INTERLEAGUE

Phillies vs. Yankees
Philadelphia: RHP Curt Schilling, who hasn't been shy lately about his desire to be dealt to a contender, is trying to avoid trade talk. "The big thing is I made some comments that were taken out of context. Still it probably was not the right thing to say," Schilling said. But he did shed some light on his situation Sunday night when he ran into Denny Neagle, who was traded to the Yankees last week and will start against Schilling on Tuesday. "He said, 'You lousy jerk. That's where I wanted to go.' Obviously he was envious." ... RHP Robert Person, on the DL with a sore right shoulder, started Monday night for Double-A Reading. ... After converting his first 13 save opportunities, closer Jeff Brantley has blown three of four. Manager Terry Francona said Brantley was likely unavailable Monday night after pitching three of the previous four days. New York: C Jorge Posada dropped his appeal of a one-game suspension because Chris Turner was slated to start. Clay Bellinger, who has never caught in the majors, was the emergency backup. He got time behind the plate in a recent stint with Triple-A Columbus. ... Even though Dwight Gooden has pitched well in his two outings with the Yankees and Monday's starter David Cone had one win in his first 16 starts, manager Joe Torre said Cone was not pitching for his job. "He's going back out five days from now as far as I'm concerned." ... RHP Ramiro Mendoza, on the DL for three weeks with a sore shoulder, will likely begin a rehab stint this week.

Expos vs. Red Sox
Montreal: Brothers Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero were in Montreal's starting lineup. Another brother, Julio, is in the Red Sox system as a right fielder for Class-A Lowell of the NY Penn League. ... Another Julio also has connections with Boston. Julio Santana, Montreal's starting pitcher Monday, signed with the Expos on June 18 after being released from the Red Sox organization. ... With Orlando Cabrera on the DL, shortstop Tomas De La Rosa made his major league debut. In 80 games with Triple-A Ottawa this year, he hit .216 with one homer and 19 RBI. ... C Chris Widger made a speedy recovery after leaving Saturday's game at Tampa Bay with a mild concussion in the third inning. He was in the starting lineup Monday night. Boston: Monday night starter Jeff Fassero is one of three Red Sox pitchers who once played for the Expos. The others are Pedro Martinez, Tuesday night's starter, and reliever Rheal Cormier. And Boston pitching coach Joe Kerrigan made his major league pitching debut on July 9, 1976, for the Expos against Houston. ... Red Sox RHP Bret Saberhagen, on the DL all season following shoulder surgery, was scheduled to make a rehabilitation start Tuesday for Class A Lowell. ... The waiting game continued for OF Carl Everett. He was in the starting lineup after no decision was made Monday on how long he would be suspended for bumping an umpire Saturday. ... SS Nomar Garciaparra wasted little time getting back in the groove with a homer on the first pitch he saw Monday. He was hitless Sunday for only the fourth time in 30 games.

Reds vs. Tigers
Cincinnati: Things keep going from bad to worse for C Benito Santiago, whose batting average dropped from .333 to .134 during a 9-for-67 slump. He left Monday night's game with back spasms after making a diving play on a ball hit in front of the plate in the first inning. It was only his second start on the Reds' current road trip, and he was out of the game before his first at-bat. Detroit: 1B Tony Clark, on the 15-day DL with a bulging disc, has been shut down completely by team doctors. Clark has been instructed not to ride the exercise bike, not to swing a bat, not to do anything for at least a week. ... OF Juan Gonzalez, who has missed nine of 10 games with tendinitis in his left ankle, was given a CAT scan Monday which turned up nothing. He is due for a bone scan Tuesday.

