AMERICAN LEAGUE

Yankees vs. Tigers
New York: Injured right-handers Orlando Hernandez and Roger Clemens will return to the Yankees' injury-riddled rotation this weekend, manager Joe Torre said Thursday. Hernandez, who hasn't pitched since spraining his right elbow June 18, will start Saturday at Tampa Bay. Clemens, on the disabled list since June 15 with a strained right groin, will start Sunday against the Devil Rays. Both pitchers went through successful throwing sessions Thursday. ... LHP Allen Watson went on the 15-day disabled list with a dislocated right shoulder. The injury occurred as Watson fielded a comebacker during a four-inning relief stint Wednesday in which he gave up six runs in the Yankees' 13-6 loss to Detroit. ... The Yankees recalled right-hander Craig Dingman and purchased the contract of left-hander Randy Choate from Triple-A Columbus. Dingman, 26, was 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 28 games, including one start, at Columbus. Choate, 25, was 2-0, 2.10 in 32 games at Columbus. Detroit: 1B Tony Clark didn't start Thursday's game because of a stiff back that developed midway through the Tigers' 13-6 rout of the Yankees on Wednesday. Clark, who homered in his last three games, was available to pinch-hit. ... RF Juan Gonzalez didn't start for the second straight night because of a sore left foot. ... The Tigers entered Thursday's game only 2-8 in games after they've scored 10 or more runs. ... RHP Dave Mlicki started Thursday after missing his last scheduled start at Cleveland with a severe sinus infection. ... Thursday's game was the Tigers' last at Comerica Park before the All-Star break. The club begins a nine-game, three-city trip Friday at Kansas City and does not play at home again until July 13 against Houston.

Orioles vs. Red Sox
Baltimore: The Orioles began Thursday night with the worst road record in baseball, 12-31. But by winning the first two games in the series against the Red Sox, Baltimore won a road series for the third time in 14 tries. ... Buddy Groom hadn't been very successful in holding leads. In eight opportunities before the Red Sox series, he had just two saves. But he recorded saves in the first two games against Boston. ... Ryan Minor has had a tough time since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday to replace Cal Ripken, who went on the disabled list. Minor was 0-for-3 with a strikeout Wednesday and flied out to center in his first at-bat Thursday. Boston: Tim Wakefield is the first American League pitcher in nearly 15 years to pinch-hit the day before he was the starting pitcher. The last to do it was Chicago's Gene Nelson on July 7, 1985. That's also the last time an AL team used two pitchers as pinch-hitters until Wakefield and Pete Schourek did it for Boston on Wednesday night. In that 1985 game, Nelson hit for Greg Walker and lined into a double play, and Dan Spillner walked in place of Harold Baines. On Thursday, Baines was Baltimore's DH. ... The Red Sox played, and lost, extra-inning games in their previous three outings. The last time they had such a stretch of extra-inning games was in May 1996 when they played four straight. ... Red Sox rookie Morgan Burkhart, who went 4-for-8 as DH in his first two major league games Tuesday and Wednesday, started at first base and singled in the second inning.

Blue Jays vs. Devil Rays
Toronto: 1B Carlos Delgado extended his career-high hitting streak to 22 games with a first-inning RBI double. Delgado is tied for the third-longest streak in Blue Jays history with Shannon Stewart (1999). The team record is 28, set by Shawn Green last season. ... SS Alex Gonzalez was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game because of a right groin strain. ... 2B Homer Bush, who has struggled offensively, started after sitting out two games and went 3-for-5. Tampa Bay: Manager Larry Rothschild said LF Greg Vaughn (right hamstring strain), eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Friday, might have his return pushed back a day or two. ... 3B Vinny Castilla (lower back inflammation) should begin a minor league rehab stint within the next couple days. ... CF Gerald Williams (strained left hip flexor) was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game, but was available to pinch-hit ... RHP Esteban Yan, who has allowed 12 runs over five-plus innings in his past two starts, might be dropped from the rotation. LHP Doug Creek is one potential replacement.

Indians vs. Royals
Kansas City: The Royals have their fingers crossed that right fielder Jermaine Dye will hold his lead over New York's Bernie Williams as the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game among outfielders. Dye could become the first Kansas City position player to start in the game since Bo Jackson in 1989. ... Dan Reichert will make just his second start of the year Friday night, facing Detroit. He has 27 relief appearances. Cleveland: Center fielder Kenny Lofton, who was hit in the shin by a pitch Tuesday night and had to be helped off the field, was back in the lineup after missing one game. ... RHP Charles Nagy will make his third rehab start for Double-A Akron on Friday. Coming back from bone chips in his right elbow, Nagy is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts.

