Notes from Thursday's games

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KANSAS CITY: INF Desi Relaford to tested his strained left hamstring running the bases before Thursday's game and said he felt fine. He has been sidelined since opening day, when he got hurt trying to stretch a single. ``It feels pretty good,'' he said. ``It's not going to be 100 percent like nothing ever happened, not for a while anyway.'' ... 1B Mike Sweeney sat out Thursday's loss to Cleveland with a sore wrist he hurt while swinging a weighted bat on Wednesday. ``I was trying to loosen up, and twisted my wrist around. Hopefully, I'll be ready tomorrow.'' ... After a 1-7 road trip, the Royals are home for six games -- three vs. Minnesota and three vs. Texas. ``We had some rough moments,'' said RHP Jason Grimsley, who blew a save Thursday. ``It will be nice to get home.''

CLEVELAND: 2B Ronnie Belliard has been the Indians' biggest surprise this season. He entered Thursday's game among the AL leaders in average (.441), hits (26), total bases (34), doubles (8) and on-base percentage (.492). Belliard, who signed a one-year, $1.1 million free agent contract this winter, went 1-for-3 in the Indians' 5-4 win and has hit safely in 13 of 16 games. ... Cleveland is now 2-7 against left-handers following its first come-from-behind win this season. ``That's a big win for us,'' said SS Omar Vizquel, whose 2,000th career hit came during the Indians' three-run rally in the eighth inning. ``I got the hit, we came from behind. It could not have gone better.'' ... C Victor Martinez is finally hitting. His RBI double in the eighth inning extended his hitting streak to five games. He is 8-for-19 (.421) during the streak.

DETROIT: SS Carlos Guillen, one of four new faces in the Tigers' lineup this year, has been great with the glove so far. ``He's been outstanding,'' manager Alan Trammell said. ``He has made some very nice plays to stop a rally and get us out of an inning. That's what you need.'' ... Though RHP Mike Maroth lost to the Twins on Thursday, he's 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA this year after losing 21 games in 2003. ``We're finally getting him some runs,'' Trammell said. ``That always helps.'' Said Maroth: ``I have a lot of confidence.'' ... 2B Fernando Vina got Thursday off. He's been hit on the leg by pitches in consecutive games, so he was a little sore. ... OF Bobby Higginson also rested. He was a little under the weather, and his ankle is still sore. He might miss a couple more games.

MINNESOTA: LHP Johan Santana went 17-6 with a 2.97 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 185 innings during 32 starts over the 2002 and 2003 seasons, and the Twins are expecting more of the same in his first season as a full-time member of the rotation. After offseason surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow, Santana hasn't been very sharp so far. He has given up 14 runs in 21 1-3 innings for a 5.90 ERA. But he went six innings for his first victory of the season on Thursday, with his best pitch working well against the Tigers. ``My changeup is back,'' Santana said. ... LF Shannon Stewart left as a precaution after the sixth inning of Thursday's game with a cramp in his right hamstring. He said he'll be fine, but he thought the Twins' new playing surface might have been a factor. The grass-like FieldTurf was hastily installed before the season, and it takes awhile for the rubber-and-sand mixture beneath the fake grass blades to firm up. The field has been a little soft so far, putting more stress on players' muscles. CF Torii Hunter strained his hamstring in the first homestand, and he thought his injury might have been connected to the soft surface. ... Hunter will probably be activated from the disabled list over the weekend. If it's raining in Kansas City, however, he won't play. ... RHP Grant Balfour, who went on the disabled list the day before the season started with a sore shoulder, received a cortisone shot earlier this week. He still isn't able to throw.

TEXAS: OF David Dellucci, who hit three homers last season in 166 at-bats with the Yankees and Diamondbacks, recorded his first career two-homer game on Thursday with solo shots against Anaheim's Bartolo Colon and Ben Weber. ``I've been used sparingly in the last couple of years, so it's been hard to string some at-bats together and find my timing,'' he said. ``Two years ago I had about 240 at-bats and hit 11 homers, so I'd like to hit 20 -- if possible. But I just want to help the team win -- even if it takes a sacrifice bunt.'' ... RHP Jeff Nelson doesn't expect 2B Alfonso Soriano's production to taper off, now that he's away from Yankee Stadium. ``Our ballpark will allow him to put up the same numbers because he's a great hitter and the ball carries a little bit better in Arlington,'' said Nelson. ``Coming from a team that goes to the World Series a lot and the atmosphere in New York, I think it's an adjustment period for him. Now he's on a team that really doesn't have an identity yet. But we're trying to establish one, and this guy can help. He's batting third now, something he's never done before, and he can be a big contributor here. He can help this team turn it around and be like the Rangers teams of the mid-to-late '90s.''

