INTERLEAGUE GAMES

Astros vs. Tigers
Houston: RHP Jose Lima hasn't lost confidence despite sliding from a 21-game winner last year to this season's 2-13 mark. "I'm not going to lose another game this season," Lima said Thursday. Lima, who lost 13 straight before winning his last start before the All-Star break, is scheduled to start against the Tigers on Saturday. Detroit traded him to Houston four years ago. "I was able to go to Houston and be a 20-game winner," Lima said. "I think they (Tigers) could probably use me now." Detroit: RHP Brian Moehler's complete-game victory Thursday against the Astros was the Tigers' first of the season. Jeff Weaver and Hideo Nomo have also thrown complete games, but both resulted in losses. Moehler is 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in seven starts at Comerica Park. "I love pitching here," Moehler said. "I don't know what pitcher wouldn't." ... INF Gregg Jefferies has been sidelined six weeks with a torn left hamstring and still has no idea when he might return. "I've never had anything more frustrating than this happen to me," Jefferies said. "I'm only 75-85 percent of the way back. I can run, but can't sprint."

Phillies vs. Blue Jays
Philadelphia: The Phillies placed RHP Wayne Gomes on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow. Gomes was 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA in a team-leading 43 appearances. The Phillies recalled RHP Mark Brownson from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Gomes' place. Brownson was 7-6 with a 4.89 ERA in 16 starts. ... RHP Robert Person, on the DL with a strained right shoulder, will make a second rehab start before he's ready to rejoin the rotation. He will start for Double-A Reading on Monday. Toronto: Manager Jim Fregosi said SS Alex Gonzalez should be able to play in 3-6 days. Gonzalez has missed 10 games with a strained right groin. ... Utility INF Craig Grebeck started at shortstop for just the second time this season.

Pirates vs. Indians
Pittsburgh: The Pirates did not get an extra-base hit Thursday night for just the third time this season. ... 1B Kevin Young needs three homers to become the 16th player to hit 100 in a Pirates uniform. ... INF Mike Benjamin has hit .188 (13-for-69) since his average reached a season-high .363 on May 26. The skid dropped him to .282. Cleveland: Whether the Indians are in contention for a sixth straight playoff spot or not, GM John Hart said he is trying to make a deal. "Either way, I think we'll be a player in the action," Hart said. "The ideal deal for us is something that is going to affect us for more than just a half season. If you deal, make one that helps you win it in August and September, and also be part of what you do the next couple of years." ... The Indians have used the DL 14 times with 13 different players. Last year, Cleveland put 16 different players on the list a total of 22 times.

Mets vs. Red Sox
New York: Manager Bobby Valentine said he had no thoughts about acquiring more experienced defensive help after shortstop Melvin Mora made a key error in Thursday's 4-3 loss to Boston. "Experience doesn't necessarily make you better," he said. "I had nine years experience at the end of my career and nobody put me in as a defensive replacement." ... Piazza was the DH Friday after catching Thursday in his first game since being beaned by Roger Clemens. ... Robin Ventura celebrated his 33rd birthday Friday on the bench, preparing to go back to New York to have a sore shoulder examined. Ventura hurt the shoulder diving into second base in a game against Pittsburgh on June 25. Joe McEwing took his place at third base. Boston: The hour and two-minute delay of Friday's game due to a power outage wasn't unprecedented at Fenway Park. On May 13, 1991, Boston's game against Chicago was delayed 59 minutes after a power failure. On April 15, 1981, the Red Sox and Orioles played an entire game without electricity. ... Darren Lewis started in right field Friday after returning from the 15-day disabled list. Lewis had a strained left hamstring. ... Utilityman Morgan Burkhart has a hit in 10 of his first 14 games since being called up from Pawtucket.

Expos vs. Devil Rays
Montreal: OF Rondell White was placed on the 15-day DL Friday, retroactive to July 8th. ... RHP Hideki Irabu (right knee) is scheduled to make his third minor league rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Ottawa. He allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings Thursday for Class-A Jupiter. ... RHP Mike Thurman (right elbow) will start Sunday for Ottawa. ... The Expos purchased the contract of LHP Joey Eischen from Adriondack of the independent Northern League and assigned him to Ottawa. ... The Expos agreed to terms with their first round draft pick, right-handed pitcher Justin Wayne. Tampa Bay: DH Jose Canseco (strained left heel) reported improvement after running the bases for the second straight day. "It may be the next few days, or the beginning of the road trip (next Wednesday)," manager Larry Rothschild said of Canseco's possible return. "Now, it's just making the decision at what point we feel like if he gets in a game that you're not risking a setback." Canseco has missed the past 45 games. ... The Devil Rays have sold approximately 31,000 tickets for Sunday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves. Tampa Bay is averaging just over 19,000 at home this season. ... RHP Steve Trachsel is scheduled to make his 20th start of the season Saturday. It would give him seven straight years of making at least 20 starts.

