AMERICAN LEAGUE

Mariners vs. Yankees
Seattle: OF Jay Buhner, who began his career with the Yankees, hit his 300th homer with Seattle. He hit three homers with New York in 1988 for current Mariners manager Lou Piniella before being traded for Ken Phelps. "I'm the one that reaped the benefits of that trade because he's played so many years for me in Seattle," Piniella said. ... The Mariners are 19 games over .500 for the first time since 1997, when they were 19 games over with one game remaining in the season. ... Seattle's Nos. 3-4-5 hitters -- Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud -- went 22-for-48 (.458) with four homers and 11 RBIs in the series. New York: Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson was ejected in the eighth inning. Nelson argued balls and strikes as he walked off the field. "I said something to him, but I didn't cuss," Nelson said. Plate umpire Mark Carlson came toward the Yankees' dugout to eject him and Nelson came out to continue the argument. ... RHP David Cone, who threw 137 pitches Saturday, will start Thursday against Oakland. Cone is winless in his last 15 starts. ... SS Derek Jeter had been hitless in 12 at-bats before singling in the seventh. ... LHP Denny Neagle lost consecutive decisions for just the second time this season. He lost to Cleveland on June 9, and San Francisco on June 14, while with Cincinnati.

Orioles vs. Tigers
Baltimore: Albert Belle was back in RF on Monday after starting three of the last four games at DH. Belle has hit none of his 21 homers as a DH. ... 3B Cal Ripken, on the DL since June 28 with lower back inflammation, hopes to play the final six weeks of the season. He is with the team in Detroit. ... The Orioles' current four-game series with the Tigers is their first and only visit to Comerica Park this season. Oakland and Anaheim are the two remaining AL teams that have not played in Detroit's new ballpark. Detroit: RHP Hideo Nomo went on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 30, with a strained right hand. He was scratched from a scheduled start Friday against Minnesota and hasn't been able to throw a fastball since without pain. It's the first time Nomo, 4-10 with a 5.10 ERA, has gone on the DL in his career. RHP Danny Patterson was activated from the 15-day DL to replace Nomo on the roster. Patterson, usually a seventh-inning setup reliever, is 4-1, 3.12. ... Since May 8, RF Juan Gonzalez is hitting .378 on the road but only .225 at home. "He wants so bad to do something at home," manager Phil Garner said. "On the road, he's so free and easy."

Rangers vs. Indians
Texas: OF Ricky Ledee greeted some of his former Indians teammates during pregame batting practice. After being acquired from the New York Yankees for David Justice, Ledee played in 17 games for Cleveland before being traded to the Rangers on July 28 for INF David Segui. "Even when he came here we thought he was going to be traded again," said 2B Luis Alicea, Ledee's closest friend on the Rangers. Texas manager Johnny Oates said he could understand if Ledee's confidence was shaken after being traded twice in one season. "You tell him it's not that somebody didn't want you," Oates said. "You tell him that somebody did want you. We wanted him. He's going to get a chance to play with us. He's got a lot of upside." ... CF Gabe Kapler hit a single in the fifth on Monday to extend his hitting streak to 21 games. The streak is tied for third-longest in club history. ... The Rangers recalled RHP Darwin Cubillan from Oklahoma of the PCL and optioned RHP Francisco Cordero to Oklahoma. Cordero went 1-1 with a 5.62 ERA in 41 games for the Rangers. Cleveland: RF Manny Ramirez didn't play for the second straight game after re-injuring his left hamstring while sliding into home during Saturday's win over Anaheim. Ramirez told manager Charlie Manuel he could DH, but Manuel apparently decided to sit Ramirez another day. With Ramirez out, rookie Bill Selby made his first start in right. ... RHP Jaret Wright lasted just three innings in his third rehab start at Double-A Akron on Monday night. Wright, placed on the 15-day DL on June 3 with an inflamed shoulder, was able to throw only 51 pitches before leaving with discomfort in his right shoulder. He will be re-evaluated by team doctors Tuesday. Earlier this season, Wright came back from the DL on May 27 only to go back on it on June 7. ... RHP Dave Burba said he should be able to start Wednesday night against Texas. Burba's scheduled start Monday was pushed back because of a blister on his right index finger.

