again with an eye irritation but might play Wednesday.

Kansas City: Manager Tony Pena has decided to go with a six-man rotation of LHPs Darrell May, Chris George and Jeremy Affeldt and right-handers Runelvys Hernandez, Miguel Asencio and Kyle Snyder. ``I'm looking at this for the next couple of weeks at least,'' he said. ... The Royals activated Affeldt from the 15-day DL and optioned OF Brandon Berger to Triple-A Omaha. Affeldt missed 13 games with a blister on his left middle finger. ... The Royals have been atop the AL Central since April 4, their longest span of being alone in first place since winning the AL West by 14 games in 1980.

Indians-Angels
Cleveland: SS Omar Vizquel entered needing one stolen base to tie Terry Turner for second place on the team's career list at 254. He'll need 197 more to tie the club record held by current Pittsburgh CF Kenny Lofton, who leads all active major leaguers with 513 steals. ... RHP Jason Bere, rehabbing his rotator cuff, is scheduled to make his second rehab start for Class-A Lake County on Wednesday. ... The Indians, who were outscored 36-4 in a three-game sweep by the Angels last year at Cleveland, were outscored 16-3 by them during the rain-shortened two-game set last week at Jacobs Field. ... 1B Shane Spencer was in a 3-for-29 slump with only one RBI since April 21, dropping his average from .291 to .226. Spencer is hitless in four bases-loaded situations -- while the Indians are 2-for-23 as a team. ... CF Milton Bradley, sidelined since April 23 because of a strained right hamstring, is scheduled to come off the DL on Thursday for the series finale.

Anaheim: Some of the players spent their night off Monday at the Mighty Ducks' second-round clinching win over the Dallas Stars in the NHL playoffs. ``It brought back memories,'' said 1B Scott Spiezio, whose dramatic three-run homer in Game 6 of the World Series was played on the arena's video board minutes before the Ducks scored the winning goal. ``After those guys came over here last year and rooted us on, I really paid attention to them this year. I think that if the roles were reversed, we definitely would thrive off of something like that, so I would think that some of the things we did are rubbing off on them.'' ... For the first time in the Angels' 43-year history, two of their No. 1 draft picks will pitch against each other Wednesday night when John Lackey (1999) starts against Cleveland's Brian Anderson (1993). ... The Angels entered 13-17 and last in the AL West. Only two AL teams have finished with a losing record in a season of more than 137 games after winning a World Series -- the 1967 Baltimore Orioles (76-85) and the 1986 Kansas City Royals (76-86). It's happened eight times to NL teams -- most recently the 1998 Florida Marlins, whose 54 victories were 38 fewer than the year before. ... Anaheim is scheduled to get two-fifths of its starting rotation back on consecutive days when 35-year-old RHP Kevin Appier (strained forearm) comes off the DL to face the Indians on Thursday and 32-year-old RHP Aaron Sele (shoulder surgery) is activated Friday for a start against Toronto. ``I think it's a good rotation -- even though the average age is considerably higher now,'' Appier said with a laugh. ``Most teams need depth to succeed, and this has tested ours a little bit. Hopefully, when we come off, we'll be able to do our job and get us on a roll.''

Yankees-Mariners
New York: RHP Jose Contreras is scheduled to make his third start for Triple-A Columbus on Friday at Rochester and could return to the Yankees as early as next week. ``I don't think his statistics are as important as his comfort level,'' manager Joe Torre said. ... SS Derek Jeter will play Wednesday at Double-A Trenton during a rehabilitation assignment after dislocating left shoulder. ``I don't anticipate any changes,'' Torre said. ``I don't see him standing up or sliding feet first. He is what he is, an instinctive player.'' ... Bench coach Don Zimmer has returned home after last week's hospital stay to treat a gastrointestinal illness. ``He's settling in, getting comfortable. He's home watching his wife's soap operas,'' Torre said.

Seattle: Manager Bob Melvin was scheduled to have surgery Monday to remove bone chips from his right elbow but changed his mind after arriving at the hospital. ``I had an overwhelming feeling it wasn't the right thing to do at the time,'' he said. He's unable to throw batting practice but will have the procedure done after the season. ... RHP Kazuhiro Sasaki, out with a sore back, has improved in the bullpen and could come off the disabled list Thursday. ... RHP Joel Pineiro will pitch against RHP Mike Mussina on Wednesday and RHP Freddy Garcia faces LHP David Wells on Thursday.

