WEDNESDAY'S TIDBITS Line of the Day Ryan Rupe Rupe allowed only one hit in seven shutout innings in a 9-1 victory over the Twins. IP H ER BB SO 7 1 0 1 5 Hero of the day Eduardo Perez, who was 0-for-7 as a pinch-hitter entering the game, delivered a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Cardinals over the Mets. Goat of the day Brewers rookie center fielder Alex Sanchez dropped a two-out line hit by the Expos' Jose Vidro, allowing the winning run to score in the 15th inning. Injury report Phillies second baseman Marlon Anderson left the game after hyperextending his right elbow in the second inning. He is day-to-day. Tigers 1B Dmitri Young missed his sixth straight game with a hip flexor and was scheduled to have an MRI exam in Detroit on Thursday. Tigers OF Bobby Higginson, who fouled a pitch off his foot on Monday night, missed his second straight game and was listed day-to-day. Braves OF Gary Sheffield continued to rest his sore left wrist. He has missed six of the last eight games and is mired in an 0-for-17 slump. Streak of the day The Dodgers' Omar Daal beat the Pirates for the seventh straight time since 1998 -- while pitching for three different teams. Stat of the day Tom Lampkin homered and doubled in a victory over the Phillies, ending an 0-for-39 drought by Padres catchers. The last word " I don't know what I'll do next. Maybe I'll throw left-handed or underhand. Maybe that will work. I can't even remember my last win." -- Marlins ace Ryan Dempster after getting tagged for seven runs in a loss to the Astros.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Red Sox-Orioles
Boston: When RHP Pedro Martinez starts Thursday, he will be operating on a generous pitch count. "He probably won't throw more than 110, 120 (pitches)," Boston manager Grady Little said. "I think 120 would be the limit." ... OF Trot Nixon has started in right field in each of the Red Sox's first 18 games, and Little has no plans to rest him any time soon. When Nixon does get a breather, OF Manny Ramirez will move from left to right field. "(Ramirez) only has 1,000 appearances" in right field, Little said. ... There's no word on the status of OF Michael Coleman, designated for assignment April 22 upon being activated from the DL. The Red Sox have until May 2 to release, trade or demote Coleman, who could end up at Triple-A Pawtucket if he clears waivers. The fact that Coleman had signed a major league contract, however, could get in the way of a minor league assignment.

Baltimore: OF Jay Gibbons, whose seven home runs were tied for second in the AL entering Wednesday, got a rest against Red Sox LHP Darren Oliver. Gibbons, 1-for-16 against lefties this season, has been bothered by a sore ankle and a stomach virus. ... RHP Rodrigo Lopez's start Wednesday was his first since June 13, 2000, when he star San Diego in an 8-3 loss to St. Louis. ... OF Melvin Mora returned to the club after attending his brother's funeral in Venezuela. ... Closer Jorge Julio reached 100 mph on his last two pitches in Tuesday's win over Boston.

White Sox-Indians
Chicago: LHP Jim Parque, r from Triple-A Charlotte, is one of three pitchers manager Jerry Manuel said he may add to the starting rotation. "We'll put him in the bullpen and make a decision on the flight to Oakland," Manuel said. "Parque could pitch in Jon Rauch's spot or he could flip-flop with Danny Wright." Either Rauch or Parque will open a three-game series Friday against the Athletics. Parque appeared in just five games last season before undergoing shoulder surgery. he was 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts at Charlotte. ... Manuel has been impressed with the White Sox defense. They entered Wednesday's game ranked third in the AL with just 12 errors and a league-leading 26 double plays. "We emphasized defense in the spring," he said. "(Jose) Valentin worked very hard at third and Carlos Lee is improving in left." ... C Sandy Alomar needs one homer for 100 in his career, and 2B Ray Durham is two way from the plateau.

