Notes from Tuesday's games

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MINNESOTA: C Rob Bowen joined the team from Double-A New Britain to replace C Joe Mauer, who went on the disabled list Monday with a sore knee. The Twins also activated OF Michael Ryan from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. ... RHP Kyle Lohse made the 100th start of his career. ... Jacque Jones hit his 100th career homer in the second inning.

DETROIT: The Tigers have at least one extra-base hit in 20 straight games, and are on pace to finish the season with 541. The team record is 543 in 1929. ... After hitting .095 (4-for-42) in the first 12 games of a rehab assignment for Triple-A Toledo, 3B Greg Norton went 2-for-4 Tuesday with a homer and a double.

Yankees-Devil Rays


NEW YORK: RF Gary Sheffield said X-rays on his ailing shoulder were sent to Dr. Frank Jobe for another opinion. ``It's getting weaker,'' said Sheffield, who hit a two-run homer Tuesday. ``I'm not going to sit here and deny it.'' Sheffield might get a second cortisone shot soon. ``Sure, it's a concern,'' manager Joe Torre said. ``But again, I think he's convinced everybody that his discomfort is not a big problem for him.'' Offseason surgery remains a possibility for Sheffield. ... Torre hasn't decided if struggling OF Bernie Williams will get a day off Wednesday. Williams went 0-for-3 Tuesday and has just two hits in 40 at-bats. ``He's battling,'' Torre said. ``We're going to have to get him through it because we need him, obviously.''

TAMPA BAY: RHP Doug Waechter (finger) will throw 30 pitches during a light bullpen session Thursday. Manager Lou Piniella said Waechter might not return until after mid-August. ... The Devil Rays have scored four or fewer runs in 14 of the past 18 games. They are 3-11 in those games. ... OF Carl Crawford went 2-for-3 for his 36th multihit game this season.

White Sox-Rangers


CHICAGO: RF Magglio Ordonez was removed from the lineup about an hour before the game due to a sore left leg. He is day-to-day. Ordonez played the field Monday night for the first time since he was activated from the disabled list on July 8. Ordonez had been serving as the DH, but he told manager Ozzie Guillen on Monday he was ready to return to the outfield. Ordonez missed 36 games following knee surgery on June 5. Ross Gload started in place of Ordonez.

TEXAS: RHP Chan Ho Park said he's ready to resume pitching despite shaky results during a Double-A rehab assignment, but manager Buck Showalter said Park is ``still having some problems physically'' and needs more time to recover from a strained lower back. Park's stint on the 60-day disabled list is up this week. Park is scheduled to visit Dr. Yamil Kleen, a holistic specialist, on Friday in Colorado.

Orioles-Royals


BALTIMORE: RF Jerry Hairston and 2B Brian Roberts are day-to-day after getting hurt on defense. Hairston bruised his right side when he ran into the outfield wall, and Roberts was hit on his throwing hand by Angel Berroa's bad-hop grounder. ... Baltimore won both games in the series, handing the Royals their ninth sweep of the season. ... Baltimore has had 10 or more hits in 14 of its last 25 games.

KANSAS CITY: Royals manager Tony Pena was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing a called strike. ... The temperature at the start of the game was 92 degrees, a season high at Kauffman Stadium. ... After the game, the Royals optioned RHP Justin Huisman to Triple-A Omaha.

Red Sox-Mariners


BOSTON: The eight runs in the fourth tied Boston's season high for an inning this season. The Red Sox also scored eight times in the sixth against Philadelphia on June 25. ... David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit consecutive homers for the second time this season. The Red Sox have hit back-to-back homers in five games. Ortiz and Ramirez did it June 18 at San Francisco.

SEATTLE: Ichiro Suzuki, who has a 12-game hitting streak, had a season-high 14-game hitting streak May 23 to June 17. His four hits Tuesday matched his season high set May 26 in Cleveland. ... The Mariners' 18 hits were a season high. ... The Mariners set a club record with six stolen bases. ... The Mariners tied a team mark with 16 runners left on base.

Indians-Angels


CLEVELAND: Travis Hafner, who set career highs with three home runs and six RBIs Tuesday at Anaheim, has recorded 72 of his 75 RBIs this season as a designated hitter -- the most by any DH. ... Hafner, who dropped from third in the order to sixth because LHP Jarrod Washburn started for the Angels, homered twice off Washburn after hitting just three homers in his previous 195 career at-bats against left-handers. ``I feel like my swings are getting a lot better off of lefties,'' Hafner said. ``It's a little streaky, but I feel like I've made a big improvement from last year. I'm more comfortable now. I have experience against a lot of pitchers now and I know what they throw. Being relaxed is the big thing.'' ... John McDonald contributed to Cleveland's six-homer day with the third of his career and first since May 7, 2003, at Anaheim against John Lackey. ... Cleveland 2B Ronnie Belliard was hit hard on the back by Scot Shields' pitch in the eighth and was replaced by a pinch-runner. He said he was fine after the game.

