AMERICAN LEAGUE

Royals vs. Indians
Kansas City: The Royals will play nine road games in eight days after going 6-12 on a homestand to fall a season-worst 17 games out of first place. ... The Royals have won only one of their last 10 series. ... The Royals have struck out only 468 times, the fewest in the majors. Cleveland: Manager Charlie Manuel said rookies Tim Drew and Jim Brower will stay in the starting rotation, but the team is seeking an established starter while veterans Charles Nagy and Jaret Wright rehabilitate injuries. "It's great if we get those two back healthy, but who is to say that will happen?" Manuel said. "That is speculation and it would be nice to have a guarantee." Wright and Nagy are expected back in mid-August. ... RHP Paul Shuey will be sidelined three days after getting an injection to relieve back spasms. ... Talk in the Indians clubhouse still centered on the four double plays, including one that was spectacular, by SS Omar Vizquel and 2B Roberto Alomar on Tuesday night. "That was one of the nicest things to happen to me in my career," Alomar said of the standing ovation they received by fans.

Devil Rays vs. Blue Jays
Tampa Bay: The Devil Rays have hit only .188 (12-for-64) against Thursday's starter David Wells. Wells has thrown two complete games against Tampa Bay. ... RHP Steve Trachsel, Thursday's starter for Tampa Bay, has fared pretty well against other team's aces, going 3-1 with a 0.86 ERA in five starts against Brad Radke (Minnesota), Pedro Martinez (Boston), Mike Mussina (Baltimore), Orlando Hernandez (Yankees) and Al Leiter (Mets). ... The Devil Rays began a 12-day, 12-game road trip. Toronto: The Blue Jays acquired RHP Esteban Loaiza from the Texas Rangers in exchange for two minor leaguers. Loaiza, 28, was 5-6 with a 5.37 ERA for the Rangers, appearing in 20 games, including 17 starts. He has a career record of 44-45 with one save in 160 appearances. He will start for Toronto on Saturday. The Rangers got RHP Darwin Cubillan and 2B Mike Young. To make room for Loaiza in the starting rotation, the Blue Jays sent struggling RHP Chris Carpenter to the bullpen. The 25-year-old allowed seven runs in four-plus innings in Toronto's 11-7 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday night. He is 7-9 with a 6.66 ERA. ... RHP Leo Estrella will start for the Blue Jays on Sunday.

Tigers vs. Yankees
Detroit: Hal Morris, sold by Cincinnati to Detroit during Tuesday night's interleague game, was in the starting lineup for the Tigers against the Yankees. Morris played his college ball at the University of Michigan and became the first UM player with the Tigers since Rick Leach in 1983. ... 2B Damion Easley has an errorless streak of 99 games, a Tigers club record. New York: Yogi Berra was a clubhouse visitor and ushered a number of players, including Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, into the hallway to sign a model of a cow, one of many around New York this summer. The cow, painted in pinstripes, will be auctioned for charity with a portion of the proceeds going to the Berra Museum. ... Chuck Knoblauch was the DH but manager Joe Torre said he thought the second baseman's throwing problems may be on the mend. "Since he addressed the problem, he's a lot more relaxed and progressively more comfortable and more confident," Torre said.

White Sox vs. Twins
Chicago: The White Sox are off to their best start since 1917 when the club began the season 60-33 and went on to win the team's second -- and last -- World Series title. That team won a club record 100 games and defeated the Giants in six games in the Series. The club posted its 60th victory last year on Aug. 23 in game No. 124. ... Mark Buehrle is the fourth Sox pitcher to make his major league debut this season. Minnesota: Manager Tom Kelly was still in Fort Myers, Fla., tending to his ailing father, Joe. Ron Gardenhire, the club's third base coach, has handled all the games on the homestand. ... This is the first meeting at the Metrodome this season between the Sox and the Twins. The teams split six games in Chicago.