Cleveland: The Indians' bullpen got a lot taller. Chad Paronto, a 6-foot-5 right-hander claimed off waivers in November, was recalled from Class Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday and Jerrod Riggan was sent to the minors. Paronto didn't allow a run in 9 1-3 innings over six games with the Bisons. He went 0-1 with a 4.50 earned run average in three outings during spring training with the Indians. ... Omar Vizquel, already a Gold Glove shortstop and clothing designer, is an author, too. An autobiography on Vizquel, "Omar! May Life On and Off the Field", was released Wednesday. Hundreds of fans came to a book signing attended by Vizquel at a downtown restaurant and stood in line for an autographed copy. One of them was Indians owner Larry Dolan, who joined the fans in signing "happy birthday" to Vizquel, who turned 35. ... C Einar Diaz, who suffered a cracked rib in a home-plate collision in Minnesota, said he probably will play in Thursday's series finale against the White Sox. Diaz got injured when he got bowled over by Twins outfielder Bobby Kielty last weekend. ... RHP Jake Westbrook, who underwent elbow surgery this spring, has reported to Winter Haven, Fla., to continue his rehab program. Westbrook began throwing on April 15.

Twins-Devil Rays
Minnesota: Tests on DH David Ortiz, placed on the 15-day DL Tuesday, determined he has a small chip in his left knee. Treatment plans have not been finalized. "We can fill some holes, you just hate to lose your cleanup hitter and DH," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "And he means a lot to our ballclub on the bench. He's a lot of fun to be around." ... Matthew LeCroy, recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Edmonton, was the DH and hit fourth. ... 2B Jay Canizaro rejoined the team after being with wife, who gave birth to the couple's first child. ...The pair of 13 pitch at-bats by C A.J. Pierzynski Tuesday that resulted in a triple and a single was still a topic of discussion before Wednesday's contest. "That was unbelievable," Tampa Bay 3B Russ Johnson. Pierzynski also hit 20 foul balls in his first three at-bats. "I guess I was trying to get every fan a foul ball," Pierzynski said.

Tampa Bay: Manager Hal McRae said he hasn't given any thought to benching DH Greg Vaughn, who started the day in a 7-for-65 slide. "It's too early," McRae said. "He doesn't have a 100 at-bats yet. I'm not overly concerned because we're scoring runs. This might be a plus. If we can do well without him hitting, well, what will happen when he does?" ... LHP Joe Kennedy took a back-to-back 13-pitch at-bats by Minnesota's Dustan Mohr and A.J. Pierzynski Tuesday in stride. "During one of the middle of those at-bats in that second inning, I asked the umpire if he had a new pitch I could throw up there," Kennedy said. "He said 'No."' ... Tampa Bay minor league OF Rocco Baldelli went 5-for-6 with a homer, four RBIs and five runs scored for Class-A Bakersfield Tuesday. The five runs scored are the most in the minors since six by Mark Bellhorn (Triple-A Sacramento) on July 9, 2000.

Tigers-Royals
Detroit: Dmitri Young missed his sixth straight game with a hip flexor and was scheduled to have an MRI exam in Detroit on Thursday. ... OF Bobby Higginson, who fouled a pitch off his foot on Monday, missed his second straight game and was still listed day-to-day. ... The Tigers are bring RHP Seth Greisinger up from Double-A Erie to start Friday against Minnesota and putting Jose Lima in the bullpen.

Kansas City: Jeremy Affeldt retired 11 of the 12 batters he faced and allowed just one walk. It's the first win by a Royals left-hander since Chris George won at Texas last Sept. 8. ... The Royals have won 13 of 16 games against the Tigers.

Yankees-Athletics
New York: 1B Jason Giambi got a shaving cream pie in the face during a television interview before Wednesday's game against the Oakland Athletics. The culprit was A's 2B Frank Menechino, a New York native. ... Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the A's was the first time in nine games this season in which the Yankees won despite getting outhit by their opponent. ... Manager Joe Torre needs five wins to become the fifth manager in Yankee history with at least 600 victories. He has a career total of 1,489 wins. ... The Yankees are 28-17 in their last 45 regular-season games against the A's entering play on Wednesday. ... Wednesday's starter LHP David Wells has the best winning percentage of any Yankee pitcher. He's 37-14 (.7254). Johnny Allen is second at 50-19 (7246). ... DH Nick Johnson is hitless in his last 11 at bats.