ANAHEIM: All-Star 3B Troy Glaus, whose vision was improved considerably by Lasik eye surgery in the offseason, helped Anaheim beat Texas on Thursday with his fifth homer of the season. He wore contact lenses since age 12 because of nearsightedness, and decided to go through with the surgery a couple of weeks after teammate Troy Percival had it. ``I was tired of dealing with contacts and tired of having days where they just didn't fit right and you weren't going to see well all day long. This game's hard enough without that,'' Glaus said. ``Now I wake up every morning and see the same way all day long. I love it.'' ... RHP Bartolo Colon, who gave up a career-worst 30 homers last season, has allowed five in his last two starts -- including two on Thursday. ``You'll find that most homers are mistakes, and that's what you saw today,'' pitching coach Bud Black said. ``Bart is going to challenge people, especially with the lead. His command was a little off, but you could tell that when he got into a crisis, he did bear down and made his pitches.'' ... CF Garret Anderson, the only player in the majors to play in at least 150 games and get 600 or more at-bats in each of the previous seven years, missed his first game of the season because of stiffness in his upper back. ... DH Tim Salmon, whose 32 homers and 114 RBIs against Texas are his highest totals against any club, missed the entire three-game series against the Rangers because of a sore left knee.

OAKLAND: 3B Eric Chavez has three home runs this season, all against Seattle. His three-run shot in the first inning was his second off LHP Jamie Moyer. ``Some guys you see the ball well and some guys you don't,'' Chavez said. ``When you're seeing the ball well off a certain guy, you do what you can.'' The Gold Glove infielder also stopped a sharply hit grounder in the fifth, taking a hit away from Seattle CF Randy Winn. ... LHP Barry Zito, scheduled to work Friday against Anaheim, can win his third straight start. That would match his season-high from last year. ... 2B Frank Menechino, activated from the 15-day DL before the game, went 1-for-3 with a single. He also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch. ... The A's left 13 runners on base. ... OF Bobby Kielty didn't play after colliding with SS Bobby Crosby on Tuesday. Manager Ken Macha said Kielty's ribs remained ``a little ginger.'' Macha also said Crosby is ``limited'' after tests revealed a bruised bone on his left knee. ... The A's are 76-45 (.628) the past four years when LHP Mark Mulder starts.
 

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SEATTLE: RHP Rafael Soriano was in the clubhouse between minor-league rehab assignments. He's strengthening his arm after missing three weeks in spring training with a strained left oblique muscle. He's scheduled to throw Sunday for Double-A San Antonio. ``He's a closer in the making, at least an eighth-inning guy,'' manager Bob Melvin said, alluding to Soriano's longterm prospects. ... 2B Bret Boone got a day off, a rarity for a player who always wants to be in the lineup. ``We locked him up,'' Melvin joked. ``He actually never left last night. He's back in the wash room.'' ... INF Jolbert Cabrera started at second base, making a nice backhanded stop on Mark Kotsay's grounder in the second. Cabrera singled in four at-bats and had six putouts. ... 1B John Olerud also got a rest day, leaving RF Ichiro Suzuki as the only player who has not had a day off. ... C Dan Wilson leaned into the Seattle dugout to catch a pop foul by Eric Byrnes in the ninth. ... After four starts, Moyer's ERA is 6.26. The last time he pitched less than five innings was April 2, 2003, an 8-3 loss at Oakland. ... The Mariners dropped to 1-5 in games when they commit an error.

BOSTON: RHP Curt Schilling wore a Yankee haters hat to Monday night's Boston Bruins playoff game. The cap looks like a Yankees hat, but the letters are YH. ... RHP Derek Lowe will pitch against RHP Jose Contreras on Friday night in the first of three games in New York. Pitching on 10 days rest because of a pair of rainouts, Lowe lasted just 2 2-3 innings against the Yankees last Saturday. ``If I was pitching on my fifth or sixth day, I would have had a better outing. I'm not a guy that makes excuses, but it didn't benefit me at all,'' said Lowe. ``It's going to be an electric atmosphere, first time back in Yankee stadium since Game 7.'' Lowe said the first inning will be key. ``If you struggle early you get that crowd going against you and that tends to make for long nights,'' he said. ... Manager Terry Francona gave SS Pokey Reese a day off. Cesar Crespo started instead. ... C Doug Mirabelli didn't start despite hitting two home runs on Wednesday. Mirabelli has played in just three games this season, serving as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. After Mirabelli poked his head into Francona's office during Francona's pre-game meeting with reporters, Francona said: ``See you next week.''

