AMERICAN LEAGUE

Devil Rays vs. Indians
Tampa Bay: 3B Vinny Castilla was in the lineup Tuesday for the first time since July 30. He had been sidelined with lower back inflammation. ... The Devil Rays scored three or fewer runs in 15 of 21 games between Aug. 14 and Sept. 4, going 2-13 in those games. ... Tampa Bay starters have gone five or more innings in 49 of their last 55 starts. ... 1B Fred McGriff needs two homers to join Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the only players in history with 200 homers in both leagues. ... OF Greg Vaughn has hit .233 in 63 games since being on the DL with a strained right hamstring. He hit .302 in 46 games before the injury. Cleveland: Manager Charlie Manuel said RHP Bartolo Colon will make his scheduled start Thursday. Colon left his last start Saturday with inflammation in his shoulder. ... Manuel also said he might use RHP Charles Nagy out of the bullpen. "I would prefer him to start, but I don't know how long he can go," Manuel said of Nagy, who had elbow surgery May 19 and is currently on rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Buffalo. ... RHP David Riske, activated from the 60-day DL Monday, was optioned to Buffalo on Tuesday. Riske had surgery May 5 to remove a bulging disc in his lower back. ... INF-OF Bill Selby has added a catcher's mitt to his equipment. He is working out with bullpen coach Luis Issac. Selby said he played the position a bit as a youngster, but not as a pro.

Mariners vs. Blue Jays
Seattle: Seattle and Toronto brawled the last time they played. Toronto players complained that star shortstop Alex Rodriguez received preferential treatment because he wasn't ejected. After the July 29 game, Blue Jays reliever Pedro Borbon said he would hit Rodriguez the next time he faced him. The brawl started after Toronto reliever John Frascatore hit Rodriguez with a pitch. The next day, Frascatore threw inside to Rodriguez, who jumped back. Frascatore was ejected. Toronto's Carlos Delgado and Tony Batista were hit by pitches earlier in the game, but no Seattle pitcher was ejected. Toronto: INF Chris Woodward and OF Chad Mottola were brought up from the minors, while infielder Kevin Witt was designated for assignment. Woodward, who was recalled from Syracuse of the International League, hit .184 with three homers and 14 RBI in 32 games earlier this season with the Jays. Mottola, whose contract was purchased from Syracuse, was the International League's MVP this season after hitting .309 with a league-leading 33 homers and 102 RBI, second in the IL. ... The Blue Jays entered the game having lost six of their previous seven games against Seattle.

Athletics vs. Red Sox
Boston: The Red Sox recalled Morgan Burkhart from Triple-A Pawtucket and sent Dan Smith outright to Triple-A. Burkhart hit .204 at Pawtucket since he was last optioned Aug. 5. Smith was designated for assignment last week to make room on the 40-man roster for Dante Bichette. ... Pete Schourek is winless in his last 12 starts dating to May 15. ... Nomar Garciaparra was just 3-for-17 on the homestand before singling in his first at-bat. ... Donnie Sadler started at second base for the second consecutive game in place of Mike Lansing, who has four hits in his last 39 at-bats. Oakland: Kevin Appier made his shortest start of the year Tuesday, lasting just 2 2/3 innings and allowing eight runs, nine hits and three walks. He gave up two walks and five hits -- including Manny Alexander's first career grand slam -- with two outs in the first as Boston scored seven in the first inning. Appier was 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA in his previous four starts. ... Over their previous eight games, A's starters were 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA.

Orioles vs. Twins
Baltimore: When outfielder Karim Garcia, a recent call-up from Triple-A Rochester, makes his debut for the Orioles, he will become the 49th player for Baltimore this season. That total is second only to the 54 players used by the Orioles during the 1955 campaign ... The Orioles have at least one extra-base hit in 131 of their 138 games this season. Minnesota: The Twins have not won a series from Baltimore in the past four years, compiling a 12-36 record versus the Orioles ... Minnesota moved Wednesday's game with Baltimore to a 12:05 CT start. After the game they travel to Boston for one game Thursday to make up for an earlier rainout, then fly to Seattle for a weekend series with the Mariners ... The Twins are 11-46 when scoring three runs or less.