ANAHEIM: The four home runs LHP Jarrod Washburn allowed against Cleveland was the third time he has given up four in one game. The Oakland Athletics did it against him July 1 in a 7-3 victory and the Dodgers beat him 5-2 with four solo shots on June 20, 2003, at Los Angeles. ``You shake your head, try to laugh it off and worry about the next one,'' Washburn said. ``It's not hard to forget about something like this. A lot of times, it's easier to forget about a butt-kicking than one you should have won.'' ... The Angels have allowed 16 home runs in the last five games, including six on Tuesday.

Blue Jays-Athletics


TORONTO: RHP Roy Halladay went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a day after the Jays said the Cy Young winner would be shut down for a month to rest his tired arm. ... Toronto signed RHP Zachary Jackson, its first-round draft pick.

OAKLAND: The A's 14-inning victory over Toronto on Tuesday was their longest 1-0 game since 1986, when they also beat Toronto 1-0 in 15 innings. ... RHP Justin Lehr got his first major league victory, and he even got the game ball. After Damian Miller got the game-winning single to left, Toronto OF Reed Johnson didn't fling the ball into the stands as usual, instead saving it for Lehr.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Expos-Pirates


MONTREAL: Montreal's 6-2 victory in Pittsburgh was its first on a Monday since Aug. 25, 2003; the Expos previously were 0-6 on Mondays this season. ... SS Orlando Cabrera played in his 261st consecutive game Tuesday, 15 shy of Vladimir Guerrero's club record of 276 from Aug. 21, 1998-Aug. 30, 1999. ... Montreal returns to NL East play Wednesday night in New York. The Expos are only 11-28 (.282) in division games. Only Arizona (14-30, .320) has a comparably bad NL division record.

PITTSBURGH: The Pirates play Wednesday and Thursday in Atlanta, their only two road games in a 14-game span. They were 2-7 against Atlanta last season. ... Kris Benson, who starts Wednesday, is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three career starts against Atlanta and has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his last eight starts this season. ... SS Jack Wilson is on a pace to get 221 hits, which would be the most by a Pittsburgh player since Matty Alou had 231 in 1969. The last Pirates player to get 200 hits was Dave Parker (215) in 1977.

 

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FLORIDA: Nate Bump made his first major league start Tuesday night after 60 games out of the bullpen in his first two seasons. Bump was a starter throughout his minor league career. ... CF Juan Pierre came into the game having played 822 innings this season, every inning of every game the Marlins have played this season. He is the only major league player not to miss an inning this season. Last season, he played 1,443 1-3 innings, missing just two. ... Luis Castillo had a hitting streak of 24 games at Shea Stadium He is hitting .382 (38-for-105) at Shea over that span.

NEW YORK: Manager Art Howe met for one hour behind closed doors with GM Jim Duquette and chief operating office Jeff Wilpon. ... Reliever Mike DeJean, acquired from Baltimore on Monday, reported and said he was delighted to be back in the NL. ``I was in the NL for seven years before this year,'' he said. ``I'm excited to be back and in a race.'' ... Mets pitchers went into Tuesday's game leading the major leagues with a 3.70 ERA. Al Leiter leads the NL with a 2.24 ERA.

Brewers-Reds


MILWAUKEE: The Brewers are 2-4 on their 11-day, 11-game trip to four NL Central cities. They have two games in St. Louis and three in Houston before heading home. Milwaukee is 22-25 on the road overall. ... SS Bill Hall is 13-for-30 career at Great American with four homers and 13 RBIs. He has 11 homers in the last two seasons, four of them in Cincinnati. ``It's definitely one of my favorite places,'' Hall said. ``I'm not real sure why. It just seems to click here.'' ... C Chad Moeller's infield single in the seventh snapped an 0-for-17 slump.

CINCINNATI: OF Jason Romano hit his first homer in 149 major-league at-bats. ... D'Angelo Jimenez had an RBI single in the eighth, extending his hitting streak to 10 games (15-for-39). Ryan Freel, Barry Larkin and Sean Casey also have hit safely in 10 consecutive games this season, the longest streak by a Reds player. ... OF Wily Mo Pena, the NL's latest Player of the Week, went 0-for-3 and was hit by a pitch, ending his six-game streak. He has six homers in his last nine games.

Phillies-Braves


PHILADELPHIA: Rookie RHP Ryan Madson has been quite an addition to Philadelphia's bullpen. He came into Tuesday's game with a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings and leading NL rookies in ERA (1.84), wins (6-2) and winning percentage (.750). ``I don't know where we'd be without him,'' manager Larry Bowa said. Madson was a starter in the minors, but Bowa hasn't considered moving him into the Phillies' rotation. ``He's not stretched out enough,'' the manager said.

ATLANTA: LHP Horacio Ramirez doesn't appear close to returning to the Braves' rotation. While his tendinitis has healed, Ramirez is still experiencing pain in his left shoulder blade. There was one hopeful sign Tuesday: He threw about 40 pitches from 140-150 feet before the game, the most he's been able to do from that distance since before the All-Star break. ... IF Jesse Garcia accepted an assignment to Triple-A Richmond and will report by the end of the week. He was outrighted to the minors last Thursday when Marcus Giles came off the disabled list.