Oakland: OF Jermaine Dye was expected to play nine innings in the outfield for Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, then rejoin the Athletics on Thursday. He played six innings on Tuesday as he recovers from a broken left leg sustained during the ALDS last year. "We want to make sure he's ready," A's manager Art Howe said. "He'll work out with us (Thursday), but we'll probably give him a day. The best case scenario is for the weekend series. We're hopeful." ... SS Miguel Tejada hit his 98th career home run on Tuesday, an Oakland record for shortstops and second to Eddie Joost (116) in franchise history. Tejada, by the way, has walked once in 83 plate appearances this year. ... The A's have already hit more home runs this April (29) than they did all last April. The 29 homers are second most to the Yankees (30) in the AL. ... While they have four blown saves, the A's have come back to win each of those games. ... Left-handed hitters are batting .071 (1-for-14) against closer Billy Koch.

Blue Jays-Rangers
Toronto: SS Felipe Lopez moved up to No. 2 in the batting order Wednesday, after batting ninth 11 of 15 previous starts and no higher than seventh. "Felipe's done a such a good job just being patient. He was 0-2 Tuesday and drew a walk. It's indicative of what is ahead for him," Blue Jays manager Buck Martinez said. Lopez was hitting .280 with a .379 on-base percentage going into Wednesday. ... OF Brian Lesher accepted his assignment to Triple-A Syracuse. "It's good for the organization. And it's good for him to get regular at-bats," Martinez said. Lesher was designated for assignment after RHP Chris Carpenter was activated from the DL Sunday. Lesher, who was 2-for-9 in seven games, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse. ... RHP Esteban Loaiza, who's been out since spring training because of tightness in his right shoulder, will make his third rehabilitation appearance Sunday for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Loaiza made two appearances at Class-A Dunedin.

Texas: RF Juan Gonzalez is eligible to come off the DL Thursday, but manager Jerry Narron said it will be at least next week before the two-time AL MVP will return. Gonzalez was put on the DL on April 10 with torn muscle fiber near the thumb in his right hand. He has been limited to one-handed hitting drills. ... LHP Randy Flores became the fifth player to make his major league debut in 19 games for the Rangers, when he pitched to one batter in the sixth inning Tuesday. He came in with the bases loaded and one out, and allowed a sacrifice fly to Toronto's Darrin Fletcher. "It was exciting. At the same time, it's a suppressed reality," Flores said. "The bases are loaded and I have a job to do." Narron was pleased with how the left-hander handled the situation. "He got a first-pitch strike and a sac fly. We'll take that every time," Narron said. The others who first-timers this season were 3B Hank Blalock, RHP Colby Lewis and OFs Kevin Mench and Jason Romano.

Angels-Mariners
Anaheim: CF Darin Erstad, who has a concussion, was examined by team physician Dr. Craig Milhouse on Wednesday and was cleared to start riding a stationary bicycle. He did not make the team's road trip to Seattle. Manager Mike Scioscia said that in the best case scenario that Erstad will be able to play Sunday. If he's not ready to play by Tuesday, Scioscia said he will be put on the DL. ... After 20 games, the Angels' team batting average was .231, which was 28th among the 30 major league teams. Their on-base percentage was .286, which was last among big league clubs. Their total of eight home runs was the lowest in the majors.