TORONTO: INF Chris Gomez started at shortstop for the second straight game. Regular SS Chris Woodward had a migraine headache on Wednesday night. Manager Carlos Tosca also said Gomez has better numbers against RHP Tim Wakefield and RHP Curt Schilling. Gomez entered 7-for-25 in his career against Schilling, while Woodward is 1-for-5. ... RHP Bob File, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained shoulder, will accompany the team on their road trip and will begin throwing off the mound this weekend. ... The Blue Jays closed the SkyDome's roof just before game time. The temperature was nine degrees.

TAMPA BAY: 3B Aubrey Huff was back in the starting lineup Thursday night, starting at third base. The start extended his streak of consecutive games played to 289, the second-longest run among active major leaguers. Huff, who has swollen salivary glands, pinch-hit Wednesday night to keep the streak going. ``You can tell by looking at me, it is not gone yet,'' Huff said Thursday. ``But I am able to play. I could have started yesterday.'' ... Tampa native OF Jason Romano was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. Romano started the season with the Rays but was designated for assignment Monday when Tampa Bay called up RHP Travis Harper. ... LHP Damian Moss (0-0, 9.00) made his first start of the season for the Rays after three relief appearances. He replaced LHP Mark Hendrickson in the starting rotation. Manager Lou Piniella said Moss would be limited to 80 pitches, adding, ``I would like to give him an opportunity to stay in the rotation. It depends on how he throws it. Tonight will determine a lot, but if he does not pitch well tonight, it does not mean he won't get another chance.'' ... INF Geoff Blum, who came to the Rays in an offseason trade with Houston, started at second base Thursday. Blum, who had started only four times, was batting .133. ``This has been the most interesting year I've ever experienced in my major league career,'' Blum said. ``It's tough to get going when you're not sure of what your doing day-to-day. I have to take advantage of every opportunity I get.'' ... Rays hitting coach Lee Elia had his gall bladder removed and will remain hospitalized through Friday. Rays minor league hitting coordinator Steve Henderson will take Elia's place Sunday in Chicago.

BALTIMORE: Manager Lee Mazzilli has used the same lineup for much of the season, and Thursday was no exception. For the 14th straight game, the top five spots in the batting order remained the same. ``Sometimes you're a creature of habit, and the team's doing well,'' Mazzilli said. ``I knew when I was a ballplayer, when you come in every day, it's good to know you're in the lineup in one particular spot in the order.'' ... New in the clubhouse this season: no music before game on the loudspeakers. Mazzilli said it's designed to help the players focus on the upcoming game. ... LHP Erik Bedard will make his second major league start Saturday against Toronto. His only action thus far came April 10 at Tampa Bay, when he allowed three runs, six hits and four walks in three rocky innings.

NEW YORK: The Yankees are expecting better things from RHP Jose Contreras when he starts Friday night against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said he and Contreras have made an adjustment during his recent between-starts bullpen session that should help him, but wouldn't be specific. Contreras is 0-2 and was rocked for six hits and three runs against Boston in just 2 1-3 innings last week at Fenway Park. ``He was very receptive and I got something back from him. He and I are on the same page right now,'' Stottlemyre added. Manager Joe Torre said Thursday the Yankees suspected that Contreras was tipping his pitches against Boston, especially last season. He was 0-2 with a 24.92 ERA against the Red Sox in 2003 last season. He was 7-2 overall ``We suspected it just because of the approach they had with him,'' Torre said. ``From time to time, we thought we saw something but it never stayed the same. We're not iron-rock sure about this thing, but sometimes when you watch this game, you take close pitches and you are hitting pitches, it will make you suspect something.'' .. The Yankees still weren't sure of their Sunday starter against the Red Sox. They might come back on three days rest with RHP Javier Vazquez who pitched eight strong innings in beating the White Sox on Wednesday. LHP Donavan Osborne and rookie LHP Alex Graman are other options. ... Torre gave Jason Giambi the night off and hopes to do the same with hot-hitting Jorge Posada on Friday. Bernie Williams was back in center after getting Wednesday off.

