AMERICAN LEAGUE

Royals vs. Tigers
Kansas City: RHP Jay Witasick's win in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Detroit was just his second in eight road decisions this year. ... The Royals' 4-0 win Friday night was their first without scoring at least five runs since a 2-1 win June 10 against Pittsburgh. Kansas City is just 6-34 when scoring fewer than five runs. ... RHP Dan Reichert's first career shutout Friday was also the Royals' third complete game of the season. Witasick has the other two. ... 2B Carlos Febles entered Saturday's nightcap 7-for-20 (.350) with three RBI since returning from the disabled list July 18. The Royals were 11-24 with him out of the lineup. Detroit: OF Juan Gonzalez (left ankle tendinitis) is eligible to come off the disabled list Sunday, but trainer Russ Miller said Gonzalez won't be re-evaluated until Monday at the earliest. Gonzalez has played in only 66 of the Tigers' 95 games through Saturday. ... Going into Saturday's nightcap, OF Bobby Higginson hit the Tigers' only two home runs in their last 10 games. ... The Tigers had three steals in Saturday's opener and have 24 in their last 28 games.

Orioles vs. Blue Jays
Baltimore: Brady Anderson was hit by a pitch twice, moving him into a tie with Carlton Fisk for 15th on the career list with 143. ... RHP Jose Mercedes matched a season high with seven innings. He is 4-2 with a 5.90 ERA as a starter. ... Harold Baines is 6-for-9 in two games. Toronto: The Blue Jays have homered in 14 straight games. ... Toronto has lost five of its last seven series. ... RHP Chris Carpenter made his first relief appearance since May 22, 1998, at Cleveland, snapping a string of 66 straight starts. Carpenter retired the first eight batters he faced. After the game, manager Jim Fregosi said Carpenter would likely return to the rotation.

Devil Rays vs. Yankees
Tampa Bay: 3B Vinny Castilla missed his second straight game with a bruised right hand after being hit by a pitch Thursday. He is day-to-day. "He is certainly making progress, but he won't play today," manager Larry Rothschild said. ... RHP Dave Eiland, out since May 24 with an injured left hip, is not ready yet for a minor league rehab assignment. "He played toss yesterday. He's fine. He's into his throwing program," Rothschild said. ... Greg Vaughn was 3-for-22 in his career off David Cone before homering in the first inning. New York: With the Yankees still in the market for a left fielder, owner George Steinbrenner met with his top baseball people in Tampa, Fla. The Yankees have interest in Montreal OF Rondell White, who is eligible to come off the DL Sunday. ... RHP Orlando Hernandez, on the DL with inflammation in his right elbow, threw on the side in Tampa. ... LHP Denny Neagle will be looking for his 100th career win when he makes his second start for the Yankees on Sunday. "To do it in a Yankees uniform would be extra special," he said. ... OF Felix Jose was designated for assignment to make room for Glenallen Hill, acquired Friday from the Cubs. ... RHP Ramiro Mendoza will make a rehabilitation start in Tampa Bay on Monday and might join the team sometime next week.

White Sox vs. Red Sox
Chicago: It was rookie day for White Sox pitching. 20-year-old Jon Garland made his third major league start, Lorenzo Barcelo made his major league debut, and rookie Kevin Beirne relieved. ... The White Sox have scored a major league-leading 605 runs. Last year they scored 777 for the season. ... Frank Thomas was 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and has reached base in 11 straight games. Boston: OF Troy O'Leary is hitting .453 (29-for-64) with four homers and 21 RBI since returning from the DL for personal reasons due to divorce proceedings. ... The Red Sox are 3-5 against the White Sox this year. ... Red Sox 1B-DH Mike Stanley, on the DL with a strained right shoulder, was eligible to come off Tuesday, but remains inactive.

Indians vs. Twins
Cleveland: After not hitting a home run in 15 games from June 28 to July 16, 1B Jim Thome has four homers in five games. ... Since coming off the DL, OF Manny Ramirez has six home runs and 13 RBI in eight games. ... The Indians have used a club-record 27 pitchers this season. Minnesota: Twins manager Tom Kelly was back in the Metrodome, but not on the bench for the second straight night Saturday. After missing nine games due to his father's heart surgery in Florida, Kelly decided to take another day off and let interim manager Ron Gardenhire guide the team. ... The Twins are pushing for former pitcher and current broadcaster Bert Blyleven to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Blyleven won 287 games with six teams in 23 years (22nd career) and ranks third in strikeouts (3,701) behind Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton.