Dodgers-Astros


LOS ANGELES: RHP Paul Shuey, on the disabled list all season with a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, will miss the rest of the year after deciding to undergo his third major hip surgery. A date for the procedure has yet to be determined. The 33-year-old went 6-4 with a 3.00 ERA in 62 appearances for the Dodgers last season. ... OF Juan Encarnacion (left shoulder tendinitis) has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and returned to the starting lineup. The Dodgers optioned OF Chin-Feng Chen to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear a roster spot.

HOUSTON: LHP Carlos Hernandez might soon return to the majors after an impressive outing with Triple-A New Orleans earlier this week. Hernandez threw seven no-hit innings, retiring 21 of 22 batters, with a season-high 10 strikeouts against Colorado Springs on Sunday. ``He's certainly on our radar screen,'' general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. Hernandez missed all last season following shoulder surgery.

Cardinals-Cubs


ST. LOUIS: Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday he preferred his team to not address the near fracas a night earlier when Jim Edmonds was twice hit by pitches. ``Not saying much is the right way to approach it,'' he said. ``Players talking back and forth in the press is unprofessional. Playing the game, that's your communication.'' ... Albert Pujols had eight homers this season against the Cubs, has 19 for his career, including 11 at Wrigley Field. It was the ninth multihomer game of his career and third of the season. His five hits also tied a career high, as did his five RBIs.

CHICAGO: The Cubs had seven runs in the second inning and then just one the rest of the way against St. Louis' bullpen to fall 10 games back of the Cardinals. ``I'm not conceding nothing right now,'' Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. ``They got a 10-game lead. We got a big mountain to climb, but we can overcome it.'' ... Mark Prior threw a 73-pitch simulated game and hopes to rejoin the rotation after missing his Tuesday start. ... Starter Carlos Zambrano and reliever LaTroy Hawkins, ejected from Monday and Tuesday's games respectively, face possible penalties from major league baseball.

Padres-Rockies


SAN DIEGO: OF Darren Bragg opted to file for free agency a day after being outrighted to make room for SS Rich Aurilia. ... Aurilia, in Phoenix when he found out about the trade from Seattle, said he was willing to play any position with the Padres. ``I played some second base in 1996 and third base in Puerto Rico in winter ball in 1997,'' Aurilia said. ``I'll do whatever it takes to help this club win.'' ... 3B Phil Nevin will be activated before Wednesday's game with the Giants. Nevin has been on the DL since July 5 with an injured right knee.

COLORADO: RHP Chin-hui Tsao had an MRI on his sore shoulder Tuesday, but the results weren't back before the Rockies' game against San Diego. He was scratched from a start with Triple-A Colorado Springs and the Rockies are concerned he might have a torn labrum. ... Larry Walker's solo homer against the Padres on Monday night was his 356th, passing Greg Vaughn for 65th on the career list. Yogi Berra is next with 358. ... Jeromy Burnitz has seven 20-homer seasons after eclipsing the mark with two Monday against the Padres.

Giants-Diamondbacks


SAN FRANCISCO: LF Barry Bonds returned to the Giants' lineup after missing Monday's game because of root canal surgery. Bonds was the only left-hander Giants manager Felipe Alou started against LHP Randy Johnson. ... The Giants entered Tuesday's game an NL-best 20-10 against left-handed starters. ... San Francisco has won 25 of 34 games against Arizona, including the last four meetings.

ARIZONA: 2B Roberto Alomar, who homered to lead off Sunday's game but sat out Monday, was back in the leadoff spot Tuesday. ... RF Danny Bautista has nine multihit games in his last 12 starts. ... Despite homering Monday, LF Luis Gonzalez remains in a 2-for-25 slide. ... 3B Shea Hillenbrand is batting .440 (22-for-50) in July.

 

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New York Mets first baseman Mike Piazza was forced to leave Tuesday' game against the Florida Marlins with a sprained left wrist suffered in a second inning collision with Juan Pierre.

X-rays were negative and Piazza will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.

Pierre dropped a bunt single toward third base and Piazza stuck his glove into the basepath in an attempt to catch the throw from Ty Wigginton. But the ball struck Pierre in the back and Piazza's hand was bent backwards after making contact with Pierre's shoulder.




The 35-year-old Piazza grabbed his hand immediately and promptly was replaced by Eric Valent.

Piazza, the starting catcher for the National League in last week's All-Star Game, is hitting .288 with 17 homers and 42 RBI. But he is just 10-for-65 over his last 19 games, including a strikeout in the first inning on Tuesday. He hit his first homer in 75 at-bats on Saturday against Philadelphia.

The Mets have split Piazza's playing time between first base and catcher this season in an effort to save him from the day-to-day grind of being behind the plate. Piazza is baseball's all-time home run leader among catchers, but has looked tentative at first base as he adjusts to a new position.