Marlins vs. Yankees
Florida: Antonio Alfonseca has converted 50 of 55 save chances since becoming the Marlins closer on July 9, 1999. He earned his major league-leading 29th save Thursday night against the Yankees. ... Friday night's starter, Ryan Dempster, pitched for the first time since July 7. He made the NL All-Star team, but did not pitch Tuesday night at Atlanta. New York: 2B Chuck Knoblauch was out of the starting lineup because of a bruised left wrist and thumb. He was listed as day-to-day and hoped to return Saturday. Knoblauch was injured when he jumped too high and was hit by Preston Wilson's line drive Thursday night. Jose Vizcaino started in Knoblauch's place. ... Rookie RHP Craig Dingman was optioned to Triple-A Columbus to make room for newly acquired LHP Denny Neagle. ... Former captain Don Mattingly will make his first appearance at Old-Timers Day at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Tim Raines, who helped the Yankees win the World Series in 1996 and 1998, also will join the festivities.

Braves vs. Orioles
Atlanta: Manager Bobby Cox began his five-game suspension after deciding against appealing the penalty for making contact with umpire Derryl Cousins during a July 4 game against Montreal. ... 2B Quilvio Veras, who missed Thursday's game because of sickness, was back in the starting lineup Friday. ... LHP Steve Avery allowed four runs, four hits and four walks Thursday for Triple-A Richmond against Ottawa. ... The Braves are 17-2 when Andres Galarraga homers. Baltimore: RHP Mike Timlin, who lost the closer's job earlier this month, said Friday he plans to get it back. "I signed on here to be the closer and that's what I want to be," he declared. ... Sidney Ponson, Baltimore's starter on Friday, was coming off his worst performance of the season. He gave up six runs in 1 1-3 innings against the Yankees. ... Backup C Greg Myers started Friday despite entering 0-for-4 lifetime against Braves RHP Andy Ashby. First-string C Charles Johnson was 3-for-17 against Ashby.

Brewers vs. Royals
Milwaukee: To save confusion, it's probably good the Brewers and Royals are playing only one interleague series this year. The two have the major league market cornered on pitchers named Jeff D'Amico. The Brewers' Jeffrery C. D'Amico started Friday night while Kansas City's Jeffrey M. D'Amico watched from the bullpen. The D'Amicos are not related. Both teams also have players named M. Sweeney -- Mark, a 1B-OF for the Brewers and Mike, a 1B-C for Kansas City. The Sweeneys are not related. Kansas City: Doctors said Friday that CF Carlos Beltran will be sidelined until at least September with a deep bruise on his right knee. The day before, manager Tony Muser said he hoped to have the 1999 AL rookie of the year back by early August. Beltran went on the DL July 4 and has been on crutches the past couple of weeks. The Royals have five players on the DL, including 2B Carlos Febles. ... The game against the Cubs will be Kansas City's only Sunday night ESPN game.

Cubs vs. Twins
Chicago: The Cubs optioned RHP Ruben Quevedo to Triple-A Iowa and recalled OF Gary Matthews, Jr. from the same minor league team. This is Matthews' second stint with the Cubs this season. He had three hits with a home run and two RBIs between June 2-24. Minnesota: Twins manager Tom Kelly missed his second straight game Friday to be with his father in Fort Myers, Fla. Joe Kelly is recovering from a heart bypass operation. ... LHP Eric Milton has given up 20 home runs, most on the Twins pitching staff and fifth in the American League.