Astros vs. Indians
Houston: Monday night's matchup between rookie RHPs Wade Miller and Cleveland's Tim Drew marked just the second time two rookies have started in an Astros game since 1997. The other all-rookie matchup came on June 25, 1998, when Houston's Scott Elarton faced Colorado's Mike Saipe. ... The Astros have been hit by a pitch a major league leading 54 times this season. Three Houston players rank in the top 10 in HBPs, including Craig Biggio, who has been plunked a major league-high 16 times entering Monday night's game. ... Miller's start -- second of his career -- was just the sixth by an Astros rookie since 1997. The Indians had 17 rookie starts this year. Cleveland: RHP Jaret Wright threw off a mound for the first time since being placed on the DL June 3 with an inflamed right shoulder. Wright threw 49 pitches in his 12-minute session and reported no pain. "He threw very well," pitching coach Dick Pole said. Wright will rest his arm Tuesday before throwing off the mound again Wednesday. "We'll up the intensity," Pole said. ... CF Kenny Lofton was back in his familiar leadoff spot Monday night after batting in the No. 7 spot twice and eighth for 10 games. Manager Charlie Manuel moved Lofton down in the order to help him regain his confidence, and Lofton responded by hitting .400 with nine RBIs. Lofton went a span of 1,067 games leading off before the switch. With Lofton back up top, Roberto Alomar was again hitting third and Ricky Ledee seventh.

Mets vs. Blue Jays
New York: The Mets placed 3B Robin Ventura on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 14. Ventura bruised his right rotator cuff while sliding on June 25. ... RHP Rick Reed was activated from the DL before the game. Reed was placed on the DL June 30 with a fractured left wrist and strained left calf. ... Manager Bobby Valentin said the Mets, who entered the game 49-41, are "obviously underachieving." Toronto: RHP Pasqual Coco, 8-4 with a 3.83 ERA at Double-A Tennessee, made his major league debut. Coco replaced RHP Frank Castillo, who has tendinitis in his elbow. Asked why Coco was chosen to start, Toronto manager Jim Fregosi said: "It was his day to pitch. He's well rested." ... To make room for Coco, the Blue Jays placed SS Alex Gonzalez on the 15-day DL with a strained right groin, retroactive to July 7. ... RHP Joey Hamilton, recovering from shoulder surgery, will make three rehab starts at Triple-A Syracuse.

Braves vs. Devil Rays
Atlanta: 2B Quilvio Veras, out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday in Atlanta. Dr. Marvin Royster will perform the operation. ... Manager Bobby Cox served the fourth game of a five-game suspension. Asked what it's like watching a game on television and managing, he said: "You can't manage from it. Everything is too easy on TV. You can't figure out why someone bobbled a ball or missed a pitch." ... SS Walt Weiss and RF Brian Jordan sat out. Rafael Furcal started at shortstop after beginning Sunday's game at second base. Keith Lockhart started at second. Reggie Sanders shifted from left to right field, and Bobby Bonilla started in left. Tampa Bay: 3B Vinny Castilla continues to struggle at the plate. He had one homer in his first 22 games and one in his last 40 before Monday night. ... RHP Jim Mecir's loss Sunday was his first since April 19. ... The Devil Rays are in the midst of a stretch in which they'll play 34 games in 35 days. ... All five of Tampa Bay's hits Sunday were for extra bases (four doubles, one home run), only the second game in franchise history that the Devil Rays have not had a single. It also matched the major league-high this season for most hits in a game with all for extra bases. Pittsburgh had three doubles and two triples at Philadelphia on July 1.

Marlins vs. Orioles
Florida: The team announced that RHP Alex Fernandez is out for the season after failing to show improvement from a strained rotator cuff and a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. ... The three outfield assists by RF Mark Kotsay on Sunday was a team record. ... RHP Jesus Sanchez, who snapped an 11-start winless streak in his last start, seeks his seventh career win Tuesday against the Orioles. Baltimore: 3B Cal Ripken has resumed baseball-related activities and scoffed at talk of his possible retirement. ... SS Mike Bordick made his ninth error Monday, matching his total for all last season. ... RHP Jose Mercedes, who yielded five runs in the first inning of his previous start, blanked the Marlins on Monday.