Twins vs. White Sox
Chicago: 3B Herbert Perry was back in the lineup after a bout with a 24-hour virus that was working its way through the clubhouse. "I never hurt so much," said Perry, who has undergone a few surgeries in his playing days. ... The White Sox lost their first series since May 24-25 against New York. ... OF Magglio Ordonez has hit safely in 19 of 20 games, going 33-for-76 (.434) in that stretch. ... 2B Ray Durham had to leave the game after the fourth inning because he felt a twinge in his left side while making a defensive play. His status was day to day. Minnesota: LHP Eric Milton is 6-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight starts. ... 1B Ron Coomer extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games. ... The Twins outscored the White Sox 30-24 in their six games this season. ... Minnesota travels to Cleveland to complete a 13-game road trip, the longest of the season. The Twins are 5-5 so far. Minnesota has outscored its opponents on the trip 60-52.

Rangers vs. Athletics
Texas: 2B Luis Alicea returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with tightness in his lower back. He walked to lead off the game and scored on Rusty Greer's two-run homer, and went 0-for-4. ... The Rangers' victory Thursday afternoon against the Athletics was just the ninth win in 22 day games for Texas this season. ... LHP Mike Munoz, sidelined with an elbow problem since April 27, had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The reliever will miss the rest of the season. ... Ivan Rodriguez had two hits in each of the three games in the series. Oakland: RHP Tim Hudson, who split the fingernail on his right middle finger Tuesday, said he does not expect to miss a start. "I'm not going to lie, it will probably be real sore on my next start," Hudson said. "I have just been icing it and sticking it in all kinds of solutions to keep the swelling down." ... RHP Omar Olivares, placed on the disabled list in mid-June with a strained right shoulder, threw off the bullpen mound Thursday. Olivares, 0-5 in his past six starts, hopes to return July 17. ... The A's played on a Thursday for the first time since May 25. In 13 weeks this season, Oakland has played on Thursday just five times. ... By losing two of three to Texas, the A's lost their first series since mid-May. The streak of eight straight series was the second-longest in Oakland history, trailing only the 11 straight at the end of the 1988 season.

Angels vs. Mariners
Anaheim: Troy Glaus (23), Mo Vaughn (21) and Garet Anderson (21) are the first Angels trio to hit 20 home runs each by the All-Star break. The last team to have three players with 20 homers by the All-Star break was the 1997 Colorado Rockies (Larry Walker, 25; Vinny Castilla, 22, and Andres Galarraga, 22). Seattle: With backup Tom Lampkin out for the season with a torn ligament in his right elbow, the Mariners are looking for some catching help, but not a No. 1 catcher. "We've got a number one catcher," manager Lou Piniella said before Thursday's game with Anaheim. "We're looking to get an experienced catcher who can hit the ball from the left side. Truthfully, we can use a left-handed bat." Seattle's No. 1 catcher, Dan Wilson, has been on the disabled list since June 15 with a pulled muscle in his side. He began throwing Wednesday and is expected back after the All-Star game on July 11. Lampkin will undergo ligament replacement surgery on Friday. An MRI test disclosed his injury Tuesday. With Wilson sidelined and Lampkin lost for the season, the Mariners' top catcher is Joe Oliver, who was Piniella's starting catcher for Cincinnati's World Series championship team in 1990. "I just can't catch Joe all the time," Piniella said. The Mariners called up catcher Robert Machado from Triple-A Tacoma to be Oliver's backup until Wilson returns. ... RHP Freddy Garcia, on the DL since April 22 with a hairline fracture of his right tibia, will make a rehabilitation start for Tacoma on Saturday against Colorado Springs. He made two rehabilitation starts for Class-A Everett.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Braves vs. Mets
Atlanta: Greg Maddux missed his start after becoming ill, and instead John Burkett pitched against the Mets. Maddux did not feel well after arriving at Shea Stadium and was sent back to the team hotel in Manhattan. Set back by flu-like symptoms, Maddux was to face the Mets on Saturday. ... Rookie SS Rafael Furcal was activated from the 15-day disabled list. He strained his right hamstring running out a double earlier this month. Mark De Rosa was optioned to Triple-A Richmond. He is 4-for-13 in two stints for the Braves this season. ... RHP Rudy Seanez underwent ligament transplant surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the season. Dr. James Andrews performed the "Tommy John" operation in Birmingham, Ala. New York: OF Darryl Hamilton, who has not played since the first week of the season because of a sprained left foot, has cut short his injury rehabilitation assignment in the minors. He is going back to California to have his foot re-examined. ... Todd Zeile, John Franco and Jay Payton were among several Mets who took part in a skin cancer screening at Shea Stadium before the game. The program, which is being offered to all 30 teams, was set up by the American Academy of Dermatology, major league baseball and the players' union.

