AMERICAN LEAGUE

Orioles vs. Rangers
Baltimore: The Orioles entered Wednesday night's game with 285 doubles and were on pace to hit 318. The club record is 299 set in 1996 and 1999. ... OF Albert Belle missed his ninth straight game with inflammation of his right hip and was given permission to return to Baltimore. Texas: C Bill Haselman will keep playing through the weekend until he undergoes arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a partial tear of his right rotator cuff. Haselman was Texas' starting catcher Wednesday night against Baltimore. Team doctors say Haselman can't further injure the shoulder by playing. Haselman took over as the everyday catcher when Ivan Rodriguez broke his right thumb and was lost for the season on July 24. ... Randy Knorr and B.J. Waszgis will share the catching duties for the final two weeks of the season.

Red Sox vs. Indians
Boston: RHP Rich Garces reported significant improvement in his strained right groin after throwing on the side Tuesday. Garces, who left a Sept. 7 appearance against Minnesota, said if the Red Sox weren't fighting for a playoff spot he would be on the DL. ... Reliever Rod Beck was on his way to the mound Tuesday night when he saw Hector Carrasco warming up for the seventh inning. Beck returned to the bullpen only to have pitching coach Joe Kerrigan wave him in. "It's a little embarrassing when you run out there," Beck said. "It makes you look like you don't know what the hell you're doing. I've seen it happen to other guys but it's the first time I've done it." ... Rico Brogna, acquired in a waiver claim on Aug. 3 from the Phillies, has hardly played since declining the team's request to go to the minors on a rehab assignment. Brogna, who is in a 2-for-15 slump, is also upset with comments GM Dan Duquette made in a newspaper story saying Brogna's bat speed is too slow. Cleveland: RHP Charles Nagy will make his first start since May on Thursday in the series finale against Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox. Nagy had bone chips in his elbow removed on May 19. "I'm nervous, excited, the whole nine yards," he said. Nagy had tried to return for his surgery early, but suffered a setback. "It was supposed to be 6-to-8 weeks and it turned into a four-month bear," he said. Nagy still has pain in his elbow. "You know when it rains and when it's going to be cold." ... Indians manager Charlie Manuel said the odds were 50-50 that left-hander C.C. Sabathia would start one of the games in Boston next week when Cleveland plays back-to-back doubleheaders. Sabathia, the Indians' top pitching prospect, has returned from the Sydney Games in Australia after the U.S. team wanted him to pitch as a reliever. When the Indians allowed the left-hander to go it was under the condition that he'd be in the starting rotation and on a pitch count. ... When he watches the Boston Red Sox, Indians manager Charlie Manuel sees a lot of his team. "They're real scrappy," Manuel said. "We're almost the same kind of team -- except for Pedro."

Blue Jays vs. Yankees
Toronto: Going into Wednesday's game, Toronto's Triple Crown threat, Carlos Delagdo, was homerless in 13 games. He still had 39 homers, three off Frank Thomas' league-leading total. ... Tony Batista, in a 9-for-70 slump coming in, singled off Yankees 3B Scott Brosius' glove in his first at-bat. ... The Blue Jays, tied with New York for the AL East lead at the All-Star break, have gone 27-28 since in falling to third place, nine games behind the Yankees. New York: David Cone might actually have been helped by his dislocated left shoulder, according to manager Joe Torre. "It will give him something to concentrate on," Torre said. "Without any problems, he got buried early." Because of the problem with his non-pitching shoulder, Cone, scheduled to pitch Friday against Cleveland, has pain if he gets away from his proper mechanics and lets his hips fly open. "Nobody will have to say, 'Keep it closed,' " Torre said. ... CF Bernie Williams, who has missed seven of eight games after straining his right rib cage, could be back in the lineup Thursday or Friday. He's bothered now by a slight calf strain.