Cardinals vs. White Sox
St. Louis: Manager Tony La Russa had a visitor to his office before Friday's game -- White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. The two go back to La Russa's days as manager of the White Sox. He led them to the AL West title in 1983. He and Reinsdorf often meet for lunch when La Russa is in town. Less than three years after the 1983 season, La Russa was fired by then general manager Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, now a White Sox broadcaster. ... La Russa said he's followed the White Sox this season. "They had a very challenging first half and met all the challenges. You don't get a record like that unless you play the game the way it's supposed to be played," La Russa said. ... After scoring two first-inning runs Thursday night, the Cardinals had 100 runs in the opening inning -- their highest-scoring inning all year. ... The Cardinals have been in first place for all but three days this season. Chicago: NBA free agent Eddie Jones, being recruited by the Bulls, visited the White Sox clubhouse and then the Cardinals dugout before throwing out the first pitch Friday night. Jones met with Tony La Russa, Mark McGwire and Eric Davis. ... White Sox All-Star winner James Baldwin still had not arrived from North Carolina before Friday night's game. He went home to be with his wife, who gave birth to their second child Wednesday night. ... Angela Manuel, daughter of manager Jerry Manuel, is competing in the 100-meter dash this weekend at the U.S. Olympic track trials in Sacramento, Calif. Manuel is in a field with world 100-meter champion Marion Jones and Inger Miller, the reigning 200-meter champ and 100-meter runnerup. Manuel ran track at Oral Roberts. ... RHP Sean Lowe, bothered by a sore chest muscle, has been given clearance to pitch.

Rangers vs. Diamondbacks
Texas: The Rangers have won 10 of 14 to get back to .500. ... Texas has won three straight against Arizona and is 34-29 in interleague games. ... The Rangers have come from behind for 22 of their 43 victories. Until Thursday's rally, Texas had not won a game it trailed after eight innings since Sept. 14, 1999. ... LHP Darren Oliver made his third rehab start for Oklahoma of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League at Nashville on Friday night. ... Rangers pinch-hitters are batting an ML-best .475 (19-for-70). ... Frank Catalanotto's seven pinch hits are the most since Lee Stevens had seven in 1997. ... Rafael Palmeiro has reached base in 40 of his last 41 starts. Arizona: The bullpen has blown three saves in four chances after converting 24 of its first 30 opportunities. ... Byung-Hung Kim has blown two save chances in a row and has been scored upon in three straight appearances for the first time in his two-year career. ... Danny Bautista started in place of left-handed Travis Lee against LHP Kenny Rogers, his eighth start since he was acquired from the Florida Marlins on June 10. ... The Diamondbacks are 5-9 against the Rangers.

Angels vs. Dodgers
Anaheim: Angels GM Bill Stoneman agrees with the idea of revenue sharing to help financially-strapped franchises such as the Montreal Expos, whom Stoneman pitched a pair of no-hitters for during their first five seasons. "The attendance there hasn't improved a whole lot over last year, and they don't have any radio or TV dollars to speak of. So, other than revenue-sharing, where's the revenue going to come from to support the club?," Stoneman said. "I'd have to say that the move (from cozy Jarry Park) into Olympic Stadium has not helped at all, because it's so huge and fans are far away from the game. The ballpark is on the east side of the city, and most of the fans and season-ticket holders were on the west side, and a lot of them just didn't like traveling east." ... Mike Scioscia created quite a stir among newspaper deadline writers through the Dodger Stadium press box last June 20 -- when the team didn't announce until 10 p.m. local time that he resigned as manager of the Dodgers' Triple-A farm club "to pursue options with other major league organizations." The Angels named him manager about a month later. "I talked with (Dodgers assistant g.m.) Bill Geivett at about 8:30, 9 o-clock that night," recalled Scioscia, who accepted Stoneman's offer a day before he was to be interviewed by three other teams. "One of the reasons I quit Albuquerque when I did was to get permission to go out and look earlier, instead of waiting until my contract was up on Nov. 1. Sure, it was a gamble, but there are gambles with whatever decision you make. Staying in a position is a gamble, too." Los Angeles: The Dodgers decided Friday not to place 2B Mark Grudzielanek on the disabled list, despite a viral infection that has kept him out of the lineup for five games. He may be ready to play by Monday. ... Todd Hollandsworth and F.P. Santangelo, who have been sharing the starting duties since CF Devon White went on the disabled list May 5 with a partially torn rotator cuff, are a combined 2-for-31 in pinch-hitting roles. Jim Leyritz is 2-for-4 as a pinch-hitter since joining the Dodgers on July 20 from the Yankees. ... LHP Carlos Perez, suspended five games for his role in the May 16 brawl with fans at Wrigley Field, is scheduled to begin it Sunday.