Cardinals vs. Twins
St. Louis: St. Louis continues to hold a commanding lead in the NL Central, and has been in first place for all but three days this season. They have led the division by as many as 10 games in 2000, marking their first double-digit division lead since they won the National League crown in the 1968 season. They lost the World Series in seven games to Detroit that year. ... On Monday, St. Louis placed OF J.D. Drew on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 8. Drew is mending a sprained left ankle and will be replaced in the lineup by Chris Richard, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis. It is Richard's first major league callup. ... The Cardinals are in the midst of a season-high 11-game road trip. They are playing 17 of their first 20 post All-Star break games on the road. ... Sunday's loss to Minnesota was the Cardinals' first since June in which neither team hit a home run. Minnesota: The once-dead effort to get an outdoor baseball stadium built in downtown Minneapolis might get a boost Tuesday when baseball commissioner Bud Selig visits the Twin Cities. Selig will address Minnesotans for Major League Baseball, a 130-member advisory committee which is seeking ways to build a Wrigley Field-style ballpark, using mostly private funds. Selig is expected to talk about the current state of the game and its economics. ... Minnesota's lone All-Star game representative, OF Matt Lawton, has thus far played in every Twins game and started 93 of Minnesota's 94 games. ... After winning the opening game of their current series, the Twins are 7-1 all-time against St. Louis in the Metrodome, including 4-0 during the 1987 World Series, in which the Twins defeated the Cardinals in seven games. It was the first World Series in which the home team won every game.

Brewers vs. White Sox
Milwaukee: The starting time for Saturday, Aug. 12 game vs. St. Louis has been changed to 12:15 p.m. CT to accommodate Fox television. It's also Bob Uecker Day at County Stadium. The longtime Brewers announcer will be honored, starting at 11 a.m. ... RHP Jason Bere, originally selected by the White Sox in the 36th round of the 1990 free-agent draft, made his first start against them Monday. Bere was 47-34 with a 5.21 ERA in 104 appearances (101 starts) from 1993-98. He appeared in the postseason in '93 and the All-Star game in 1994 for the White Sox. Chicago: Frank Thomas was chosen AL Player of the Wee, the second time this year (April 3-9) and 12th time in his career Thomas has been honored. He hit .545 (7-for-15) with two homer, 10 RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage. ... Entering Monday, Thomas led the AL with 18 RBIs in July ... The White Sox are averaging 24,133 fans per home game, a 33-percent increase over 1999. If it maintains this pace, Chicago will draw 2,235,308, which would be the fourth-highest season total in franchise history, behind the 1991-93 seasons. ... The White Sox's 57-34 start is the best since the 1954 club began 58-33. The White Sox have improved 22½ games in the standings from this point last year, when they were 44-47, 13 games back of Cleveland.

Cubs vs. Royals
Chicago: The Cubs' third straight victory Sunday marked the fourth time this season they won three straight. They have not won four in a row since last September 22-25. ... The Cubs would win their third straight series for the first time since May 1999 with a victory either Monday or Tuesday. If that occurs, the Cubs will have their first winning road trip of the season, and three consecutive series wins against AL opponents for the first time since the beginning of interleague play. ... When Sammy Sosa homered Sunday night, he added Kauffman Stadium to his list of ballparks in which he homered. He has hit a home run in 33 major league ballparks. Sunday was the third straight game in which he homered, the 17th time in his career he has accomplished that. Kansas City: Manager Tony Muser said 2B Carlos Febles is "real close" to coming off the DL, with a move possible before the team embarks on an eight-game road trip Wednesday to Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago. Febles has been on the DL since June 5 with a left shoulder strain. ... The Royals are playing their final interleague series of the season, and stood 7-9 entering Monday's game. They finished 4-5 on the road, taking two of three in Pittsburgh, and losing two of three each in St. Louis and Houston. They took two of three from Pittsburgh at home, and lost two of three at home against Milwaukee.