Rangers vs. Angels
Texas: Wednesday's trade of RHP Esteban Loaiza to Toronto for two minor leaguers means that no one on the roster has to worry about being sent to the minors when LHP Darren Oliver is activated from the DL on Thursday to start against the Angels. Oliver has made three rehab starts since going on the DL June 27 because of shoulder fatigue. ... RHP Matt Perisho's start was pushed back to Friday against Seattle because manager Johnny Oates wanted Oliver facing an Angels lineup fortified with left-handed bats. The Mariners have more of a right-handed presence in their lineup, which suits Perisho better because righties are hitting only .253 against him. ... The Loaiza trade was just a matter of time in coming. He had been bumped from the Rangers' rotation after Ryan Glynn returned from the DL when his right index finger healed. He did not accompany the team on the charter flight from Phoenix to San Francisco, and was the last player to arrive in the clubhouse Sunday -- despite the fact that he was scheduled to pitch. On Monday, Loaiza got to the ballpark after the team began stretching, and he also was the last one to show up Tuesday. Anaheim: Kent Mercker, whose comeback from a cerebral hemorrhage May 11 is still on schedule, will throw batting practice Thursday and most likely will get in a simulated game during the series at Texas early next week. ... OF Tim Salmon, whose attempt at a sliding catch Sunday in San Diego aggravated an already sore area that had bothered him for two weeks, said he expects to be the DH when the Angels get to Oakland -- and should be back in RF during the series in Texas. "This is just a nagging thing," said Salmon, who received a cortisone injection Tuesday for the inflammation in his left shoulder. "In hindsight, I wish I hadn't been so stubborn and listened to what Sosh (manager Mike Scioscia) and those guys said about getting the shot over the All-Star break. I thought the three days off would have been enough."

Mariners vs. Athletics
Seattle: Manager Lou Piniella says SS Alex Rodriguez should be ready to play next week. Rodriguez, who has a strained right knee, is scheduled to come of the DL July 23. "There's a good chance to see A-Rod next week," Piniella said. "He's making significant improvement every day." ... Jamie Moyer's last two complete game shutouts came at the Oakland Coliseum. He threw a four-hit nine-inning shutout Sept. 17, 1998, and a three-hitter June 12. Moyer has a streak of 22 scoreless innings at the Coliseum. Oakland: Mariners OF Rickey Henderson was honored Wednesday as the A's Player of the Century, as part of the 100th anniversary of the franchise. ... Manager Art Howe plans to platoon Eric Chavez and Olmedo Saenz at third base. Saenz earned his way into the job with a hot bat. ... A's slugger John Jaha underwent surgery for tendinitis in his left shoulder on Wednesday. A's trainer Larry Davis said the damage to the shoulder was extensive, and Jaha won't be back for the rest of the season. "It was incredible he was able to swing a bat at all," Davis said.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Mets vs. Expos
New York: RHP Jim Mann was recalled for the third time this season Wednesday, and lefty Bobby M. Jones was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Mann, who made his major league debut on May 29, allowed a total of four hits and three earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in his two previous stints with the Mets. He was 2-2 with three saves and a 3.38 ERA in 36 games for Norfolk this season. Jones, acquired from Colorado in the Jan. 14 trade which sent Masato Yoshii to the Rockies, was recalled from the Tides on July 4 for the second time this season, replacing Mann. He was 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in just three games with New York this season. Montreal: Felipe Lira was called on to make an emergency start as Tony Armas Jr. was placed on the 15-day DL Wednesday, just hours before he was scheduled to start against the Mets. Armas, bothered by a strained right rotator cuff, advised manager Felipe Alou that he couldn't pitch when he arrived at Olympic Stadium late in the afternoon. Armas was placed on the 15-day DL list for the second time this season because of the shoulder problem. He began the season on the DL because of tendinitis in his right elbow. RHP Guillermo Mota was recalled from Triple-A Ottawa. ... Milton Bradley, recalled from the Lynx earlier in the day, made his major league debut Wednesday night, batting leadoff and playing center field. The 22-year-old switch-hitter was batting .298 with six homers and 25 RBI for Ottawa. OF Terry Jones was placed on the 15-day DL because of a strained right quadriceps. ... RHP Justin Wayne, the Expos' first pick -- fifth overall -- in the June draft, attended the game along with his parents. Wayne, who signed last Friday, will begin his professional career with Class A Jupiter.

Braves vs. Marlins
Atlanta: Atlanta manager Bobby Cox returned to the dugout Wednesday following a five-game suspension for making contact with umpire Derryl Cousins. Dugout coach Pat Corrales went 4-1 as interim manager. ... The Braves have been outscored in the first and ninth innings this season. Florida: RHP Dan Miceli, sidelined since May 29 with a sore forearm, was activated from the DL. RHP Joe Strong was optioned to Triple-A Calgary. ... Marlins executive Tony Perez is looking forward to his trip this weekend to Cooperstown, N.Y., for induction into the Hall of Fame. "To get in the Hall of Fame tops everything," Perez said. "That plaque is going to be on the wall with all the greatest players in the game."