Rangers vs. White Sox
Texas: John Wetteland's 29th save Monday was the 325th of his career, seventh most in major league history. He's 16 behind Rollie Fingers on the career list. Wetteland saved Tuesdays' win, giving him his eighth 30-save season and sixth straight. Lee Smith has the most 30-save seasons (10). ... By adding Darwin Cubillan, Kelly Dransfeldt, Randy Knorr and Ruben Sierra from Triple-A Oklahoma City, the Rangers expanded their roster to 31. Sierra began his career with the Rangers in 1986 but hasn't been in the majors since 1998 when he was with the White Sox ... The Rangers' Rafael Palmeiro and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa are the only major league players with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI in each of the last six seasons. Sosa was initially signed by the Rangers. Chicago: Kip Wells, one of four players brought up by the White Sox on Tuesday, is in his third stint this season with the big league team. Wells, who was 4-1 at the end of last season when called up, couldn't find that form in his first two tries with the White Sox this season. He'll start Wednesday against the Rangers. He's 4-7 in 15 starts this season and started as the No. 2 man in the rotation. "I knew they (the White Sox) would be successful with or without me," Wells said. "They were while I was here. I knew I had a place here and unfortunately my performance didn't allow me to stick around. I had the talent to do it and couldn't consistently put it together. Now hopefully I can." With Cal Eldred likely finished for the season, Wells' performance will be a key for the White Sox down the stretch. They returned Sean Lowe to the bullpen to make room for Wells in the rotation. ... Despite their first-place standing, the White Sox are still playing before empty seats at Comiskey Park. In four games before Tuesday, they had crowds of 16,377, 29,785, 22,020 and 29,614. "It just surprises me. It doesn't make me upset," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "I guess it does confuse me, being a city this size."

Angels vs. Tigers
Anaheim: LHP Juan Alvarez and RHP Ben Weber were recalled from Triple-A Edmonton and Double-A Erie, respectively. Alvarez is 0-0 with a 7.71 ERA in five appearances with the Angels. Weber was claimed off waivers Aug. 30 from San Francisco and was 0-1 with a 16.20 ERA in two relief appearances at Erie. ... LHP Scott Schoeneweis will have to stop a trend if he's to win his start Wednesday at Detroit. The Tigers have won their last 10 games against left-handed starters, including Monday's 5-0 victory over Scott Karl. ... Monday's shutout loss was the Angels' fifth of the season, all on the road. Detroit: OF Juan Gonzalez, ailing from flulike symptoms, was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup and is day-to-day. ... RHP Dave Mlicki (sinus infection) and 1B Hal Morris (broken finger) were activated from the disabled list. Mlicki (4-10, 5.61) will start Thursday against Anaheim. ... 1B-OF Dusty Allen was recalled from Triple-A Toledo. ... Setup man Doug Brocail has missed three weeks with a bone spur in his right elbow. He will try to throw breaking pitches off the bullpen mound Wednesday, and if all goes well he says he can pitch Thursday.