Athletics vs. Rockies
Oakland: Art Howe managed his first split doubleheader on Monday. "It is unique," Howe said between games. "The good thing is we don't have to leave the stadium like the fans will." ... Howe, Colorado's hitting coach in 1995, admitted he hardly recognized the 2000 Rockies. "I see Larry Walker from the 95 team and that's it. We'd just signed Todd Helton, but he never came up to the big club. " ... Marcus Jones was informed of his impending callup at 1 a.m. and arrived in Denver at 9 a.m. for his afternoon start after catching a 6 a.m. flight out of Sacramento. ... Jones was the 27th pitcher in Oakland history to start in their major league debut. "I'm beat, but I wanted to show them what I could do," Jones said. "I thought I was dreaming at the time they called me. I was coming up and never could sleep." ... Immediately after Game 1, the Athletics optioned Jones back to Sacramento and called up RHP Ariel Prieto from Sacramento. Colorado: Immediately after Game 1, the Athletics optioned Jones back to Sacramento and called up RHP Ariel Prieto from Sacramento. ... Colorado designated LHP Rigo Beltran after Game 1 to make room for OF-1B Butch Huskey, who was acquired Sunday in a deal with Minnesota. ... The Rockies rested Larry Walker in Game 2 of the split doubleheader. "He's fine," Colorado manager Buddy Bell said. "We just don't want to press the issue with his elbow." ... Tom Goodwin stole his first base in 16 games. ... About reliever Gabe White's rare breakdowns, three runs in two-thirds of an inning, Bell said, "We got back into the game, but unfortunately Gabe White wasn't able to hold things. He's done such a great job for us all year and you don't expect him to give up another run. Things like this happen on a streak."

Rangers vs. Giants
Texas: The Rangers activated RHP Ryan Glynn from the 15-day disabled list to start Monday night's game against the Giants. Glynn was on the disabled list since July 2 with a blister on his right index finger. Glynn began a new conditioning program to toughen the new skin on the finger. As part of the program, Glynn plunges his hand into a tub of rice. Hall of Famer Steve Carlton followed the same program throughout his career. ... INF Kelly Dransfeldt was optioned to Oklahoma of the PCL to make room for Glynn. Dransfeldt appeared in five games with the Rangers in two separate stints. He has a hit in five at-bats with one RBI. ... LHP Darren Oliver has made three rehab starts with Oklahoma and is scheduled to pitch somewhere Thursday. He could take LHP Matt Perisho's place in the rotation against Anaheim, or he could make one more start at Triple-A. ... RHP Francisco Cordero has given up 28 hits and 15 runs in 14 2/3 innings over 15 games. San Francisco: 2B Jeff Kent was out of the lineup Monday for the first time all season, and manager Dusty Baker hopes not to use him at all unless he's faced with a critical pinch-hit RBI situation late in the game. "It's hard to give guys a whole lot of breaks down the stretch," Baker said. "Jeff ended the first half exhausted and when he went to the All-Star game, that's not a break. I didn't want to sit him against Oakland because they're our cross-bay rivals, and I wanted him to face (Sunday's starter Esteban) Loaiza. We also face (Rick) Helling tomorrow, so all those things added up." ... Baker managed his 1,160th game, tying him for third-most by a Giants manager with Leo Durocher. ... Monday's starter Livan Hernandez made his 100th career appearance.