Twins vs. Devil Rays
Minnesota: Manager Tom Kelly plans to visit his father, who recently underwent heart bypass surgery, in Fort Myers Fla. before Tuesday's game. Kelly said his father is feeling better and could soon be released from the hospital. ... OF Matt Lawton (sprained toe) could return to the starting lineup Tuesday. ... Former Twins OF Kirby Puckett will work the first three games of the series as a radio broadcaster. Tampa Bay: Greg Vaughn, hampered by a right shoulder injury that affects his throwing, will get most of the at-bats at DH with the departure of Jose Canseco. Canseco was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees. ... Steve Cox started in left field, Vaughn's normal position. There is no timetable for when Vaughn will return to the outfield. ... Canseco's departure also frees up a spot for Jose Guillen to play regularly in right field.

Blue Jays vs. Royals
Toronto: Toronto sent OF Rob Ducey to Philadelphia on Monday to complete the trade for INF Mickey Morandini. The Blue Jays are beginning a seven-day, seven-game road trip to Kansas City and Minnesota. Kansas City: The Royals held a players-only meeting three hours before Monday night's game. ... OF Carlos Beltran remains suspended without pay for refusing to go to Florida on a rehab assignment. But he began rehabbing his bruised knee in Kansas City on Monday. The Royals sent RHP pitcher Chad Durbin to Triple-A Omaha and replaced him on the roster with RHP Chris Fussell, who has been on the DL with an elbow strain.

Red Sox vs. Angels
Boston: Bernard Gilkey became the 15th different DH used by the Red Sox in Monday night's game against the Angels. ... The Red Sox have sold out 30 consecutive home games, the best stretch in club history. The previous best was 27 in 1991. ... RHP Bret Saberhagen, disabled all season and recalled Sunday from his rehabilitation outing, threw on the side before the game and is expected to do so again before a decision is made on whether to activate him. Anaheim: OF Tim Salmon's infield single in the first inning Monday night extended his hit streak to 15 games, tying his career long (1995). ... RHP Ken Hill was signed to a $16 million contract before the 1998 season -- and won a total of 18 games before his release Monday. ... 1B Mo Vaughn had been 4-for-31 against Boston before Monday's first-inning homer, his first against his former team.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Padres vs. Phillies
San Diego: SS Desi Relaford was the club-record 50th player to appear in a game this season. The previous mark was 48 set in 1991. The Padres have used 27 pitchers and 23 position players this season. ... RHP Brian Tollberg will make his 10th start of the season on Tuesday. He is 0-1 with six no-decisions in his last seven starts. ... The club has three players signed through the 2003 season: closer Trevor Hoffman, RHP Matt Clement and 1B Ryan Klesko. ... The Padres started their second 10-game road trip of the season. The team went 5-5 on its last 10-game jaunt against Arizona, Cincinnati and Los Angeles from June 19-29. Philadelphia: The Phillies acquired INF Dave Newhan from the Padres to complete the Aug. 4 deal that sent Relaford to San Diego. Newhan was sent to Triple-A Scranton. ... INF Marlon Anderson became the 46th player to appear in a game for the Phillies this season. The club record of 54 was set in 1996. ... Tuesday's starter Omar Daal will make his third start with the Phillies. He has allowed five earned runs in 11 innings in his first two starts. He is 0-2 with a 3.46 ERA in four games against San Diego this season.

Braves vs. Reds
Atlanta: Andres Galarraga entered the game batting .300, the first time he was at the mark since July 14. ... The Braves have three pitchers with at least 10 saves: John Rocker 14, Mike Remlinger and Kerry Ligtenberg 10 each. The last time they had three with 10 or more was 1984, when Donnie Moore had 16 and Steve Bedrosian and Gene Garber had 11 apiece. ... Heading into their series opener Monday, the Braves had gone 24-5 against the Reds since 1997. They had an 11-3 record in Cincinnati during that span. Cincinnati: The Reds designated OF Brooks Kieschnick for assignment to open a roster spot for OF Brian Hunter, obtained from Colorado in a trade for a minor leaguer Sunday. ... Hunter joined the team a half-hour before Monday's game, started in left field, batted leadoff and struck out in his first at-bat against Greg Maddux. ... Hunter has yet to serve his three-game suspension for charging Cincinnati's Scott Sullivan on July 15. ... Bench coach Ken Griffey Sr. was released from a hospital after tests found no problems with his heart. Pitching coach Don Gullett rejoined the team a week after he was hospitalized for chest pain that turned out to be nothing serious.

