AMERICAN LEAGUE

White Sox vs. Devil Rays
Chicago: RHP Sean Lowe (right shoulder) could rejoin the White Sox late next week. ... RHP Cal Eldred (right elbow) played long toss and also threw from 60 feet off a flat surface. ... 3B Herbert Perry (tendinitis of the Achilles' tendon) was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. He took batting practice and could return Sunday. Tampa Bay: Dom DiMaggio threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of a salute to 100 years of American League baseball. Other AL notables in attendance included Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson and Frank Howard. A mild case of shingles prevented Ted Williams from attending. ... RHP Bryan Rekar was hit twice by batted balls in the first three innings, but remained in the game. ... The Devil Rays conclude a franchise-longest 13-game, 13-day homestand Sunday.

Orioles vs. Royals
Baltimore: The Orioles are last in the league in pitching with a 5.75 ERA. The team ERA has gone up each month this year, reaching 6.21 in July. Kansas City: The Royals had not won a season series from Baltimore since 1989 ... The error Friday by shortstop Rey Sanchez was just his third in 104 games. His fielding percentage was .994, second only to the .998 percentage of Cleveland's Omar Vizquel.

Blue Jays vs. Twins
Toronto: After going winless in its first five season series against the Twins from 1977-81, Toronto is 15-3 since then. ... The Blue Jays are 49-21 when their starter goes at least six innings. ... Entering Saturday's game, Toronto was 7-9 with Dave Stewart as its pitching coach. Minnesota: The Twins had a moment of silence before Saturday's game to honor 24 former players, managers, coaches and owners who are deceased. ... SS Cristian Guzman has 17 triples and is on a pace to finish with 23, which would eclipse the American League record of 21 set by Kansas City's Willie Wilson in 1985. ... The Twins inducted Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett and Calvin Griffith into the team's Founding Members Hall of Fame Saturday night.

Red Sox vs. Rangers
Boston: The Red Sox were encouraged by Rolando Arrojo's seven-inning start in Friday night's 7-3 win over the Rangers. Arrojo matched his longest stint of the season and won for the first time in three starts for Boston. With starters Ramon Martinez and Pete Schourek on the disabled list and Bret Saberhagen's availability uncertain, Arrojo becomes a key player down the stretch. ... Carl Everett is one homer shy of becoming the first Red Sox outfielder with 30 or more homers since Tony Armas had 43 in 1984. Texas: Friday night's 7-3 defeat to Boston marked the 31st time this season that the Rangers have lost after holding a lead. They blew a lead only 30 times through all of the 1999 regular season. ... Entering Saturday night's game, Rangers pinch-hitters were hitting a major league-high .435 (27-for-62). Texas had 11 pinch-hits last season and 27 in 1998.

Tigers vs. Athletics
Detroit: When manager Phil Garner was ejected from Friday night's game along with catcher Brad Ausmus, it was the sixth game this season in which at least one Tiger has been ejected. Garner has been ejected three times. Friday, Garner and Ausmus were tossed by home plate umpire Mike Fichter. "Brad had enough of him and I had enough of him, and then he had enough of us having enough of him and he ran us," said Garner. ... OF Juan Encarnacion was not in the starting lineup for a third straight game, the first time this season he has missed consecutive starts when he's been available. ... RHP Dave Borkowski strained his right side during a rehab assignment with the Tigers' rookie league club in Florida. He's expected to miss up to two weeks. ... C-1B Robert Fick, on the 15-day disabled list since July 6 with a separated right shoulder, is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Toledo. Oakland: RHP Omar Olivares was activated from the 15-day disabled list just prior to Saturday's game. Olivares, who has been on the DL since June 17 with a strained right shoulder, was originally scheduled to make a rehab start in Class A Modesto on Saturday, but instead was available out of the bullpen. ... RHP T.J. Mathews was placed on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow, prompting Olivares' promotion. ... 2B Randy Velarde was in the leadoff spot for the first time with Oakland. He batted leadoff three times for the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and went a combined 0-for-12. He also batted in the top spot three times in 1998, going 4-for-9. "He has a good on-base percentage, and this allows us to bat (Terrence) Long down in the order where he can hit with runners on," said A's manager Art Howe.

Indians vs. Mariners
Cleveland: The Indians have gone five games and 47 innings since their last homer, in the fourth inning last Sunday against Anaheim. ... Roberto Alomar, who has won eight Gold Gloves, committed his 11th error of the season, most by an Indians fielder. Seattle: The Mariners had their 45th sellout in their 100th game at Safeco Field. ... Alex Rodriguez has two errors in two days, giving the All-Star SS seven in 103 games. ... Seattle has been in first place or tied for the AL West lead for 105 days this season. The last day the Mariners weren't in first was June 28.