Cubs vs. Pirates
Chicago: Jose Nieves has had his first three-hit game and first three-RBI game during the Cubs' ongoing 12-game road trip that winds up this weekend in Milwaukee. ... Jon Lieber is 3-0 against Pittsburgh, the team that traded him to the Cubs following the 1998 season. But Lieber says he has been gone long enough that pitching against the Pirates no longer is a big deal. He said, "I don't really think about who I'm pitching against, I'm just trying to win a ballgame." Three of Lieber's 16 victories with Chicago are against Pittsburgh. ... Because of the Sammy Sosa trade rumors, an unusually large media contingent is following the Cubs this week. There were nearly as many TV satellite trucks parked outside Three Rivers Stadium on Thursday as there are for a playoff game. ... Eric Young, who has had six consecutive 40-plus steal seasons, is on pace to steal 55 bases. The Cubs haven't had a 40-base stealer since 1985, when Ryne Sandberg stole 54 and Davey Lopes stole 47. Pittsburgh: LHP Scott Sauerbeck (sprained left elbow), who leads the Pirates with 34 appearances, reported to Triple-A Nashville on a rehabilitation assignment. He expects to pitch in two games for the Sounds, then rejoin the Pirates on Sunday in Philadelphia. ... Kris Benson, who starts Friday in Philadelphia, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his last 12 starts. He has won four of his last six decisions. ... The Pirates haven't been .500 since they were 2-2. ... Manager Gene Lamont warned his players than any who are eagerly anticipating a trade probably will be disappointed. GM Cam Bonifay said earlier this week he hopes to make at least one trade by the July 31 deadline. ... CF Brian Giles is the only Pirates player who has started all 77 games. He hasn't asked for a day off, and says he doesn't want one until the All-Star break.

Cardinals vs. Reds
St. Louis: Mark McGwire went 1-for-15 in the four-game series with Cincinnati. He had a single, a walk and nine strikeouts. Struggling in Cincinnati is nothing new for McGwire, who's 10-for-55 career (.182) with four homers there. ... The Cardinals have the most homers in the NL (132) and the fewest errors (41). Their infield has not committed an error since June 16, a span of 111 innings. ... Eric Davis hit a grand slam in Cincinnati on May 7, then didn't hit another homer until he returned to play his former team this week. Davis started twice in the four-game series and went 4-for-8 with two homers and five RBI. Cincinnati: The Reds optioned right-handed reliever Scott Winchester back to Triple-A Louisville to open a spot for right-hander Pete Harnisch, activated off the disabled list. Harnisch will start Friday in Arizona. ... Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 424th homer, 27th on the career list. Billy Williams had 426. ... Third baseman Aaron Boone's error in the ninth broke a season-high streak of seven games without an error by the Reds. ... In six June starts, Villone gave up 33 earned runs in 28 2-3 innings as he went 1-4 with a 10.36 ERA.

Brewers vs. Phillies
Milwaukee: The Brewers begin a 10-game homestand on Friday against the Chicago Cubs. There are 44 games remaining at County Stadium. Miller Park is scheduled to open in April 2001. ... INF Charlie Hayes, mired in a 7-for-51 slump, wasn't in the starting lineup Thursday. ... LF Geoff Jenkins and RF Jeromy Burnitz each have six outfield assists, which ranks fourth in the NL. ... C Henry Blanco has thrown out 58.6% (17 of 29) of potential basestealers. Philadelphia: Several Phillies, including manager Terry Francona, slept in the clubhouse after Wednesday night's game ended at 12:20 a.m. Thursday's game time was 1:05 p.m. ... Friday's starter Randy Wolf has a team-high seven victories and has won three of his last four decisions. ... C Mike Lieberthal has hit in 11 of his last 12 games with a .357 average, three homers and 12 RBIs over the span.