Phillies vs. Cubs
Philadelphia: Ex-Cubs Doug Glanville and Mickey Morandini, the 1-2 hitters Wednesday night, were once traded for each other. On Dec. 23, 1997, Glanville was dealt from the Cubs to the Phillies for Morandini. Morandini played with the Cubs through the '99 season and signed with Montreal in January, only to be traded back to Philadelphia in late March. Glanville, who played for Chicago from 1996-97, is hitting .394 (28-71) against his old club entering Wednesday. Morandini is hitting .297 (83-279) against the Cubs. ... Manager Terry Francona batted against resigned Cubs GM Ed Lynch in Lynch's last professional game. In 1988, Lynch, who pitched in 248 ML games with the Mets and Cubs, tried out for the Giants' Triple-A team. According to Francona, the Colorado Springs lineup lit up Lynch, who knew his career was over afterward. "I think you just saw me pitch my last professional game," Lynch told Francona. ... Gary Bennett started Wednesday night for C Mike Lieberthal, who was injured in a home plate collision Monday night with the Yankees' Bernie Williams. Lieberthal has not been placed on the DL, but is expected to miss several games. With Triple-A Scranton, Bennett hit .335 with nine homers and 48 RBI. ... SS Desi Relaford, who leads the NL with 21 errors, will miss several days with a sore shoulder. Chicago: Chicago has won three straight series after taking two of three against the White Sox, Minnesota and Kansas City, respectively. It's the first time that's happened since May 14-23 of last year. Between June '99 and this stretch, the Cubs had only won series back-to-back once. ... Sammy Sosa's 11-game hitting streak is the ninth double-digit hit streak of his career. ... Rick Aguilera, who has 308 career saves entering Wednesday, needs two more to tie Goose Gossage for ninth place and three to tie Tom Henke for eighth all-time.

Pirates vs. Brewers
Pittsburgh: RHP Rich Loiselle threw a scoreless inning in his first rehab start Wednesday night for the Gulf Coast League Pirates. Loiselle, who is coming back from right shoulder bursitis, struck out two of three hitters he faced. "It felt good and there wasn't any pain," said Loiselle. "The main thing was for me to come down here, get my shoulder stronger and get rid of the soreness in it. I have no idea where I'm going next, I might be leaving tomorrow and going to Altoona (Pa.) for an outing." The Pirates are expected to decide Thursday where and when Loiselle, who was 3-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 13 games last season before undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery, will make his next start. A decision on when RHP Jason Schmidt (right shoulder) will make his first rehab start for the GCL Pirates, will be made by Pittsburgh officials on Thursday. ... The Pirates entered the two-game series in Milwaukee with 12 home runs in their last five games. They are on pace to hit 180, which would break the club record of 171 set in 1999. Milwaukee: OF Jeromy Burnitz has, for the time being, ended negotiations on a contract extension with the Brewers. He is signed through 2001 and will be paid $5.3 million next season. Burnitz is hitting .215 with 19 homers and 56 RBI. "If I keep going at this pace, this team may not want me," he said. ... GM Dean Taylor said, "I wouldn't rule anything out. I can tell you, our belief hasn't changed. We want Burnitz to be a part of our ballclub in the future." ... INF Charlie Hayes is batting .362 (17-for-47) in July, raising his average to .278. ... With OF Geoff Jenkins dropping to .292, no Brewers regular is batting .300 or better. ... The Brewers acquired OF Angel Echevarria from the Rockies. Echevarria, 29, was batting .335 with seven home runs and 50 RBI at Triple-A Colorado Springs, but was 1-for-9 in 10 games with the Rockies. ... The Brewers played the White Sox from Sunday through Tuesday in Chicago, came home to play two games in less than 24 hours against the Pirates and return to Chicago to play the Cubs Friday through Sunday.

Reds vs. Astros
Cincinnati: Barry Larkin hears that the Cincinnati Reds won't pay his asking price to stay with the team, and as a businessman he understands. "It is definitely personal, but I understand it is a business deal," Larkin said. "The message is 'we can't pay you or we won't pay you.' The fact is, they won't do it. I am a businessman, too, and so you have to deal with that." Houston: Manager Larry Dierker has been pleased with former starter Octavio Dotel in the closer role, replacing injured Billy Wagner. "He can overpower hitters," Dierker said. "When Billy comes back, we could have two guys at the end of our bullpen throw in the 90s."

Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks
St. Louis: C Mike Matheny came in with a major league-best 52 percent average against would-be base stealers. Matheny threw out his 25th runner Tuesday night against Minnesota. ... Twenty players have homered for the Cardinals this season, including all 18 position players who have suited up and two pitchers. Arizona: The Diamondbacks were averaging 35,590 per home game, third in the NL behind St. Louis and San Francisco. ... Arizona has lost three straight home series for the first time since Aug. 15-25, 1998, and needs to sweep the two-game set with St. Louis to avoid its first below-.500 homestand since April. ... Steve Finley, Kelly Stinnett and Alex Cabrera will represent Arizona in a homer-hitting contest with three Cleveland players before the Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Monday.

Rockies vs. Dodgers
Colorado: The Rockies and Dodgers were meeting for the first time this season. It's the latest in Rockies' history in which they've played a division opponent for the first time -- after 92 games. ... The teams play six games in a nine-day span. ... The Milwaukee Brewers claimed OF Angel Echevarria from the Rockies on waivers Wednesday. C Mark Strittmatter, who's playing for Triple-A Colorado Springs, is now the only remaining organizational player drafted by Colorado in the team's first June draft eight years ago. ... Todd Walker and Butch Huskey, acquired from Minnesota over the weekend, both said they were looking at the trade as a new start. "I'm ecstatic to be here," Huskey said. "I have no bad feelings toward the Twins, it just didn't work out." Said Walker: "I'm just excited about the future. The people here have been great to me." Walker, who spent most of this season with Triple-A Salt Lake City, said he wasn't bitter toward the Twins. "Not at all," he said. "They didn't have to trade me, but they did." Los Angeles: The Dodgers optioned right-hander Mike Judd to Triple-A Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League and placed utility player F.P. Santangelo on the 15-day DL. As roster replacements, they recalled LHP Al Reyes from Albuquerque and purchased the contract of 34-year-old infielder Chris Donnels from the Dukes. ... 2B Mark Grudzielanek, still looking a little under the weather, made his first start since July 6. Sidelined with a viral infection, he said he felt better. "Not to where I want to be, but it's time to get out there," he said. "It was scary for a while, I was in a death bed for seven or eight days." When asked if it was the sickest he's ever been, Grudzielanek replied, "By far."

Padres vs. Giants
San Diego: The pitching staff keeps getting thinner for the Padres. RHP Brian Boehringer and RHP Carlton Loewer were the latest to undergo season-ending surgery. They were preceded by LHP Sterling Hitchcock and RHP Rodney Myers. That's not to mention RHP Woody Williams, who has made a successful return from an aneurysm under his right armpit, and LHP Randy Myers, who hasn't pitched since 1998. Boehringer was the first to have shoulder surgery Tuesday by the team of doctors Lewis Yocum and Jan Fronek. Boehringer had his biceps tendon, labrum and rotator cuff smoothed and a slight tear was repaired in the biceps tendon. Loewer had the ligaments around his shoulder compartment tightened. His biceps tendon and rotator cuff were also cleaned. Both pitchers are hopeful for spring training. Loewer, Hitchcock, Randy Myers and Rodney Myers are all on the 60-day DL. Boehringer and RHP Stan Spencer are on the 15-day DL. A total of 701 games have been missed by Padre players due to DL time. ... Wednesday night is the first time the Giants and Padres have played this season. They will play 11 more times. ... 2B Bret Boone is playing in his 100th consecutive game, dating back to Sept. 26, 1999. San Francisco: OF Ellis Burks was scratched from Wednesday night's starting lineup with a slight irritation behind his right knee. "I was going to give him today or tomorrow off anyway because he's been playing a lot," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "He'll be available to pinch hit." Burks, who has been bothered by knee injuries the past few years, has started 58 games for the Giants this season. The team is 39-19 (.672) with him in the lineup. "With him in the lineup 70 percent of the time, it's well worth it," said Baker. "Without Ellis we wouldn't be here now (a half-game out of first place entering play Wednesday). We're just trying to monitor him and stay on top of it. We need to keep him healthy and strong." Burks has been on the DL once this season (May 9-23). ... LHP Aaron Fultz, who recorded the win on Tuesday night against Texas with a scoreless ninth inning, had allowed 18 runs in his previous 12 appearances (12 2-3 innings). Yet Baker was willing to go to him to save setup man Felix Rodriguez. "If you're here, you're going to pitch," Baker said. "He has the stuff, and we were trying to stay away from Felix."