White Sox-Athletics
Chicago: RHP Dan Wright, activated Monday from the 15-day disabled list, will start Friday at Seattle. He began the season on the 15-day DL with right elbow inflammation and made four rehabilitation starts for Triple-A Charlotte, going 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA. ... The White Sox had lost three straight and five of their last six heading into a six-game road trip. Chicago was 12th in the AL with a .244 batting average, but was hitting .201 with 34 runs over its last 12 games. The White Sox were held to five or fewer hits in seven of their last nine games. ... Manager Jerry Manuel said he can handle the criticism he's receiving for the team's struggles. He would rather take the heat than see a specific player pointed out as the problem. ``I really don't respond,'' Manuel said. ``The players are the ones who have to get it done. I know what I have to do inside the clubhouse. ... I hit .105 -- I can't hit for them.''

Oakland: Reserve OF Adam Piatt got the start in LF, Eric Byrnes started in CF in place of Chris Singleton and Terrence Long was in RF. ``I want them to be as prepared as they can be,'' manager Ken Macha said of rarely used players such as Piatt. ... Macha and pitching coach Rick Peterson had an hourlong meeting to discuss the rotation up until the All-Star break. They looked at five different scenarios, Macha said. The A's would like to give LHP Ted Lilly more time between starts and make sure LHP John Halama has good matchups on days he pitches. ... Oakland faced a left-handed pitcher -- Mark Buehrle -- for only the sixth time all season, fewest in the AL.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Padres-Expos
San Diego: The Padres begin a six-game road trip last in the NL West, 10 1-2 games behind division-leading San Francisco and nine games under .500 at 11-20 after losing two straight and seven of eight. ... Through Monday, RF Xavier Nady was second among NL rookies in hits (29), home runs (3), multi-hit games (6) and total bases (44). ... RHP Brian Lawrence will make his next start as scheduled in Thursday's series finale. Lawrence, who is experiencing tendinitis in his right elbow, had a good bullpen session before Tuesday's game. ... San Diego is 171-207 overall -- though 13-9 since 2000 -- against Montreal, which joined the NL along with the Padres in the 1969 expansion, which also added Kansas City and the Seattle Pilots to the American League.

Montreal: SS Orlando Cabrera was a late scratch because he had to attend to his wife, who fell ill earlier in the day. Jamey Carroll made his second start at short, replacing Cabrera in the second spot in the order. ... RHP Livan Hernandez is 7-1 with a 3.17 ERA overall against San Diego in 11 career appearances with Florida and San Francisco. Hernandez was 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA last season with the Giants in three starts against the Padres. ... RF Vladimir Guerrero is hitting .335 overall against San Diego, with 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 179 career at-bats.

Giants-Marlins
San Francisco: Right-handed reliever Robb Nen will have arthroscopic surgery Wednesday for a partial tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder. The operation will be done by Dr. Craig Morgan, who performed similar surgery on Curt Schilling in 1999. Nen was 6-2 last season with 43 saves and a 2.20 ERA and seven postseason saves. ... Hall of Famer Willie Mays turned 72. ... The Giants opened a six-game road trip, at Florida through Thursday and then Atlanta (Friday-Sunday).

Florida: The Marlins made several roster moves: Left-handed reliever Juan Alvarez was called up from AAA Albuquerque to take the spot vacated by the transfer of pitcher A.J. Burnett from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Alvarez is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA and no saves in 15 appearances at Albuquerque. On Friday, the Marlins will call up LHP Dontrelle Willis from AA Carolina. He'll start Friday's game against the Rockies.

Dodgers-Mets
Los Angeles: INF-OF Larry Barnes, who had seven homers and 26 RBIs for Las Vegas of the PCL (fourth in the league), replaced Jason Romano on the roster after Sunday's game. C David Ross was brought up to fill the roster spot of injured Todd Hundley, who's sidelined with an irritation of the sciatic nerve and on the 15-day DL. On Tuesday, Hundley had an epidural to ease the pain in the nerve and is not expected to rejoin the club for the current road trip. ... Barnes is the fourth non-roster invitee to spring training to make the Dodgers' roster. Others include LHPs Troy Brohawn and Tom Martin and INF Ron Coomer. ... Daryle Ward flew to New York to rejoin the team after having successful surgery to remove two impacted wisdom teeth that had become infected. ... Dodgers INF Mike Kinkade observed his 30th birthday in New York, where he began his big league career with the Mets in 1998.