Giants vs. Rockies
San Francisco: When the Giants return home for Friday night's game against Los Angeles, RHP Russ Ortiz (4-7) will be looking for his first victory at Pacific Bell Park. He has gone 0-3 with a 5.74 ERA in his six starts at home this season. ... Barry Bonds, in his eighth season in San Francisco, reached the 800 RBI plateau with the Giants, hitting a solo homer Thursday. He had 556 RBI in seven previous seasons in Pittsburgh. ... Left-hander Kirk Rueter threw off the mound Wednesday, and manager Dusty Baker said he will make his next scheduled start Saturday. Rueter departed in the first inning Monday night after being struck by a line drive off his right ankle. ... The Giants have given up 82 runs in seven games at Coors Field this year. Colorado: Manager Buddy Bell said LHP Scott Karl will start one of the doubleheader games at San Francisco on July 4. Karl, who made 152 consecutive starts, was demoted earlier this month to the bullpen, where he has made five straight appearances. ... Masato Yoshii went to 4-7 with his win over the Giants on Thursday. All three of his previous victories this season came against Arizona. ... In the Rockies' just-completed four-game homestand, Jeff Cirillo went 11-for-15 (.733) with two doubles, three homers, nine runs scored and 13 RBI.

Astros vs. Diamondbacks
Houston: Astros batters have been hit by an NL-high 50 pitches this season, with 2B Craig Biggio leading the team and the league with 16. OF Richard Hidalgo is second with 12. ... Astros manager Larry Dierker gave Matt Mieske the start in right field. Mieske is 7-for-24 lifetime against Randy Johnson with three homers. ... Shane Reynolds worked just 2 2/3 innings in his last start. ... Bill Spiers hasn't played since aggravating a strained left hamstring on Sunday. ... The Astros leave for St. Louis immediately after the game and are expected to arrive in the Gateway city at approximately 4:30 a.m. Arizona: The Diamondbacks placed 1B Erubiel Durazo on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this month and recalled OF Jason Conti from Triple-A Tucson. Durazo, who underwent surgery on his right wrist June 1 to repair cartilage damage, played in two games since he was activated June 24. Arizona manager Buck Showalter said Durazo will begin his rehabilitation assignment in Tucson when the Diamondbacks travel to Houston on July 4. ... Randy Johnson made his first career start against the Houston Astros. ... 1B Alex Cabrera is 4-for-7 with a triple, a homer and three RBIs since he was recalled from Double-A El Paso on Monday. During batting practice Thursday, he hit a ball an estimated 470 feet. ... RHP Todd Stottlemyre, placed on the DL Monday with tendinitis in his right elbow, said he hopes to pitch in September or in the postseason.

Padres vs. Dodgers
San Diego: Ryan Klesko, an Atlanta Braves teammate of John Rocker for two years before being traded to the Padres last December, was thrilled to be 3,000 miles away from Shea Stadium Thursday night and all the hostility in the air that was directed at Rocker by angry Mets fans. "I would be lying if I said I'd want to be there," Klesko said. "With all the stuff that's going on with that, I'm glad to be away from it, but I know it's tough on some of the other guys. I guess everybody's just hoping for the safety of all the ballplayers -- including John -- and making sure nothing happens, because there's a lot of crazy people out there." ... Klesko, who entered Thursday night's game needing two RBI for 500 in his career, is averaging an RBI for every 5.3 at-bats in his career. Tony Gwynn, an eight-time NL batting champ and a member of the exclusive 3,000-hit club, is averaging an RBI for every 8.2 at-bats. Gwynn has finished a season with more than 72 RBIs only twice in the 16 seasons in which he had more than 400 at-bats. ... When recently recalled 1B-OF Dusty Allen finally makes his major league debut, he will become the ninth member of the Padres this season to play in his first big league game. Los Angeles: F.P. Santangelo, whose five-game suspension was one of the few not overturned by major league baseball on Thursday, still feels that his actions were justified when he went into the Wrigley Field stands on May 16 after Chad Kreuter was struck in the head by a Cubs fan. "I'm just happy for the other guys who got off," Santangelo said. "As far as my thing goes, I came to the aid of a teammate who was being attacked by a drunken fan. If that's wrong, so be it. But I don't think it's wrong." ... Gary Sheffield (66 RBI), Eric Karros (65 RBI) and Shawn Green (55) are trying to give the Dodgers three players with at least 100 RBI in a season for only the sixth time in the franchise's 111-year history. The team's last triple-digit trio was in 1955, when Duke Snider (136), Roy Campanella (107) and Gil Hodges (102) led the Dodgers to their only World Series title in Brooklyn. ... Left-handed batters were only 2-for-30 this season against righty reliever Mike Fetters entering Thursday night's game. ... Reliever Onan Masaoka entered Thursday night's game with a scoreless streak of eight innings spanning seven appearances -- despite allowing seven walks and four hits.