Angels vs. Athletics
Anaheim: OF Garret Anderson's home run Friday night was his 100th career. Mo Vaughn hit his 25th homer of the year Friday. Anderson (28), Troy Glaus (29) and Vaughn became the first trio in the majors to each top the 25-homer mark. ... The Angels' 12-3 win Friday was their largest margin of victory this season. ... The Angels scored nine runs against A's All-Star Tim Hudson on Friday, the most the second-year pitcher has allowed. "You never expect that many runs, but this offense has that kind of potential," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We were able to lay off the split-finger and make him get that pitch into the zone. It wasn't a conscious effort to go up and take pitches. We just wanted him to get the ball into a certain zone." Oakland: LHP Barry Zito was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento of the PCL to make his major league debut Saturday. "I basically told him to pitch his own game," A's manager Art Howe said. "It's just different uniforms and different names. It's the same game, so don't change anything, just keep pitching the way he has." ... RHP Scott Service was sent outright to Sacramento to make room for Zito. The move removed Service from Oakland's 40-man roster. ... RHP T.J. Mathews, who hasn't pitched since Tuesday at Colorado because of a blister on his right middle finger and a slight muscle strain in his right elbow, was cleared to pitch before Saturday's game.

Rangers vs. Mariners
Texas: LHP Matt Perisho, who surrendered seven runs on four hits and three walks in one-third of an inning Friday night in a 12-3 loss, had the shortest outing by a Rangers starter since Sept. 14, 1997, when Bobby Witt went one-third of an inning. ... After Friday night's game, 1B Rafael Palmeiro was 0-for-12 and LF Rusty Greer 0-for-14. Manager Johnny Oates gave Greer off Saturday. ... Friday night's game was the Rangers' first at Safeco Field. The Rangers have played at three of the majors' new ballparks in 2000, losing two of three. They won at Comerica Park 3-2 on May 29, and lost at Pacific Bell Park 6-4 on July 16. Seattle: All-Star SS Alex Rodriguez took batting practice and worked on his lateral movement when he took underhand groundballs from trainer Rick Griffin before Saturday's game. Rodriguez is on the DL with a sprained right knee. The Mariners said Saturday they expect him to be activated Monday or Tuesday if he continues to make progress. Rodriguez injured his knee and got a concussion when he tried to break up a double play against Los Angeles on July 7. He missed starting for the AL in the All-Star Game in Atlanta. ... CF Mike Cameron thought he robbed Palmeiro of a home run with a leaping catch against the fence in the eighth inning Friday night. Cameron would like to win a Gold Glove in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. won 10 Gold Gloves in CF for the Mariners from 1990-99 before he was traded to Cincinnati. Said Cameron: "Why don't I try to continue the tradition here?" By his count, Cameron has taken away three home runs at Safeco Field. Last year's Gold Glove winners, in addition to Griffey, were CF Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees and RF Shawn Green of Toronto. Like Griffey, Green is out of the AL now, traded to the Dodgers.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Brewers vs. Cubs
Milwaukee: RHP Jason Bere has a 2.43 career ERA at Wrigley Field, giving up nine runs in 33 1/3 innings. He retired 14 consecutive batters at one point. ... The Brewers are 7-17 against left-handed starters. ... Jeromy Burnitz hit his 20th homer, the fourth straight year he has hit 20 or more. Chicago: Sammy Sosa singled in the 11th inning, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. ... The Cubs won for the ninth time in 12 games. ... The four Racing Sausages, who have performed exclusively at County Stadium, made their first road trip and raced after the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. The Italian Sausage and the Bratwurst finished in a tie.