Tigers vs. White Sox
Detroit: The Tigers will probably miss RHP Pedro Martinez this weekend when Boston visits. In fact, manager Phil Garner said he has yet to see Martinez in a game. "I'd like to see him pitch," Garner said. "I'd like to beat him, too." ... Knuckleballers Steve Sparks and Tim Wakefield will meet Friday. ... The Tigers had gone four games without a home run, their longest stretch this season, before hitting two Wednesday. Chicago: SS Jose Valentin, who has a bruise in his pelvic area, has opted to not get a cortisone shot despite the pain. He was in the starting lineup Wednesday. ... DH Harold Baines started for only the 11th time since acquired July 31. Baines batted .220 with eight RBI in August. "It's been very difficult to get him at-bats," Manuel said. "It's probably been unfair to him. But you can't get a guy more professional than Harold Baines." ... RHP Jon Rauch, who split the season between Double-A Birmingham and Class A Winston-Salem, was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. Rauch was a combined 16-4 with a 2.66 ERA and 187 strikeouts and earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

Twins vs. Athletics
Minnesota: Utilityman Denny Hocking has wrecked the A's this season. He tied his career-high with five hits against them May 18, then went 3-for-4 against them Tuesday night, driving in all three runs in a 5-3 Twins loss. Jason Giambi called him "Babe Ruth," and A's manager Art Howe suggested his team was going to "Plan Z" against him. "At least I got him out once," said Tuesday night's pitcher Mark Mulder. "That guy is unbelievable." Hocking was in the leadoff spot Wednesday and singled to open the game, eventually scoring Minnesota's first run. ... OF Torii Hunter missed his fourth straight game because of a groin strain. He's expected back in the lineup Friday when the Twins return home to face Anaheim. ... LHP Johan Santana returns to the rotation to start Saturday's game against the Angels. He made two previous starts, but was sent to the bullpen. He's 2-2, with a 6.12 ERA this season and will replace LHP Juan Romero (2-6, 7.36). Oakland: In case of a division tie between Oakland the Mariners, the A's would travel to Seattle for a single game Oct. 2. If the A's and Angels tie, Anaheim would come to Oakland. If a playoff game is needed to determine the wild-card team, the A's would play host to Cleveland or Boston, and travel to Toronto, Anaheim or Seattle. ... 3B Eric Chavez was given the day off to rest a sore heel and because the Twins started LHP Eric Milton. Chavez is hitting .196 against left-handers this season, but .268 in his last 45 games. ... OF Matt Stairs was also out of the starting lineup because of his .170 average against lefties. Stairs is at .223 overall, second-worst in the majors to the Mets' Robin Ventura (.222). Stairs is hitting .313 in September.

Royals vs. Mariners
Kansas City: LF Mark Quinn was scratched from the lineup before Wednesday night's game because he didn't think he was ready to play. He came out of Sunday's game against Texas in the seventh because of a cramp in his right hamstring. He was replaced by Dave McCarty in LF. Quinn is a top candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. He leads AL rookies in homers (20), RBI (70) and on-base percentage (.345). ... Since the All-Star break, Johnny Damon has as many games with four hits or more as hitless games, eight each. He's hit safely in 51 of 59 games in the second half of the season. Seattle: The Mariners, who open a road trip Friday night in Baltimore, haven't won the opening game of a road trip since June 29, 1999, when they beat Oakland 2-1 -- a span of 15 road trips. ... The Mariners have used 36 players this season, tied for fewest in the league with Minnesota. Of the 36 players, 17 did not play for the Mariners last season. ... Manager Lou Piniella needs two wins for 1,100 career victories. In Seattle, Piniella has a 619-591 record for a .512 winning percentage.

Devil Rays vs. Angels
Tampa Bay: LF Greg Vaughn, whose sore right shoulder has limited him to DH duty for the final month of the season, was examined by Angels team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum after Tuesday night's game and was told he wouldn't need surgery. "I slept a lot better last night. It's been about a month, and I wanted to know what was going on," said Vaughn, who will be examined again by Dr. James Andrews when the team returns to Tampa. ... Bench coach Bill Russell still has the urge to manage again -- and filling in for Larry Rothschild during the Devil Rays manager's recent three-game suspension intensified that feeling. "I enjoyed it," said Russell, who was fired by the Dodgers 74 games into the 1998 season. "I'd like to get back into a managerial slot. I mean, I'm enjoying my stay in Tampa, but I will test the waters. There will probably be some openings, so we'll see how it works out." ... 1B Fred McGriff entered Wednesday night's game needing three home runs and three RBIs to reach his average in both categories during the previous four years. Anaheim: Even if Darin Erstad doesn't pick up a bat the rest of the season, the Angels' leadoff hitter has enjoyed the most consistent offensive campaign in club history with a major league-leading 214 hits, 68 multi-hit games, 23 home runs, 92 RBI and a .354 average. "You can't ask him to do it again, because that's an aberration," Mo Vaughn said. "They shouldn't expect him to have 200 hits by September again next year. This was just one of those great years where everything fell into place." ... Batting coach Mickey Hatcher, who made his career as a contact hitter, insisted that the 432 combined strikeouts by Vaughn, Troy Glaus and Tim Salmon is a worthwhile tradeoff for the trio's total of 108 home runs. "What's the difference between a guy hitting 100 ground balls for outs, and striking out 100 times?" Hatcher said. "There are guys who are going to be aggressive with two outs. They're looking for a mistake, and they should be swinging for the fence."