Seattle: Ruben Sierra went into Wednesday's game with Anaheim with a 12-game hitting streak, his longest since 1994. Eighteen is his career high. ... Manager Lou Piniella said LHP John Halama still will start May 4 at Yankee Stadium. RHP Ryan Franklin pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday in Franklin's first career start. Piniella said after the game that Franklin probably would get another start. ... Former University of Washington football player Curtis Williams, paralyzed below the neck while making a tackle in a game Oct. 28, 2001, at Stanford, was honored before Wednesday night's game at Safeco Field. ... The retractable roof at Safeco was closed for the start of Wednesday night's game.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Brewers-Expos
Milwaukee: Hitting coach Gary Matthews interviewed with GM Dean Taylor for the Brewers' managerial job. "I thought it went well. We talked for about an hour and a half," Matthews said. Matthews said he wants to manage in the winter leagues in the offseason. "I want to let people know that my goal is to manage in the major leagues," he said. Coach Jerry Royster has run the Brewers as the interim manager since Davey Lopes was fired. ... 2B Eric Young is 9-for-22 (.409) with two doubles, one triple and five runs scored in his last six games. Young, the Brewers' leadoff hitter, has also been successful in each of his four stolen base attempts over that stretch. ... Milwaukee relievers have allowed 10 earned runs in 33 1-3 innings for a 2.70 ERA. Brewers starters have a 4.28 ERA. ... The Brewers are 2-8 on the road this season.

Montreal: Results of an MRI performed on 1B Andres Galarraga's lower back came back negative on Wednesday. Galarraga, who had the exam a day earlier, took batting practice and is day-to-day with a strained lower back. ... Galarraga was one of eight Expos who watched the Montreal Canadiens' morning practice at the Molson Centre. Galarraga, who missed the entire 1999 season while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment to combat non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, met with Canadiens captain _ and fellow cancer survivor, Saku Koivu. Cs Michael Barrett and Brian Schneider, 1B Lee Stevens, INF Mike Mordecai, LF Brad Wilkerson, RHP T.J. Tucker and LHP Graeme Lloyd were also on hand as Koivu was presented with a personalized Expos jersey. ... With the Canadiens' first-round NHL playoff series against Boston set to continue here with Game 4 on Thursday night, both teams' coaches attended Wednesday's game. Bruins coach Robbie Ftorek was greeted with a few boos when he was shown on the video scoreboard, while Canadiens coach Michel Therrien was cheered when he was shown taking in the game with his family from their box seats along the first-base line.

Astros-Marlins
Houston: C Brad Ausmus doubled in the first inning Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to nine games. ... Four batters later, OF Daryle Ward also doubled, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. ... 3B Geoff Blum got his seventh start of the season Wednesday, in place of rookie Morgan Ensberg, who is 6-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak. Manager Jimy Williams said he made the move to get Blum some at-bats. ... Williams is taking the blame for the ball hit over Lance Berkman's head in the 12th inning Tuesday. Florida's Luis Castillo tripled on the hit and then scored the game-winning run. "I probably should have had (Berkman) deeper," Williams said. "If it's anybody's fault, maybe it's mine for not having him deep enough to start with."

Florida: RHP Josh Beckett said his arm felt fine a day after setting career-high in pitches (120), strikeouts (11) and innings (7). ... RHP Julian Tavarez (shoulder) threw off the mound Tuesday for the second time since going on the 15-day DL April 17, and his outing was pain free. He still has to build up his arm strength, manager Jeff Torborg said, before starting a rehab assignment. ... LHP Armando Almanza, on the 15-day DL since April 30 with elbow tendinitis, could return in about three weeks, Torborg said.

Dodgers-Pirates
Los Angeles: RHP Hideo Nomo, who opposes Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon, struck out 30 Pirates in his first two starts against them in 1995. He is 5-3 in nine career starts against Pittsburgh. ... RHP Kevin Brown, on the disabled list with inflammation in his right elbow, is expected to throw Thursday and Saturday. If he has no problems, he could start Tuesday against Cincinnati. Brown had surgery on the elbow Sept. 27. ... LHP Terry Mulholland has a guaranteed $3 million contract, so the Dodgers are patiently waiting to see if he can pitch himself out of his early-season struggles. He has allowed seven home runs in 7 2-3 innings. Mulholland will begin throwing early batting practice in an effort to sharpen his curveball.