Yankees vs. Angels
New York: In his first start since signing a $30.9 million extension, Roger Clemens will try to improve on his 25-8 career record against the Angels on Sunday. ... Jose Canseco has homered in Yankee Stadium for five different teams, including Thursday in his first start for the Yankees; the only other man to homer there in five different uniforms was Al Simmons. ... Friday night's loss in the series opener left the Yankees 14-13 in Edison Field since 1996, the start of their three-titles-in-four-years run. Anaheim: Rookie Ramon Ortiz beat Pedro Martinez on Tuesday and faces Clemens on Sunday, pitting him in back-to-back starts against winners of the last three AL Cy Young Awards and an aggregate career total of seven. ... The Angels entered Saturday night's game with a season total of 71 steals, matching their final 1999 total. ... 3B Troy Glaus, Anaheim's regular No. 6 hitter, batted second for the first time in his career Saturday night.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Reds vs. Cubs
Cincinnati: C Jason LaRue has struggled at the plate since being recalled Aug. 1, hitting just .125 coming into the game. But two solo home runs, his third and fourth hits of the year, pushed his average to .200. "First is catching. Hitting is second," LaRue said. "I've felt more comfortable this year than last year. Over the past month, I've been searching, trying to find my swing again. As soon as I got here, we went to work on my swing. We've been working on trying to shorten it up." ... C Eddie Taubensee, on the disabled list since Aug. 1 with a bulging disk in his back, will have an epidural Monday. ... The Reds signed LHP Ryan Snare, their fourth-round draft pick. He'll report to Sarasota, Fla., for the instructional league and then go to Class A Dayton. Chicago: With Kerry Wood still bothered by a strained muscle in his rib cage, the Cubs are looking for a pitcher for Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. "It might be more of a matchup, but there's not a whole lot of choices," manager Don Baylor said. "We just have to make sure whoever it is has thrown the last couple of days." ... After working out of the bullpen for 21 games earlier in the season, LHP Daniel Garibay is right back where he wants to be: the starting rotation. "I've always been a starter and I pitch better that way," said Garibay, a starter in the Mexican League from 1993-99. Garibay is 0-2 in three games since returning to the rotation, but catcher Joe Girardi said he is pitching well. "Two out of his three starts, he's been tremendous," Girardi said. "Pitching at Wrigley Field, he's been great. He's done everything we can ask for." ... A season-high crowd of 40,625 pushed home attendance over the 2 million mark for the year.

Rockies vs. Expos
Colorado: 1B Todd Helton had reached safely in each of his last nine plate appearances -- six hits and three walks -- entering Saturday night's game. Eric Young holds the team record by reaching base safely 12 consecutive times from Sept. 19-24, 1993. ... The Rockies, who have won three of their last four games, have won just three of their last 17 games away from Coors Field. Colorado is 20-38 on the road. ... The Rockies have not won consecutive road games since July 2-3. Montreal: With LHP Scott Downs placed on the 15-disabled list, LHP Trey Moore switched spots in the rotation with Mike Thurman and made his third start of the season Saturday night. Thurman will start Sunday. ... Tim Raines and Jim Fanning were inducted into the Expos' Hall of Fame prior to the game. Raines debuted with Montreal in 1979 and was a NL All-Star in each of his first seven full seasons with the Expos. Fanning was the team's first general manager and led the Expos to their only postseason appearance in 1981 in the first of his two stints as the team's manager.

Padres vs. Marlins
San Diego: C Ben Davis, in a 1-for-13 slump, was scratched from the lineup less than hour before Saturday's game with a strained muscle in his left side. Wiki Gonzalez replaced Davis, who was listed as day-to-day. Florida: No matter how many times Preston Wilson strikes out this season, manager John Boles says he will not remove Wilson from the cleanup spot in the Marlins' lineup. Wilson leads the major leagues in strikeouts with 146 entering Saturday's game -- 43 shy of Bobby Bonds' record set in 1970. "The easiest thing to do is to quit on somebody," Boles said. "If you believe in someone, you should stick with them regardless of any public outcry. I prefer to think about Preston as a guy with 26 stolen bases, 21 home runs and someone who's on his way to 100 RBI rather than a guy who's approaching the strikeout record."

Diamondbacks vs. Pirates
Arizona: RHP Byung-Hyun Kim returned to the Diamondbacks from a short stay at Triple-A Tucson with a shortened delivery and a new look. He bleached his dark hair a platinum blond, explaining, "I did it for my mind and my body." ... Randy Johnson, who hasn't lost to Pittsburgh since returning to the NL in 1998, isn't pitching in the Diamondbacks-Pirates series. His next start is Monday in Philadelphia. ... CF Steve Finley returned to the lineup Saturday after sitting out two games with a sore back that required an injection Wednesday. ... RHP Darren Holmes, released by the Diamondbacks earlier this season, signed a minor league contract. Pittsburgh: Seat licenses for nearly 3,000 of the best seats in the Pittsburgh Pirates' new PNC Park will cost as much as $6,000. That doesn't include the tickets, priced at $125 or $100 behind home plate or $35 to $30 in the second tier. ... The Pirates honored their team of the '80s -- not exactly a glory time for the franchise _ during Saturday night's game against Arizona. The team didn't even mention the promotion in pregame advertising. In 1985, the Pirates lost 104 games amid a Pittsburgh-based federal grand jury probe into cocaine sales to major league players, some of which occurred inside the Pirates' clubhouse. ... Willie Stargell made the team at first base, even though he hit only 14 homers in the 1980s and was used almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter in 1981 and 1982 before retiring. OF Andy Van Slyke received the most votes. ... Pirates LHP Jimmy Anderson will oppose Diamondbacks RHP Brian Anderson on Sunday for the third time this season. The first two matchups were in Phoenix. Jimmy Anderson has a 1.72 ERA while winning his last three decisions.