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Brewers vs. Mets
Milwaukee: Curtis Leskanic had converted all nine save chances before blowing Wednesday's opportunity in the ninth. "I have all the confidence in the world in Curtis," manager Davey Lopes said. "Sometimes it just doesn't happen." ... Jeff D'Amico had a career-high 10 strikeouts. "That doesn't matter as long as I get the guy out," he said. ... Marquis Grissom became the 65th player to reach 400 stolen bases. New York: Mike Piazza, in a 5-for-34 slide, struck out all four times he batted for just the second four-strikeout game of his career. "I'm very frustrated," he said. "That's just the way it is. Hopefully I hit rock bottom today and will bounce back." ... The Mets, who are 33-37 on the road, head out on an 11-game road trip to Montreal, Atlanta and Philadelphia after a dramatic, extra-inning win. "If there was ever a carryover effect, I'd hope this would be it," manager Bobby Valentine said. ... Closer Armando Benitez, out the past three days with a sore right big toe, pitched the 10th for the win. "I felt great," he said.

Marlins vs. Braves
Florida: The Marlins, who hold a 6-4 season edge over the Braves with two games left prior to Wednesday night, are 30-30 against Atlanta during the last five seasons, best in the NL. Chicago at 23-25 is next. ... The Marlins are 30-19 in one-run games, second only in the NL To St. Louis' 24-15 record. Atlanta: The Braves had only 11 last-at-bat wins entering Wednesday night's game and since the All-Star break, only two -- on July 16 and Aug. 11. Last season, the Braves won 31 games in their last at-bat, including 15 after the break. ... LF B.J. Surhoff missed his fifth straight game with a pulled right quadriceps and is not expected back before the weekend at the earliest.

Expos vs. Phillies
Montreal: LHP Trey Moore, who was scratched as Wednesday's starter, will be examined by Expos team doctor Larry Coughlin on Thursday and will have an MRI performed Friday. He experiences stiffness in his left shoulder while throwing on the side Tuesday night. ... Montreal farmhands Brad Wilkerson and Shayne Bennett will participate in the Olympics, with Wilkerson playing for the United States and Bennett pitching for host Australia. ... The Expos return home for a 12-game stretch before finishing the season on the road. They do not have a scheduled off-day during the month of September. Philadelphia: On Thursday, the Phillies will announce an agreement with the newly formed Lakewood (N.J.) BlueClaws of the Class A South Atlantic League. Currently, the Phillies have an agreement with the Piedmont (N.C.) Boll Weevils. ... The Phillies donated 15,000 tickets to the Junior Baseball Federation (JBF), the agency that benefits sandlot baseball in the Philadelphia. The tickets raised $300,000 for JBF. ... Two minor league affiliates, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (International League) and Double-A Reading (Eastern League), are in their league championships.

Cardinals vs. Pirates
St. Louis: Another night, another new position for Mark McGwire. McGwire was officially the Cardinals' starting shortstop for Wednesday's game against the Pirates. This is manager Tony La Russa's way of getting one plate appearance for McGwire, who can't play in the field because of patella tendinitis in the right knee. McGwire had been listed as the second baseman and left fielder previously. He leaves after his one at-bat and is replaced by the real starter. McGwire lined a single to left against Todd Ritchie and was replaced by pinch-runner Placido Polanco. Since La Russa started using McGwire in the first inning of road games, McGwire is 2-for-5 with a home run in six plate appearances. ... La Russa wants the Cardinals front office to put together a highlight tape of some of C Mike Matheny's throws. "He should be the Gold Glove award winner," La Russa said. "I don't know if you can campaign for that or not." In Tuesday's game against Pittsburgh, Matheny picked Alex Ramirez off second in the second inning and wound up changing the complexion of a game the Cardinals went on to win 11-1. Pittsburgh: Mike Benjamin was the Pirates' starting second baseman on Wednesday. He had missed 22 games with a lower back strain. ... Kevin Young worked out at first base on Wednesday and pronounced himself ready to play after missing 15 games with a groin strain. "I want to play tomorrow if they let me," he said. Manager Gene Lamont indicated he won't use Young for the opening game in Houston but didn't rule out the possibility he might play during the weekend series against the Astros.