Pittsburgh: LF Brian Giles took a subtle swipe at Pirates ownership for hiking ticket prices after the team lost 100 games in its first season in PNC Park. Pirates attendance is down 70,000 from a year ago, with a good possibility they may not draw 2 million this season after drawing a record 2.4 million last year. In an interview with ESPN radio, Giles pointedly suggested that asking fans to absorb the price hike following so poor a season wasn't the best marketing strategy. ... The ticket price hikes, which averaged about $1 to $2 per ticket, were announced several days after last season ended and still are drawing fan criticism. Season ticket sales are down to 10,000 after reaching a club-high 17,000 last season ... Adrian Burnside, Neal McDade and Chris Spurling combined for a nine-inning no-hitter for Double-A Altoona against Akron in a 2-0 victory Tuesday. The Australian-born Burnside pitched the first five innings. McDade pitched the next three innings and Spurling pitched the ninth. It was the first no-hitter in Altoona's four-year history. ... Jason Kendall tied Tony Pena for third place on the Pirates' all-time list with 787 games played as a catcher. The club record is held by George Gibson with 1,113 games; Manny Sanguillen is second with 1,037 games. Kendall must play eight more games to match father Fred Kendall's total of 795 games caught in his 12-year career.

Padres-Phillies
San Diego: Ryan Klesko returned to the lineup on Wednesday after missing Tuesday's game due soreness in his left oblique muscle. Klesko, who strained the muscle in spring training and re-aggravated it Sunday against Los Angeles, said it hurts when he throws but not when he hits. He arrived at the ballpark five hours before Wednesday's game for treatment and extra hitting and, afterward, said he felt better. ... RHP Bobby Jones, who is scheduled to start Thursday's game, has given up five home runs in three starts. Four of those have been solo shots. In his last game against Philadelphia on Aug. 7, 2001, Jones surrendered three home runs, to Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell and Scott Rolen. ... Jones has yet to be charged with an unearned run after a major league-leading 26 in 2001. ... RHP Jason Boyd has pitched for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and six of the ten games on the Padres' current road trip are against the Phillies and Pirates.

Philadelphia: Even though 2B Marlon Anderson entered Wednesday's game with a 10-game hitting streak, Larry Bowa likes Anderson hitting eighth in the lineup. Bowa juggled his lineup Tuesday, moving Doug Glanville up to second and Anderson to eight. "He tries to over-think hitting second and maybe tries to do too much," Bowa said of Anderson. "At eight, he just sees it and hits it." ... The switch was made in part because the struggling Glanville was providing no protection for Pat Burrell, at No. 7. "Doug's in a little funk," Bowa said. "When a singles hitter is hitting a lot of fly balls, you know he's in a slump. I know; I did it." ... RHP Vicente Padilla is holding opposing batters to a .194 average, including .100 (3-for-30) against left-handers. Padilla, who is scheduled to start Thursday's 3:05 p.m. game, is tied for first in the National League with a 0.00 ERA in day games. ... OF Bobby Abreu is batting .474 (9-for-19) with two home runs off Padres RHP Bobby Jones, Thursday's scheduled starter.

Rockies-Reds
Colorado: RF Larry Walker was in the starting lineup for the second straight game after missing a week because of a sore right elbow. Walker had a pair of singles in his return Tuesday night, but his throws from the outfield were soft. ... 1B Todd Helton and SS Juan Uribe are the only Rockies to start all 21 games. ... Two minor league pitchers are back from injuries. RHP Victor Santos was activated off the disabled list Wednesday and will join Triple-A Colorado Springs. He's been sidelined since April 16 with a broken cheekbone. RHP Ryan Kibler, sidelined by a sprained right thumb, also was activated and will join Double-A Carolina.<

Cincinnati: LHP Brian Bohanon threw 75 pitches to Reds hitters before the game and looked good enough to get activated. He'll come off the disabled list Monday and start for Triple-A Louisville. Bohanon, who had elbow surgery with Colorado last season, came to spring training on a minor league contract and had another elbow operation March 11. ... CF Ken Griffey Jr. came to Cinergy Field to take batting practice. Griffey is on the DL because of a torn patella tendon. He's not allowed to run and there's no target for his return.