Marlins vs. Cardinals
Florida: The Marlins signed switch-hitting INF Casey Candaele to a contract with Triple-A Calgary. Candaele, 39, hit .276 with two home runs, 18 doubles and 29 RBIs in 81 games with Nashua of the Atlantic League. ... Mark Kotsay homered in consecutive games for the first time in his career Saturday and Sunday after going without one in 28 games. ... Luis Castillo missed his third straight game with a strained right hamstring. Mark Clapinski, called up July 28, replaced him at second and the leadoff spot. Castillo leads the majors with 46 steals, four off his career best last year and 12 off the team record set by Chuck Carr in 1993. St. Louis: Newly acquired Will Clark was named NL co-player of the week with Houston pitcher Scott Elarton. ... Mike Matheny, in a 2-for-25 slump, got the day off. He's been playing with a cracked rib. Matheny gave his uniform number, 22, to Clark. "Whenever good people do good things, they get good things in return," Clark said. "Mike will have something done for him." ... For the second straight game, manager Tony La Russa went with a lineup featuring three consecutive left-handed hitters in the heart of the order. Jim Edmonds batted third, Clark fourth and Ray Lankford fifth.

Mets vs. Astros
New York: Mets manager Bobby Valentine doesn't care to argue about which team in the NL is best. He's more interested in who plays the best at playoff time. And Valentine likes what he's seeing these days. "I feel really good about our team," he said. "We're healthy. We've had some young guys step up and develop. We've had our veterans take a leadership role. I think the starting pitching has come together. I couldn't be more proud of the bullpen. It's a little early to be talking about a special feeling. But the guys who've been through thick and thin have pulled together the way you hope and pray a team can." Houston: After a slow return from off-season shoulder surgery, Scott Elarton (12-4) pitched his first career complete game in his last start. "The No. 1 thing at the start of the season is I didn't feel 100 percent healthy," Elarton said. "None of my pitches were at 100 percent. Now I'm pitching more aggressive than I did early in the season. It seems like everything started coming back at the same time. It's all a matter of arm strength. The only way you can get it back is to keep throwing."

Pirates vs. Rockies
Pittsburgh: OF Adrian Brown was recalled from his rehab assignment to take the roster spot vacated with the trade Sunday of OF Bruce Aven to Los Angeles. ... INF Luis Sojo was traded to the New York Yankees on Monday for RHP Chris Spurling, who was 4-6 with a 3.79 ERA at Single-A Tampa. "Luis did a good job for us, filling in well at several infield positions," manager Gene Lamont said. "The move will give Aramis Ramirez some more playing time with Mike Benjamin splitting the time at third with Aramis." ... RHP Francisco Cordova will throw in the bullpen on Tuesday to test the injured right elbow that forced him to spend 15 days on the DL. Colorado: Todd Helton was given the night off and was out of the starting lineup for only the fourth time this year. ... Jeffrey Hammonds made his first start in CF this year and the first since Oct. 4 last year while with Cincinnati. "With the trade of Brian Hunter, Jeffrey will see some time in center along with Todd Hollandsworth and Juan Pierre," manager Buddy Bell said. "We wanted to let Pierre get settled before putting him in the lineup."... Pierre spent only four games at Triple-A Colorado Springs at the time of his callup. "I've never seen Coors Field before, but I knew right away it was bigger than any center field I played in this year at either Double-A or Triple-A," said Pierre, who is the 45th player to play for the Rockies this season.