New York: When Tony Clark and Vance Wilson homered in the fourth inning, it marked first back-to-back homers for the Mets since last Sept. 12 at Atlanta, when Jeromy Burnitz and Jason Phillips did it in the ninth inning. ... 1B Mo Vaughn had an MRI and X-ray of his left knee, which landed him on the DL Sunday. He has arthritis, bone spurs, lack of cartilage and fluid. ... C Mike Piazza had a benign mole removed from his lower right abdomen Monday, a procedure that required seven stitches. He is day to day.

Cardinals-Reds
St. Louis: Brett Tomko's first-inning woes continued Tuesday. The right-hander gave up a three-run homer to Austin Kearns as Cincinnati went up 3-0. Tomko has given up 16 first-inning runs in seven starts, by far his worst inning. ... Tomko has been roughed up in the first inning of all three of his career starts against the Reds, who traded him to Seattle in 2000 as part of the package for Ken Griffey Jr. Tomko walked four batters in the first inning of the Reds' 4-3 win last Aug. 4 in San Diego, and he gave up nine runs in the first inning of the Reds' 12-10 victory in Cincinnati five days later. ... SS Edgar Renteria hit his fifth homer in the second inning. His career high is 16 homers in 2000. ... While the Cardinals were batting in the second inning, the Delta Queen riverboat set off from just outside the ballpark, loudly playing ``Camptown Races'' and ``Take Me Out To The Ballgame'' on its calliope.

Cincinnati: SS Barry Larkin was activated from the disabled list before the game but couldn't talk his way into the starting lineup. Larkin had been on the DL since April 14 with a strained left calf. Manager Bob Boone wants to handle Larkin cautiously. ... CF Ken Griffey Jr. is still trying to get his strength and full range of motion back in his right shoulder, which he dislocated on April 5 while diving for a ball. He's not allowed to swing a bat or toss a ball. ``Not much has changed,'' Griffey said. The Reds estimate he could be out as long as 10 weeks. ... RHP John Riedling will start for the Reds next Saturday. The reliever made his first major league start Monday night, a 5-4 win over the Cardinals, and impressed Boone enough to earn another chance. ... OF Jose Guillen singled in his second at-bat, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games.

Rockies-Braves
Colorado: RF Larry Walker played in his 1,018th game for the Rockies, tying the franchise record held by Dante Bichette. Walker also had reached another, more obscure milestone, coming into Tuesday night's game with 217 stolen bases. That tied Terry Puhl for the most thefts by a Canadian-born player. ... The Rockies are starting the middle leg of their longest road trip of the season. They started the nine-game, 10-day trip by losing two of three in Chicago against the Cubs. After three games at Turner Field, the Rockies moves on to Florida to take on the Marlins.

Atlanta: 2B Marcus Giles is a father again. Arringtun Mae Giles was born Monday morning, weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces. She is the second child of Giles and his wife, Tracy. The birth came nearly 11 months after the Giles' first child, Lundyn Mae, died after living only 16 days. The girl was born prematurely at 26 weeks and weighing only 1 pound. The newest member of the family was doing fine, and Giles felt good enough to be in the lineup for the opener of a three-game series against the Rockies. Well, sort of. ``I didn't get any sleep,'' Giles said. ``None.'' ... RF Gary Sheffield returned to the lineup after missing a three-game series at Arizona. Sheffield left the team to be at the funeral of his wife's grandmother in Chicago. ``It's good to get back in there and do what I do best,'' he said. Sheffield had gone 9-for-16 with two homers and seven RBIs over his previous four games. ``It's hard to imagine coming back and swinging like I left off,'' he said. ... OF Ryan Langerhans, who came up while Sheffield was on the bereavement list, returned to Double-A Greenville.