Phillies vs. Pirates
Philadelphia: The Phillies optioned RHP Mark Brownson to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to clear a spot for Saturday's starter, Robert Person. Person was on the disabled list since June 19 with a strain in his right shoulder. Brownson was 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA in two relief appearances with the Phillies. ... 1B Rico Brogna returned to the starting lineup Saturday, his first game action since May 10, when his left elbow was broken by a pitch from Montreal's Matt Blank. Brogna played in seven rehab games at the team's Florida training base in Clearwater. Pittsburgh: Utility INF Luis Sojo returned to the team Saturday and expects to be activated from the DL soon. Sojo, who's been out with an elbow injury, went home to Venezuela. When he returns to the active roster, INF Abraham Nunez will probably go back to Triple-A Nashville. ... OF Adrian Brown had an injection in his strained left hamstring Friday. He's hoping that will help get him back in the lineup soon. Brown is on the DL for the second time this season with the injury. Brown hopes he'll be able to go on a minor league rehab assignment sometime this week.

Expos vs. Marlins
Montreal: RHP Hideki Irabu, recalled from his injury rehabilitation assignment Thursday, will start Tuesday against the Mets. The start will be the first for Irabu since May 26. Irabu pitched in a rehab assignment for Triple-A Ottawa on Tuesday, allowing five hits and two earned runs with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of a 3-0 loss. ...RHP Justin Wayne, the Expos' first-round pick and fifth selection overall, is hoping for a fast track to the big leagues. Wayne is currently at Jupiter of the Class-A Florida State League. "I'm getting antsy," said Wayne, 14-3 in leading Stanford to the College World Series last year. "It's been a month since I pitched. I want to get some innings in quickly, and I hope to be pitching in Montreal soon." Florida: The Marlins are hopeful that C Ramon Castro shows some power at the plate upon his recent promotion. Castro hit .335 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 67 games at Triple-A Calgary. "We need to find out about Ramon Castro," manager John Boles said. "I'm sure he'll get more and more comfortable the longer he's here." ...The Marlins announced the signing of John Westhoff as vice president in charge of legal matters. Westhoff, who spent 20 years as associate counsel for Major League Baseball, will handle all player contract negotiations, arbitration procedures and any baseball-related legal issues.

Diamondbacks vs. Reds
Arizona: 3B Matt Williams is 11-for-37 in nine games since returning from his second stay on the disabled list. ... A 7-3 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday snapped Arizona's three-game winning streak. The Diamondbacks haven't won more than three in a row since a five-game streak from May 23-27. ... In his first two major league starts, Geraldo Guzman gave up one run and eight hits in 16 innings. In his third start Saturday, he gave up six hits and five runs in 2 2/3 innings. Cincinnati: LHP Ron Villone needed 64 pitches to get through the first two innings Saturday. He threw 123 in six innings overall -- 40 in the second inning alone. ... RHP Mark Wohlers, back in the majors for the first time in more than a year, made his second relief appearance in three days. He has pitched four innings, giving up an infield single, two walks, one wild pitch and struck out two. He hasn't allowed a run. ... 1B Sean Casey extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games with a pair of doubles. OF Dante Bichette extended his season-high streak to 16 games with a single.

Mets-Braves
New York: Edgardo Alfonzo isn't sure if he'll be back in the lineup for Sunday night's game against the Braves. The All-Star second baseman left Thursday's game against Montreal with a sore right hip and missed the first two games of the series matching the NL East's top two teams. "It's a lot better," Alfonzo said after the Mets beat the Braves 4-0 Saturday. "If it feels even better tomorrow, I'll go out there and try to play." Alfonzo isn't sure how he was injured. ... The Mets have homered in nine of 11 games. Derek Bell hit a sixth-inning drive over the center-field wall. Atlanta: The NL East-leading Braves would prefer to see Barry Larkin remain in Cincinnati rather than join their closest rival, the Mets. New York has worked out a trade for the All-Star shortstop, but he hasn't decided whether to accept the deal. Larkin wants a three-year contract extension and the Mets seem unwilling to meet that demand. "I'm kind of happy to hear that," Atlanta's Chipper Jones said, adding jokingly, "I've got a call in to him now to try to talk him out of it." Teammate Brian Jordan concurred. "Hopefully, the deal will fall through," he said.