Expos vs. Diamondbacks
Montreal: With Trey Moore and Scott Downs on the mound for the first two games of the Arizona series, the Expos will start consecutive left-handers for the first time since May 29-30, 1998, when Carlos Perez and Moore pitched against Pittsburgh. ... Downs will become the 46th player to suit up for the Expos this season when he starts Tuesday. The club record is 48 in 1993. He will be the 26th pitcher used by Montreal, a club record. ... RHP Hideki Irabu will visit Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday for a series of tests. Irabu was placed on the 15-day DL July 28 with inflammation in his right elbow. Arizona: RHP Todd Stottlemyre, on the DL since June 26 with tendinitis in his right elbow, plans to pitch off the mound for the first time in his recovery on Wednesday. He is tentatively scheduled to return to the starting rotation on Sept. 3 against Florida. ... RHP Byung-Hyun Kim is eligible to be recalled from Triple-A Tucson on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Kim was sent down to work on his control and to try to speed up his delivery because runners were stealing bases against him at will. He was one of the NL's most effective relievers early in the season. ... The Diamondbacks 1-2 against the Expos this season and 9-12 in Arizona's three seasons of existence.

Cubs vs. Dodgers
Chicago: Closer Rick Aguilera had former New York Mets teammate Darryl Strawberry on his mind Monday, knowing that the troubled slugger was undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor near his left kidney. "My heart goes out to him," Aguilera said. "Cancer is a scary thing, and hopefully this time it's removed completely. He's had struggles throughout his life, personally and professionally, but I have always known Darryl to have a good heart. Some people may have taken some of his actions the wrong way, but deep down, he didn't mean any harm. Sometimes, he just made the wrong choices." ... The Cubs will reach the two-million mark in home attendance when they return to Wrigley Field on Friday to host Cincinnati. ... Sammy Sosa, who entered Monday night's game with an NL-leading 100 RBI, is trying to become the first Cub to win the league lead twice in RBI since Ernie Banks in 1958-59. Los Angeles: Orel Hershiser, whose release by the Dodgers ended his a 17-year major league career, may pitch competitively again. His former manager, Tom Lasorda, has asked him to take the mound next month for the U.S. Olympic Team. The roster will be announced Aug. 23, and the team will meet up in San Diego on Sept. 1 before leaving for Brisbane, Australia, the following day. "There were some things he had to take care of first, and then he was going to let me know. So we'll see what happens," Lasorda said Monday. ... None of the Dodgers expected rowdy behavior by fans against the Chicago Cubs, making their first visit to Los Angeles since the May 16 brawl a Cubs fan triggered at Wrigley Field by hitting C Chad Kreuter in the bullpen and grabbing his cap. "It would be sad if something like that happened here, and if we keep it low-key, nothing should happen," reliever Mike Fetters said.

Brewers vs. Giants
Milwaukee: OF Geoff Jenkins has suddenly found his power stroke. He has six homers in seven games entering play Monday night. He hit his 22nd homer on Sunday, a career high. "I'm definitely driving the ball better," said Jenkins, who injured a finger earlier in the season. "I try not to think about the finger. I haven't always been a patient hitter, but lately I've been seeing better pitches to swing at." His eight home runs since the All-Star break are bettered by only Sammy Sosa's 11. ... RHP Kyle Peterson, out all season recovering from shoulder surgery, pitched six shutout innings in a rehab assignment at Single-A Beloit on Sunday. He'll continue to work at the Single-A level, and might be recalled in September if his recovery progresses as planned. ... The Brewers are honoring broadcaster Bob Uecker with his own day on Saturday at County Stadium. San Francisco: A Monday night crowd against the Milwaukee Brewers in August wouldn't normally fill a minor league stadium, but with the Giants playing in their new stadium, they are guaranteed a sellout. "We're drawing the same against Montreal, Los Angeles, and everybody else," said Giants' manager Dusty Baker. "Earlier in the season it was kind of quiet, but now you can really hear the noise and feel the energy. That helps you a lot, especially on days when you're tired, or a little down. You can really tell the difference when you come from a place like Milwaukee. ... RHP Joe Nathan is scheduled for his second rehab start on Tuesday with Triple-A Fresno at Tacoma. "We're hoping for two more starts," Baker said. "He has a 75-90 pitch limit depending on how he looks. I'd rather have 75 good pitches than 90 struggling pitches." ... The Giants are 15-9 since the All-Star break entering play Monday, its best mark to start the second half since 1993.