Cubs vs. Reds
Chicago: Eric Young stole second in the first inning Wednesday, his 52nd stolen base and the 26th in a row without being thrown out. ... Kerry Wood pitched only the second complete game of his career in a 2-1 victory Tuesday but has always done well against the Reds. He is 4-0 in four starts dating to his 1998 Rookie of the Year season. ... Tuesday's win was the 500th as a manager for Don Baylor. He got the first 440 with Colorado. Cincinnati: The Reds' team physician will watch Scott Williamson throw on the side Friday to see if he can return to the rotation next week. Williamson was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday night because he banged into a door in his home Monday night and broke two toes in his right foot. ... Alex Ochoa is becoming a fixture in the Reds' lineup, especially since he homered in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Giants vs. Astros
San Francisco: Former Astros reliever Doug Henry had to find his way into the visitors' clubhouse this time when the Giants came to Enron Field. He spent 2½ years with the Astros before he was dealt to the Giants this season. "I managed to find it OK," Henry said. "It feels weird. I have some very good friends (in Houston). It's nice coming back. I'm happy in San Francisco right now, but I miss the guys here (Houston)." ... Russ Ortiz will start against San Diego on Friday in his first appearance since the Padres snapped his seven-game winning streak Saturday. Houston: Equaling his club-record 43 home run mark isn't the number that interests Jeff Bagwell. He'd rather his team be No. 1 in the NL Central. "That isn't a big deal," Bagwell said. "I hit 43 in 1997 and we won the division. That was fun."... Moises Alou entered Wednesday night's game with a .357 average and is approaching the franchise record of .368 set by Bagwell in his MVP season of 1994.

Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
Los Angeles: Eric Karros drove in his 100th run Tuesday night, marking the fifth time he's reached that mark during his nine-year career. ... Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said Dave Hansen's major-league record for pinch-hit homers in a single season is more remarkable because Hansen doesn't swing for the fences. "He's not a home run hitter," Johnson said. "He's a line-drive hitter." Hansen hit his seventh pinch-hit homer of the year Tuesday, breaking the mark set by Brooklyn's Johnny Frederick in 1932. ... When Jeff Williams relieved Luke Prokopec on Tuesday, it marked the first time when Australian had replaced another on the mound, according to the Dodgers. Arizona: Danny Bautista replaced Steve Finley in center field. Finley was hit on the left hand by Onan Masaoka's pitch in the eighth inning Tuesday. Preliminary X-rays were negative, but Finley still had pain in the hand and was scratched from the lineup. He's listed as day-to-day. ... David Dellucci, whose eighth-inning infield single drove in the go-ahead run Tuesday, made his second start of the season in right. ... Arizona is 22-15 against the NL West, the best such mark in the division. ... Reliever Byung-Hyun Kim has recorded three of the Diamondbacks' last four victories.

Rockies vs. Padres
Colorado: RHP Masato Yoshii will make his next start after fears he might be lost for the season following his start Tuesday night. Yoshii left after only five innings with soreness in his right biceps. Both Yoshii and manager Buddy Bell thought the right-hander might have to shut it down for the season because of the recurring injury. But Yoshii's arm felt much better Wednesday and he is scheduled to start Sunday at Los Angeles. ... Jose Jimenez recorded his 20th save Tuesday night, becoming only the fourth Rockies pitcher to reach that mark. Dave Veres is the single-season leader with 31. ... The Rockies have won four of six games in San Diego with one game left. It's the first time the Rockies have won a season road series against the Padres since 1995. San Diego: The chances of signing second-round draft pick Xavier Nady are "slim," according to GM Kevin Towers. Nady's "adviser," agent Scott Boras, said Nady rejected the Padres' latest offer of a major league contract worth more than $2.5 million over four years. Towers said the contract is the club's final offer. "If it doesn't happen," Towers said, "we could look ourselves in the mirror and feel pretty good about ourselves." It's the first time the Padres have offered a major league contract to a draft pick, Towers said. Nady, a power-hitting 3B from the University of California, was seeking a contract similar to the one Detroit gave 3B Eric Munson that paid the former USC star 6.75 million over four years. ... 3B Phil Nevin, out for a week with an abdominal strain, predicted he'd be back in the lineup tonight. Trainer Todd Hutcheson said the earliest Nevin will return will be at least another week.