CHICAGO: C Sandy Alomar Jr.'s wife Magred gave birth to a 6-pound, 8-ounce daughter, Isabella, on Thursday. Alomar had initially been slated to start the game, but still made it to U.S. Celluar Field on time to back up C Miguel Olivo. . ... Before the game, the White Sox unveiled a statue on the center field concourse to honor founder Charles A. Comiskey. He founded the team in 1900 and co-founded the American League the following year. U.S. Cellular Field was called Comiskey Park before the team signed a naming rights deal in 2003. ... DH Frank Thomas was out of the lineup for a third straight game with a sore hamstring. And on a cool night -- game-time temperature was 46 -- it seemed like a wise decision by manager Ozzie Guillen. Jose Valentin is already on the DL with a bad hamstring and Guillen reiterated he doesn't want another player there. ``I don't want to DL (Thomas) because I don't think it is necessary. ... Missing Frank and Jose at the same time is hard on our lineup.'' ... C Michael Rivera, who was playing for the Sox's Triple-A team at Charlotte, was claimed off waivers by the Athletics. He's played briefly in the majors with the Tigers and Padres.
 

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ATLANTA: RHP Jaret Wright threw only 23 strikes out of 53 pitches in 1 2-3 innings, allowing nine of the 13 batters he faced to reach base. He walked three of the first five he faced, missing on 18 of his first 25 pitches. ... The Braves dropped two of three in a series that started their longest trip of the season -- 12 games in 13 days in Cincinnati, Florida, San Francisco and Colorado. ... The Braves threw out their first runner of the season in the first inning, when C Johnny Estrada nailed 2B D'Angelo Jimenez trying to steal second base. Runners had been 11-for-11 in steal attempts, with nine of them off Estrada. ... OF J.D. Drew went 2-for-8 in the series, which marked his return after missing five games with a strained hamstring. ... 2B Marcus Giles singled in two at-bats, raising his average to .373.

CINCINNATI: The Reds claimed OF Jason Romano off waivers from Tampa Bay and sent SS Ray Olmedo back to the minors after the game. The Reds think Romano will give them a little more speed and flexibility off the bench. They also want Olmedo, 22, to play every day. He was the only position player who hadn't started, getting only one at-bat. ... OF Ken Griffey is in a 7-for-39 slump that has dropped his average to .245. He has three homers and nine RBIs. ... 1B Sean Casey is 8-for-14 with runners in scoring position this season. The rest of the team is 18-for-106 (.170). ... Casey was 1-for-3, dropping his average to .418. ... 2B D'Angelo Jimenez struck out in his last plate appearance, extending his slump to 0-for-23.

ARIZONA: The pep talk worked. After losing two straight games to Milwaukee and four in a row overall, Arizona Manager Bob Brenly met with his players before Thursday's game to try to help them snap out of their slump. ``A pep talk was part of it,'' Brenly said. ``The gist of it is I still think we have a good team. We have to find ways to win instead of finding ways to lose. It's not unusual for good teams to get off to bad starts.'' When asked if he confronted players in such situations about what they needed to do to help the team, he said he prefers to do it individually. ``I never saw any purpose in showing a guy up in front of his teammates,'' he said. ``There's plenty of blame to be passed around, myself included.'' The Diamondbacks then went out and scrapped for a hard fought 11-9 victory. ... Arizona ended its first road trip with a dismal 3-6 record. The Diamondbacks open a six-game homestand Friday night against San Diego. ... RHP Casey Daigle (0-1) will start on Friday. He has not pitched since April 15 when he had a no-decision against Colorado. In four-plus innings he allowed six runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts. ... OF Danny Bautista extended his 14-game NL-leading hitting streak in style Thursday with a home run off RHP Wes Obermueller in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. Bautista, batting .397, also homered in the sixth inning for the fourth multi-homer day of his career. His five RBIs were a career high. ... INF Chad Tracy got an even bigger hit. His single in the second inning was his first major league hit.