Yankees vs. Royals
New York: CF Bernie Williams would likely miss 4-6 games with soreness in his ribs, the same problem that sidelined him for seven games last month. Williams reinjured the ribs Monday, swinging at a forkball from Kansas City's Mac Suzuki, and left after one inning. ... RHP Ramiro Mendoza threw 50-plus pitches in simulated game conditions on Monday and could pitch as soon as Thursday, manager Joe Torre said. Mendoza, plagued by tendinitis in his right shoulder, has not pitched since July 29. ... The Yankees called up LHP Randy Keisler, and INF Alfonso Soriano from Triple-A Columbus. The Yankees also placed RHP Darrell Einertson on the 60-day DL. Einertson is recovering from surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. Kansas City: AL Rookie of the Year Carlos Beltran started in center field for the Royals, his first start since sustaining a bone bruise to his right knee July 3. Beltran, whose suspension for refusing to report to Florida for a rehab assignment is still under appeal, was activated Monday and struck out as a pinch hitter in his only plate appearance ... Kansas City's Mike Sweeney had 125 RBI going into Tuesday's game, eight off the club record set by Hal McRae in 1982.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Expos vs. Cardinals
Montreal: The Expos called up three RHP Jeremy Powell, LHP Stan Spencer and SS Tomas De La Rosa from Triple-A Ottawa. Ottawa's season ended Monday and manager Rick Sweet also joined the Expos. ... 1B Lee Stevens, who injured his big left toe Monday, was out of the lineup. .... Dustin Hermanson faces the Cardinals for the first time since Sept. 26, 1998, when he allowed Mark McGwire's 67th home run, Wednesday. He's 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in eight games against the Cardinals for his career. St. Louis: Andy Benes, activated from the DL on Sunday, will spend a couple weeks in the bullpen before returning to the rotation. ... C Eli Marrero, who missed almost two months with a broken left thumb, made his first start since July 1. He was activated Sept. 1 from a rehab at Triple-A Memphis. ... Only three of the Cardinals' final 24 games are against teams with winning records. ... Garrett Stephenson, who's 15-7, will try to win his fifth straight decision on Wednesday against the Expos. ... The No. 6-8 slots in the batting order were batting .368 with 25 RBI in the last 11 games, and had all four RBI Monday.

Mets vs. Reds
New York: The Mets recalled utility player Joe McEwing from Triple-A Norfolk. McEwing hit .227 in 52 games for the Mets with two homers and 18 RBI. He was optioned to Norfolk on Aug. 28. ... Howie Freiling, a coach at Norfolk, also joined the Mets for the remainder of the season. ... Rick Reed was relieved in the seventh inning Tuesday after throwing 100 pitches. Cincinnati: SS Barry Larkin is likely out for the season. He'll have arthroscopic surgery Friday to clean out his left knee. ... C Eddie Taubensee was moved to the 60-day DL. He'll have surgery Friday for a ruptured disc in his back. ... The Reds called up INF Brooks Kieschnick and RHP Keith Glauber from Triple-A.

Marlins vs. Astros
Houston: Houston has won six of its past seven series and nine series since the All-Star break. The Astros are 27-23 since the break ... Tony McKnight is the 21st pitcher used by Houston this season, two short of the team record set in 1965. Florida: Alex Gonzalez has hit in 15 of his last 16 games for Florida, batting .328 (21 for 64).

Cubs vs. Rockies
Chicago: The Cubs held a 20-minute meeting before Tuesday's game with the Rockies. "After yesterday, I had seen as much as I wanted to see," manager Don Baylor said. ... Jamie Arnold started in place of Kevin Tapani, who was given extra time between starts. ... 1B Mark Grace was back in the lineup after sitting out a game with a bruised right knee. ... RHP Matt Karchner was waived by the Cubs. ... Chicago recalled infielders Julio Zuleta, Chad Meyers and Augie Ojeda and purchased the contract of catcher Mike Mahoney from Iowa. ... The Cubs have homered in 30 of the 33 games they have played at Coors Field while the Rockies have hit home runs in all 32. ... Eric Young has 45 SBs, eight behind NL leader Luis Castillo. No Cub has led the league in steals since Stan Hack in 1939. ... Sammy Sosa received his Hispanic Heritage Award before the game. Sosa is one of five recipients of the award that honors individuals in the categories of the arts, literature, leadership, education and sports from the Hispanic community. Colorado: The Rockies moved Larry Walker from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL and took him off the 40-man roster. Walker, who last appeared Aug. 19, will undergo surgery to remove a bone spur and other debris from his right elbow either Thursday or Friday. ... RHP Pete Walker was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was 7-3 with five saves and a 3.07 ERA in 58 relief appearances at Colorado Springs. ... RHP Giovanni Carrara was reinstated from the 15-day DL. Carrara had been on the DL since Aug. 5 with tendinitis in his right elbow. ... When Todd Helton struck out twice on Monday it was only the fifth time this season when he has fanned twice in a game. ... Helton with 53 doubles is on pace to catch Joe Medwick's NL record of 53 set in 1936.