Giants vs. Mets
San Francisco: 2B Jeff Kent entered the game with 102 RBIs. He needs 21 more this season to give him 473 over the past four years, breaking Rogers Hornsby's record for players whose primary position is second base. ... RHP Joe Nathan will make his third rehab Sunday for Triple-A Fresno. New York: GM Steve Phillips said he has called off an investigation on tampering charges with regards to Matt Franco, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday. Franco said Friday he has heard Arizona, Atlanta, Seattle and Detroit have expressed interest in him, leading Phillips to ask for an investigation. A few hours later he changed his mind. "I have a good sense where he got the information and it does not fall under the tampering guidelines." ... With a day game Sunday, C Mike Piazza did not start despite hitting .476 over his last five games. Piazza often sits out Sunday afternoon games. "The Sunday ticket holders said they never get a chance to see him play," manager Bobby Valentine said. ... Pat Mahomes is tentatively scheduled to start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Colorado. That could change if Mahomes is needed in relief before then.

Astros vs. Phillies
Houston: Larry Dierker managed his 600th game for the Astros on Wednesday. He is the fourth Houston manager to reach that plateau joining Bill Virdon (1,066), Art Howe (810), and Harry Walker (708). ... 1B Jeff Bagwell has accumulated three 10-plus game hitting streaks this season. Bob Watson, Rusty Staub and Jose Cruz were the only Astros to each have two 10-plus game hitting streaks. In his 10 years as a pro, Bagwell has had at least one 10-game hitting streak each season. ... Six Astros have 15-or-more homers this season to set a franchise record. ... Brian Powell will make his third start on Sunday. He's 1-0 with 2.77 ERA. He recorded his first NL victory on Tuesday in a 9-3 win over the Mets. ... The Astros begin a nine-game homestand on Monday against Pittsburgh. Milwaukee and Chicago will also visit Enron Field. Philadelphia: The Phillies starting lineup of position players has an average age of 26 _ second-youngest in the NL next to Florida (25.4). ... C Mike Lieberthal is 10-for-28 (.357) with five RBIs in eight games since his return from the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. ... Sunday's starter Omar Daal is 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in three starts for the Phillies.

Dodgers vs. Braves
Los Angeles: Saturday's starter Ismael Valdes, reacquired from the Chicago Cubs for two minor leaguers on July 26, has a 15.19 ERA in two starts with Los Angeles. He was 2-4 with a 5.37 ERA with the Cubs. ... The Dodgers have hit 161 homers this season and are on a pace to hit 229. The Los Angeles record for homers in a season (191) was set in 1977. The franchise mark (208) was set in Brooklyn in 1953. Atlanta: RHP reliever Kevin McGlinchy is scheduled to pitch Monday for the Gulf Coast Braves as he attempts a third rehabilitation assignment for a stiff right shoulder. He hopes to return to the Braves for the September stretch run. He has pitched only 5 1-3 innings in Atlanta this season. ... LHP Odalis Perez hopes to pitch in a game next week for the first time since undergoing elbow ligament replacement surgery last August. He has been throwing off a mound for the last month. If all goes well, he'll pitch winter ball and be ready for spring training.

Cardinals vs. Brewers
St. Louis: LHP Rick Ankiel is batting .286 after going 1-for-3 Saturday against Milwaukee. ... The Cardinals managed only four runs in the first two games of the weekend series, but are 1-1 after winning 2-1 in 12 innings Saturday. ... Bob Uecker Day was celebrated prior to Saturday's game in Milwaukee. Uecker was a member of the 1964 St. Louis team that won the World Series. ... Bob Gibson, the Cardinals' Hall of Fame pitcher, received a standing ovation when introduced during the Uecker festivities. ... The Cardinals are 4-0 in extra innings this season. Milwaukee: Jeff D'Amico has become the team's true stopper. His latest victory, a 6-2 decision over St. Louis on Friday, came after three losses in San Francisco. D'Amico has won six straight and has lowered his ERA to 1.88, including 1.13 in eight starts since coming off the DL on June 30. ... Commissioner Bud Selig was one of the speakers during Bob Uecker Day on Saturday at County Stadium. It was Selig who offered Uecker the broadcasting job with the Brewers 30 years ago.