Mariners vs. Diamondbacks
Seattle: Mariners starters have a major league-best 4.26 ERA, slightly better than Arizona's 4.28. ... Paul Abbott has both hits by Seattle pitchers in interleague play this season. ... Seattle's bullpen has retired 21 consecutive hitters. ... Rickey Henderson moved past Babe Ruth into 35th place on the career hits list with 2,875. ... Henderson is 13-for-27 career against the Diamondbacks. ... Monday's starter, John Halama, lost four of his six previous decisions. ... Edgar Martinez, relegated to the bench without a designated hitter in the NL park, was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter Sunday to end his 13-game hitting streak. Arizona: Buck Showalter is 28-28 against Seattle, with most of the games coming while Showalter managed the New York Yankees. ... Arizona has lost five of seven games, three of four since the All-Star break. ... Geraldo Guzman, Monday's starter, is the 16th starter in Diamondbacks' history. ... 1B Alex Cabrera was activated from the 15-day DL and OF Jason Conti was optioned back to Triple-A Tucson of the PCL. Cabrera, who homered and tripled in his first two at-bats in the majors, was 8-for-14 before he strained his left groin running out a double. ... Omar Daal, trying to regain his form after starting the season 2-10, retired both hitters he faced Sunday.

Angels vs. Padres
Anaheim: Monday night's starter, Brian Cooper, was sent down to Class A Lake Elsinore on July 7 so he could make a start during the All-Star break. He started at Lancaster on the night of the All-Star game, allowing four hits and one run in seven innings. ... Tuesday's starter, Ken Hill, is 9-2 with a 3.21 ERA in 18 career starts against the Padres, his highest victory total against any major league team. San Diego: CF Ruben Rivera sat out Monday night after striking out 22 times in 11 games, fanning at least once in each game. He was replaced by rookie Kory DeHaan, who made his first start in center field and 10th overall in the outfield. ... RHPs Carlton Loewer and Brian Boehringer will both have season-ending arthroscopic surgery on their pitching shoulders Tuesday, to be performed by team doctors Lewis Yocum of the Angels and Jan Fronek of the Padres at Centinela Hospital. Counting those two operations, seven Padres will have undergone nine different surgical procedures since opening day. RHP Rodney Myers had two procedures on his left knee and one on his right shoulder. Additionally, Loewer had surgery on his left ankle in January after he fell out of a deer blind in Louisiana. That injury has long since healed and was followed by shoulder problems.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pirates vs. Dodgers
Pittsburgh: All-Star catcher Jason Kendall, whose agent met last Saturday with Pirates GM Cam Bonifay to discuss an extension believed to be a five-year deal worth between $9 million and $10 million a season, is eligible for free agency after the 2001 season. But the Pirates, who have yet to respond to Dan Lozano's counteroffer, might trade Kendall by the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. Kendall is hitting .321 with eight homers and 30 RBI. "It could always be better. You can never be satisfied," Kendall said. "I had a decent first half, but it wasn't up to my standards by any means. The bottom line is about winning. If you win, everybody's season is better. That's what we need to do." ... Manager Gene Lamont entered Monday night's game with a 342-377 record since being chosen AL manager of the year in 1993 with the White Sox. Los Angeles: C Todd Hundley was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a non-displaced fracture of his right thumb, retroactive to July 9. This is his second trip to the DL this season. He was sidelined from May 31-June 25 because of a strained abdominal oblique muscle in his right rib cage. "The guys who have been backing him up are doing an adequate job," LF Gary Sheffield said in reference to Chad Kreuter and Paul LoDuca. "But there's only one Todd Hundley. He's the guy who gets the big RBIs and hits the big home runs when the team is playing sluggish or lackadaisical. He's always ready to play." ... Mike Judd, scheduled to make his first start for the Dodgers this season and fifth of his career Tuesday in place of the suspended Carlos Perez, was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque a day earlier than anticipated because of the roster move with Hundley. Judd will pitch on nine days rest, except for a couple of bullpen sessions. ... Sheffield's selection Monday as NL player of the week was his second of the season and sixth of his career. Sheffield, who won his only NL batting title in 1992 when he hit .330 for San Diego, is vying for his first home run crown with a major league-leading 31 heading into Monday night's game. He hit a career-high 42 for the Marlins in 1996, when Andres Galarraga hit 47 for Colorado.