Cardinals vs. Astros
St. Louis: Manager Tony La Russa often forgets rookie LHP Rick Ankiel is so young. "What he's got to do is give us a chance to win every five days and all that Rookie of the Year stuff falls into place," La Russa said. "He is still learning and improving.". ... RHP Mark Thompson left Saturday's game with a mild sprain of his right knee. He's listed day-to-day. Houston: The All-Star break was supposed to be a time for the Astros to make a second-half charge. But they are 4-6 since the break, including their worst loss of the season, 12-1 to St. Louis, and a shutout loss to Cincinnati on the current homestand. They've been outscored 63-48, including Saturday's 10-5 victory over the Cardinals. "It's unbelievable," 1B Jeff Bagwell said. "I'm being totally honest when I tell you that I've run out of adjectives to explain what this is like."

Padres vs. Rockies
San Diego: Results of an MRI on the right shoulder of RHP Steve Montgomery revealed a partially torn rotator cuff. No surgery has been scheduled so far. ... Trevor Hoffman's next save will be his 250th as a Padre. He had two as a member of the 1993 Florida Marlins. ... First-base coach Alan Trammell will miss Sunday's game to attend Sparky Anderson's Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. ... Padres starter Matt Clement ranks second in the NL behind only L.A.'s Chan Ho Park in walks. "He has such great movement with his fastball and slider that at times he gets too much movement," manager Bruce Bochy said. ... When pitcher Dave Mauer makes his first appearance, he will become the 46th Padres player in 2000, two short of the club record of 48 in 1991. ... San Diego has committed only two errors in 11 games (101 innings). The Padres had 12 hits in Friday's opener after hitting .217 in their previous 21 games. Colorado: While addressing season-ticket holders, GM Dan O'Dowd said, "I am not going to tip my hand, but we look at the trading deadline as a daily event. We throw out names every day and we will be participants." O'Dowd also said negotiations with RF Jeffrey Hammonds concerning a contract extension would be put off until after the season. ... Losing 13 of 15 games and scoring five runs in three games has caused manager Buddy Bell to consider tinkering with his lineup. "There is not a whole lot you can do with our lineup, because it's pretty well set. You try to protect each and every hitter in your lineup. To me it really doesn't matter a whole lot. If a guy's swinging the bat good, he can swing good in the one spot just like he can in the sixth spot." . ... Bell brushed off OF Larry Walker's troubles at the plate which included an 0-for-4 night Friday. "I think it's a combination of him not being completely healthy and maybe coming up with some bad habits. The fact of the matter is none of us are immune from going through slumps." ... The first five meetings between the Padres and Rockies have been decided by 10 runs.

Giants vs. Dodgers
San Francisco: Livan Hernandez (9-7) owes a lot to batterymate Bobby Estalella, who hit a two-run homer and threw out two would-be basestealers on Saturday to help the right-hander beat Los Angeles 5-2. Estalella's grand slam against the Mets on May 2 fueled Hernandez's first victory of the season after an 0-4 start, and he hit two more homers in Hernandez's next outing to power a 6-4 win against the Cardinals. ... RHP John Bonser, the Giants' No. 1 pick in June's draft, made his professional debut Thursday night for their Salem-Keizer team in the Northwest League, managed by former Yankees shortstop Fred "Chicken" Stanley. Bonzer pitched one perfect inning, striking out two in the Volcanoes' 6-2 victory over Spokane. ... 1B J.T. Snow's next two RBI will increase his career total to 600. He is one of only five switch-hitters to drive in 100 runs in a season in both the NL and AL, along with Ted Simmons, Ken Singleton, Eddie Murray and Bobby Bonilla. Los Angeles: Carlos Perez is 0-2 with nine no-decisions since beating the Marlins 12-6 on May 20 at Florida. In five of those no-decisions, the left-hander has allowed fewer than three runs. "That's my ninth game without a decision, but that doesn't mean I'm not doing my job," said Perez, who avoided a loss Friday night when teammate Eric Karros hit a game-winning three-run homer. "I don't want to put my head down because I didn't get the win. If I don't get the win, there's nothing I can do about it. I've just got to keep doing my job and throwing my six or seven innings every start." ... Did bench coach Jim Tracy's four-game stint (3-1) as acting manager during Davey Johnson's recent hospitalization whet his appetite for managing full-time in the majors? "I think you always have visions of managing, but I know the time will come for that," said Tracy, 44, who spent seven years managing in the minors for the Cubs, Reds and Expos. "I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to sit next to two of the better managers that the game has to offer, in Felipe Alou and Davey Johnson. So that, combined with spending seven years managing in the minor leagues, you feel like you're learning something from day to day."