Diamondbacks vs. Braves
Arizona: The Diamondbacks will play 30 of their final 48 games on the road. Before Tuesday, they were just 31-32 away from home, after posting the NL's second-best road record (48-33) last year. ... Arizona recalled P Geraldo Guzman and OF Jason Conti from Triple-A Tuscon. ... After making an error in just four of their previous 17 games, the Diamondbacks made three in the first two innings Tuesday. Atlanta: Late-season slumps are nothing new for the Braves. The team lost 11 of 13 from Aug. 31-Sept. 14, 1996, then won eight of its next nine. Two years ago, Atlanta was 3-9 from Aug. 30-Sept. 9 but closed the season by winning 14 of its final 16 games. ... The Braves' dugout was a lot more crowded Tuesday. Infielders Mark DeRosa, Wes Helms and Tim Unroe, outfielder Pedro Swann and catcher Mike Hubbard were brought up from Triple-A Richmond. Also, the Braves activated reliever Kevin McGlinchy, who was on an injury rehab assignment in the minors after struggling most of the season with a sore right shoulder. McGlinchy pitched nine games at Richmond, going 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA.

Phillies vs. Giants
Philadelphia: LF Pat Burrell is hitless in his last 18 at-bats and is just 1-fof-26, but Phillies manager Terry Francona said he's going to stick with his rookie the rest of the year. "I admit he's frustrated, but he's just going through some growing pains," Francona said. "Early on he gave us so much more than we expected, it's been hard on him. You have to be willing to be patient with young players or you're going to miss the boat." ... The Phillies have won just one of the past 12 series with the Giants. San Francisco: There was no music played during the Giants' batting practice because a crew was filming part of a movie involving Giants radio voice Jon Miller and that didn't sit well with the team or Giants manager Dusty Baker. "We've got to have our music while we're hitting," said Baker. "You can't take us out of our routine. The guys were wondering about that. This is our batting practice, our preparation time. They can film on their own time." ... OF Armando Rios hasn't played since bruising his left elbow and left knee last Thursday in Pittsburgh. "He looks better and hopefully he'll be ready by Saturday," said Baker. "Ellis (Burks) is going to need a break here soon."

Pirates vs. Dodgers
Pittsburgh: This is the first time the Pirates have begun September with a 4-0 record since 1992, when they won their first five games. ... 2B Enrique Wilson was back in the lineup Tuesday, after missing four games because of a sprained right ankle. ... Someone ought to declare a national holiday whenever the Pirates score seven runs in one inning. They've done it twice this season -- on Labor Day and the Fourth of July. ... The 12 runs the Pirates scored in its series opener at Los Angeles represented their most at Dodger Stadium since a 13-3 victory on June 24, 1965. Los Angeles: Todd Hundley's mother, Betty, passed away Monday night in Chicago at age 58 after a long bout with cancer. ... LF Gary Sheffield entered Tuesday trying to break a season-worst 17-game home run drought stretching back to Aug. 19. The dry spell doesn't include the 11 games he missed because of a five-game suspension and a sinus infection. "I feel just like I'm in someone else's body," said Sheffield, who is playing at about 75-80 percent and is experiencing drowsiness because of the medication he is taking. "I've got two more days of taking it, because I have to complete the bottle." ... The Dodgers activated SS Kevin Elster, who had been on the DL since Aug. 23 because of a strained left hamstring.

Brewers vs. Padres
Milwaukee: 3B Tyler Houston, who hit a three-run homer Monday, is hitting .407 (11-for-27) at Qualcomm Stadium. ... Despite allowing an inherited runner to score and giving up an unearned run Monday, LHP Ray King upped had his career-high streak to 13 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run. San Diego: 1B Ryan Klesko has not homered since Aug. 5, a span of 88 at-bats. ... INF Kevin Nicholson was placed on the 60-day DL with a broken left wrist. Nicholson, San Diego's No. 1 pick in the 1997 June draft, left batting practice on Monday after taking a swing and feeling pain in the wrist. ... The Padres purchased the contract of INF Greg LaRocca from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... When RHP Tom Davey debuted in the eighth inning Monday, the Padres set a NL record by using their 28th pitcher this season.