Brewers-Cubs
Milwaukee: 2B Eric Young was out of the starting lineup for a third straight day with a quadriceps injury. ``We're just making sure,'' Brewers manager Ned Yost said. ``If E.Y. feels good today, we might put him in tomorrow. He's available to pinch-hit. It's just I want to get it taken care of.'' ... LF Geoff Jenkins has just one hit in his last 29 at-bats, but Yost said he's not overly concerned. ``These things run their cycles,'' Yost said. ``He'll be fine.'' ... LHP Glendon Rusch will start against the Cubs on Friday. He's 1-5 with a 7.18 ERA in his first seven starts, but Yost said that's the result of Rusch trying some new things in spring training. ``You have to use trial and error to make yourself better,'' Yost said. ``He's trying things to make himself better. I really think he's going to have a great start tomorrow.'' ... 3B Wes Helms is hitting .316 over his last seven games, boosting his average by 20 points. ``The thing Wes had to do was play. He sat on the bench for three years in Atlanta,'' Yost said. ``It's taken this long for him to finally get some fluidity back to his swing. It just takes time to get the rust knocked off after sitting for three years.''

Chicago: Cubs manager Dusty Baker shuffled his lineup Tuesday night, hoping to jump-start the middle of the order. Sammy Sosa is still batting third, but Moises Alou moved down to fifth with Eric Karros in the No. 4 spot. ``It stands out when guys are struggling in the middle of the order,'' Baker said. ``Eric is probably swinging better than the three guys in the middle, and he's very good against left-handers.'' ... Though Sosa is 13-for-52 over his last 13 games, he insists he's not in a slump. ``I'm not struggling, I don't care what you say,'' he said. ``When you're struggling is when you're hitting .190 over 100-something at-bats. I'm not struggling.'' ... With this series against Milwaukee, the Cubs begin a stretch of four straight weeks against NL Central foes. ... Five years ago Tuesday, Kerry Wood tied a major league record by striking out 20 Houston Astros in his fifth start. Roger Clemens is the only other pitcher to strike out 20 in a nine-inning game. The Rocket did it April 29, 1986, and Sept. 18, 1996.

Pirates-Astros
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh made 22 errors in its first 17 games and only six in its next 14. ... The Pirates had gone 25 consecutive innings without scoring a run at Houston's Minute Maid Park, before Matt Stairs' eighth inning home run Monday.

Houston: Wade Miller's victory over Pittsburgh Monday snapped a seven-start losing streak. He has a four-game winning streak over the Pirates. His career ERA against the Bucs is 1.85, second-best in the NL among active pitchers with at least five starts against the Pirates. ... Jeff Bagwell's homer Monday night was the 381st of his major league career, moving him into sole possession of 38th place on baseball's career list.

Phillies-Diamondbacks
Philadelphia: When the Phillies were beaten 10-1 in Miguel Batista's complete-game victory Arizona on Monday night, it marked the first time this season that no Philadelphia batter had drawn a walk in a game. The Phillies rank third in the NL with 135 walks. ... The Phillies are 4-4 on their 10-game road trip, and the bats have been cold. They're hitting .207 and have scored just 22 runs. ... OF Pat Burrell is second in the NL with 40 strikeouts. The Phillies are third in the league with 246 strikeouts. Only Chicago and Cincinnati have more. ... RHP Vicente Padilla has lost three games in a row. He gave up 7 runs in 4 1-3 innings Monday night, one of his worst outings since he came to Philadelphia from Arizona in the trade that sent Curt Schilling to the Diamondbacks.

Arizona: After he hit two home runs and a triple, drove in four, and tied a franchise record with four runs scored, OF Steve Finley was moved into the cleanup spot for Tuesday night's game. ... RHP Mike Koplove, who has allowed three earned runs in 21 innings, has not allowed an inherited runner to score this season. In seven outings since April 7, Koplove has allowed one run over 9 2/3 innings. His 21 innings pitched ranks him fourth among NL relievers. ... Finley has 101 career triples, one in each of the last two games. He ranks first, by far, among active players in that category. His nearest competitor is Kenny Lofton of Pittsburgh, who has 79. ... 2B Junior Spivey entered Tuesday night's game with a hit in all eight games of the homestand. He's batting .389 in that span with 11 runs scored, four homers and nine RBIs.