MILWAUKEE: Confidence is one key to winning, and Brewers manager Ned Yost says his players have it. After falling behind 4-2 in the top of the seventh, Milwaukee rallied for eight runs in their half of the inning Wednesday night to beat Arizona 10-6. Yost said Thursday that the offensive explosion against ace Randy Johnson came from deep-seeded confidence. ``I think it was a before-the-act kind of confidence,'' he said. ``They trust each other to know that everybody on that team is going to continue to play hard until the last out. They know that nobody's going to quit.'' ... When Paul Molitor is enshrined in the Hall of Fame July 25, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Robin Yount will be on hand to welcome him. Now a coach for Arizona, Yount said Thursday he was excited Molitor was elected. ``A longtime teammate and good friend, it's certainly well deserved,'' said Yount, the first Brewer to crack the Hall. ``The more the better,'' Yount said about having a second Brewer join him. ... LHP Chris Capuano, who has a strained quadriceps muscle, threw in the bullpen Thursday to test his arm. Yost said Capuano did not feel any pain and will go through some pitching drills Friday to see if he will start Saturday against St. Louis as scheduled. ... When RHP Matt Kinney (0-2) starts Friday night against St. Louis, he will drag a career-record six game losing streak to the mound. ... Wes Covington, an outfielder on the Milwaukee Braves 1957 World Series championship team, was back in Milwaukee Thursday for the first time in four decades. Covington, who moved to Canada after his playing days ended, was back to be honored at the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association Dinner. Covington said he not only remembered Milwaukee but Eau Claire, where he played minor league ball with Hank Aaron in the early 1950s before making it to the major leagues. ``They were so nice to us. There were only five black people in the whole town and three of them ballplayers. It was like they knew we were always short of meal money. We used to go by the pastry store because the lady would fill up the whole bag for us. That reminded you of a box from home,'' he said. ... 2B Bill Hall received four stitches in his left leg after a collision with INF Donnie Sadler. He is day to day with the injury.

FLORIDA: The Marlins' 11-4 start is the best in franchise history through 15 games. Their 1997 championship team opened 10-5. ... The Marlins have won nine of 11 in Philadelphia. ... 3B Mike Lowell has an eight-game hitting streak. ... The Marlins are home this weekend to face Atlanta. RHP Josh Beckett will pitch Friday night, followed by RHP Brad Penny on Saturday, and LHP Dontrelle Willis Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA: C Todd Pratt was ejected from Thursday's game after throwing a punch at Marlins SS Alex Gonzalez. ... SS Jimmy Rollins misplayed a grounder for his first error. ... RHP Brett Myers is 1-4 against Florida. ... Many fans among the crowd of 35,880 spent the final inning chanting, ``Let's Go Flyers.'' The Flyers opened a second-round NHL playoff series against Toronto Thursday night.

MONTREAL: OF Peter Bergeron was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Monday with a right rib sprain. OF Endy Chavez was recalled from Edmonton to replace him. ... Montreal's batting average for the season dipped to .198. The Expos scored seven runs in four games in New York but won two of them. Three of Montreal's four wins this season have come against the Mets.

NEW YORK: 3B Ty Wigginton was placed on the 15-day disabled list after being hospitalized following dizzy spells in the dugout Wednesday night. INF Danny Garcia was recalled from Norfolk to replace him. ... Mets starting pitchers have a 2.28 earned run average over their last eight games, allowing 13 earned runs in 51 1-3 innings. ... Ricky Gutierrez became the 127th player to appear at third base for the Mets since 1962. Only 10 have appeared in as many as 200 games, led by Howard Johnson's 835. ... LHP John Franco appeared in his 1,044 game, sixth on the all-time games pitched list. Kent Tekulve is fifth with 1,050 games.

LOS ANGELES: SS Cesar Izturis sat out with flu-like symptoms. ... Manager Jim Tracy had already given OF Dave Roberts the day off and planned to have Izturis lead off when he was informed Izturis was ill. ``It made me go with Alex Cora at second base and have Jose Hernandez play shortstop,'' Tracy said. ``I had Paul Lo Duca in left, giving us home run capability all the way down to the No. 8 spot.'' ... OF Milton Bradley complained of soreness in the left shin he injured running down OF Luis Gonzalez's ninth-inning double Wednesday, but was back in the lineup on Thursday. ``I never heard anything from him or the trainer,'' Tracy said. ``If there had been a concern they would have told me.'' ... The Dodgers will continue to pitch LF Barry Bonds aggressively when San Francisco comes to Dodger Stadium this weekend -- with some exceptions. ``Early on in the game we can't just walk him,'' Tracy said. ``With multiple runners on base you have to be careful because three-run homers can be dangerous. There's not a whole lot you can do with him when Barry gets as hot as he is now. When he gets like this there is no repertoire of pitches to get him out.'' ... The Dodger bullpen wasn't scored upon in 10 innings in the series. ... Los Angeles lost its first series of the years.
 