Athletics vs. Giants
Oakland: DH John Jaha will undergo surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday and miss a minimum of six weeks. He could miss the rest of the season, depending on the damage. Jaha, currently on the disabled list for the second time this season, has not gotten on track this year. He's hitting just .175 with one homer and five RBIs in 33 games. He has struck out 38 times in 97 at-bats. "If it's going to get him healthy, then that's what it will take," A's manager Art Howe said of Jaha's surgery. ... RHP Omar Olivares, on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder, will not be ready to pitch until August 1 at the earliest. "His injury is deep inside his armpit and that's hard to rehab," A's trainer Larry Davis said. With Olivares unavailable, Monday's starter in Colorado has yet to be decided. The choices appear to be RHP Ariel Prieto, who was with the A's twice earlier in the season, and LHP Barry Zito, the A's top draft pick in 1999. "I have no problem with Ariel Prieto," Howe said. "I think Barry Zito can pitch anywhere." ... The A's have won 10 straight one-run decisions after starting the season 4-11 in those situations. San Francisco: RHP Joe Nathan was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with inflammation in his right shoulder. "He's too valuable to take a chance with," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "You could tell by the way he was throwing something wasn't right." Nathan left Thursday night's game after one scoreless inning with stiffness in his shoulder. Nathan was also on the disabled list from May 12-June 6 with right shoulder tendinitis. "I think it's a different injury," Giants trainer Stan Conte said. "But I don't like that it's the right shoulder and he's been on the disabled list twice in one season." Nathan was scheduled for a cortisone shot Friday night and could begin throwing again in three days. ... RHP Scott Linebrink was recalled from Triple-A Fresno of the PCL to take Nathan's place on the roster. Linebrink spent three days with the Giants earlier in the season and appeared in one game, pitching a scoreless inning. "Three days is not exactly a comfort level, but it does help him big time," Baker said. "He has good stuff, we know that." Linebrink will be used in middle relief.

Mariners vs. Padres
Seattle: All-Star SS Alex Rodriguez was put on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a sprained right knee. An MRI exam showed he has a grade 2 sprain of his medial collateral ligament. The move was retroactive to July 8, so he'll be eligible to be activated July 23. Rodriguez got a concussion July 7 when he was hit in the head by the knee of Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Alex Cora as he attempted to break up a double play. He twisted his right knee when he fell after the collision. The Mariners were more concerned about the extent of Rodriguez's knee injury than the concussion. ... Leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson didn't start after he was hit on the left elbow in Thursday's 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Padres. He was replaced in left field and in the order by Stan Javier. San Diego: RHPs Brian Boehringer and Carlton Loewer will both have season-ending surgeries to correct shoulder problems, but neither has had a procedure set yet. Loewer has fraying or tearing in his rotator cuff, and Boehringer, who had arthroscopic surgery on his rotator cuff in August, has a strained shoulder. Boehringer, who opened the year in the rotation, is on the disabled list for the second time this year. Loewer never was activated. He started on the DL after breaking his left leg in an offseason hunting accident, then once that healed, his shoulder problem developed.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Reds vs. Rockies
Cincinnati: INF Mike Bell watched from the bench Thursday night as he awaited his major league debut. When he finally does get into a game, the Bells will become baseball's first three-generation family to play for the same team. Mike's dad, Buddy, and his grandfather, Gus, also played for Cincinnati. Buddy manages the Colorado Rockies. ... 1B Sean Casey's progress has been slow as he returns from a broken thumb, but he is hitting .325 over his last 21 games. "There were times last year Sean Casey played like Tony Gwynn," manager Jack McKeon said. "This year he has been playing like Tony Gwynn when he had an off year." ... With seven homers in nine games at Coors Field, Ken Griffey Jr. would be on pace for 63 home runs over the course of an 81-game home schedule. Colorado: Manager Buddy Bell said the Rockies were not about to panic in the midst of an eight-game losing streak that dropped them from first place in the NL West to third, 4½ games behind Arizona. Colorado does not plan to make any immediate roster moves. "The toughest thing about something like this is you don't want to evaluate after a week," Bell said. "I'm pretty comfortable with who we have. If I was comfortable a week ago, why wouldn't I be now?" ... 3B Jeff Cirillo entered Friday's game with 11 hits in 14 at-bats at Coors Field, but was also just 2-for-17 against Reds starter Pete Harnisch.