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COLORADO: Manager Clint Hurdle continues to be impressed with OF Jeromy Burnitz, who has been forced to play in center field with CF Preston Wilson on the DL. ``His play in center hasn't surprised me a bit,'' Hurdle said. ``I've known him for 12 years and he will do all that you ask him pretty darn well without a whole lot of flash. A blue collar 9-to-5 guy.'' ... Burnitz was moved to right field Thursday and Rene Reyes was given the start in center. ``Getting Rene in the game is a good matchup with Jose Lima,'' Hurdle said. ``We also gets a pair of fresh legs out in center the day after a night game.'' ... OF Matt Holliday is 8-for-12 after an 0-for-7 start when called up April 14. ``I met with Matt on the road and told him to be in awe of nothing and respect everything,'' said Hurdle of Holliday who was called up when Wilson went on the DL. ``I told him to just play the game and he's been very methodical in his approach.'' ... Castilla is 11-for-30 with five home runs and 11 RBIs over the last eight games. ... SS Royce Clayton committed his first error of the year after going 106 2-3 innings and 55 chances without a miscue.

SAN DIEGO: RF Brian Giles got the day off after homering in his previous two games. His replacement, Brian Buchanan, had two hits and two RBIs. ... San Diego took three out of four from the Giants in a ballpark where the Padres have had problems. They did it by pounding 52 hits -- 12 on Thursday, a season-high 17 on Wednesday, and 15 on Tuesday. The Giants are 14-3-3 in season series against San Diego since the start of the 2001 season. ... San Diego's last four-game series win here was June 18-21, 1998. ... The Padres have already equaled their win total against the Giants from last season -- San Diego went 5-14 vs. San Francisco in 2003 and is off to a 5-2 start against the Giants this year. ``Every year's a different year,'' Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. ``Since this ballpark's been here we've had a very difficult time here. It's nice to see us play well here, which we did this series.'' The Padres outscored the Giants 29-9.

SAN FRANCISCO: LF Barry Bonds, the six-time NL MVP, got a much-needed day off. He is expected to play all three weekend games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. ``He is really tired,'' manager Felipe Alou said. ``You can see it in the outfield. He's been busy.'' That's for sure. ... Ray Durham hit his 26th career leadoff home run and fourth with the Giants, but also had a crucial error in the Padres' six-run second inning. ... The Giants grounded into their major-league leading 24th double play. ... Starting pitcher Kirk Rueter hit a two-out double in the third for his first extra-base hit since Aug. 31, 2000, at Pittsburgh. ... Alou didn't want to think about the weekend series against the Dodgers. ``I'm concerned about the Giants. We shouldn't be concerned about anyone else,'' he said. ``We have to address our needs. It could turn around quickly. There are a lot of things we're just not putting together.''

ST. LOUIS: INF Tony Womack missed his second-straight start Thursday with a mild triceps strain in his left elbow. Team doctors said the injury is slightly related to the reconstructive surgery Womack had last fall. He's considered day-to-day and was replaced in the lineup by Marlon Anderson. ``He just needs a couple of days off,'' manager Tony La Russa said. ``He came back a lot sooner than anybody thought he would, so we're gonna let him rest.'' ... Ray Lankford returned to the starting lineup Wednesday for the first time in more than a week. Lankford hadn't started since straining a hamstring against Houston on April 12. He hit a solo homer in the top of the first in his return Wednesday.

HOUSTON: RHP Tim Redding went into manager Jimy Williams' office Thursday morning for a pep talk after he was roughed up in the Astros' 12-6 loss the night before. Redding gave up nine hits, four home runs and eight runs in 3 2-3 innings, drawing boos from the crowd of 27,354 as he walked off the mound. It was yet another rough outing for Houston's fifth starter, who dropped to 0-3 with a 10.22 ERA. ``I wanted to reiterate that I'm in a positive state of mind,'' said Redding, who threw strikes on 61 of his 79 pitches. ``I had my A-game in the pen. I felt real good going into last night's game. That's the part that hurts most. Hopefully things are going to turn around.'' Williams said he wasn't worried about Redding's slow start. ``We had a nice talk,'' Williams said. ``I talked to him for quite awhile. I just wanted to let him know that maybe he should utilize his breaking stuff a little bit more.'' ... LHP Andy Pettitte left Thursday night for the Astros' spring training facility in Kissimmee, Fla. He will pitch against Astros' minor leaguers in a simulated game Friday. Later in the day, he'll rejoin the team in Denver for their three-game series against the Rockies.
 
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