Cardinals-Mets
St. Louis: Rookie RHP Travis Smith is likely to make his first major league start Friday at Montreal. ... LHP Bud Smith, who has dead arm, remained in St. Louis to have his left shoulder examined. If he can't start Saturday, the Cardinals might use several relievers in his place. ... Garrett Stephenson, on the disabled list since April 15 because of a strained back, appears likely to be activated in time to pitch next Wednesday. ... A group of Cardinals, including manager Tony La Russa, visited the World Trade Center site Monday. ... OF J.D. Drew, who played Tuesday after missing a game because of a sore right knee, was out of the starting lineup again.

New York: C Vance Wilson was dropped from fourth to eighth in the batting order after SS Rey Ordonez (strained left rib cage) was scratched and replaced by John Valentin _ who singled home a run in his first at-bat against Darryl Kile. ... Jay Payton was called out on an unusual play in the second inning. On first base with one out, he was running on the pitch as Vance Wilson flied out to right field. Payton, who had rounded second, failed to retouch second on his way back to first and 1B Tino Martinez relayed RF Eli Marrero's throw to SS Edgar Renteria, completing a double play.

Diamondbacks-Braves
Arizona: 2B Junior Spivey doesn't want to give up his job when Jay Bell comes off the disabled list. Spivey began Wednesday night's game hitting .355 with one homer, 14 RBIs and four stolen bases. "That's the idea," he said. "I want to do it every day and stay consistent." Spivey is relishing his spot in the lineup, batting second between Tony Womack and Luis Gonzalez. "It's a great opportunity for me to get on base and steal bases." Manager Bob Brenly is happy with the combo of Spivey at second and Craig Counsell at third. Bell, who tore his right calf muscle in spring training, can play either position but may wind up on the bench. "We'll worry about that," Brenly said, "when he comes back." ... Reliever Byung-Hyun Kim appears to have shaken off the memory of a dismal World Series. Kim didn't give up a run in his first six appearances, which included three saves. More impressive, he had 12 strikeouts and had yet to allow a walk in six innings, limiting hitters to a .217 average.

Atlanta: LHP John Foster, called up Wednesday from Triple-A Richmond, got word of his promotion in unusual fashion. Richmond manager Fredi Gonzalez came to Foster's room Tuesday night in Durham, N.C., pretending to check curfew. Gonzalez asked if the pitcher had unpacked; Foster said no. "That's good," Gonzalez said. "Because you're going to Atlanta tomorrow." Foster, who nearly made the team in spring training, was stunned by the news. He told Gonzalez, "No way. Are you kidding me? Are you serious?" Foster pitched nine games at Richmond, going 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA and four saves. ... RHP Albie Lopez had an eventful rehab start for Double-A Greenville on Tuesday. Lopez went four innings and said he fully tested his strained groin. "They treated me like they wanted to see if I was healthy," he said. "They bunted to first, they bunted between first and second, I covered home. The groundskeeper even helped me out a little; he soaked the mound so that the first warmup pitches, he made sure I slipped. Everybody tested me." Lopez will likely start for the Braves on Sunday barring any more setbacks. ... The Braves activated IF Nick Green from the disabled list and optioned him to Greenville. Green, a member of the 40-man roster, missed the second half of the 2001 season with a torn ligament in his left knee.

Giants-Cubs
San Francisco: With the forecast calling for dropping temperatures, the field soggy from a thunderstorm and a day game Thursday, Barry Bonds got the night off. "The chance of playing both wasn't good," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. Bonds has been nursing a sore hamstring. ... Before the game the Giants activated RHP Jason Schmidt from the disabled list. Schmidt, who missed the first three weeks of the season with a strained groin, made his first start of the season. ... The Giants lead the majors with a 2.50 ERA, and have limited opponents to two runs or less in 11 of their first 19 games.

Chicago: Manager Don Baylor shuffled his lineup, moving Corey Patterson to leadoff. Delino DeShields, who had been hitting leadoff, moved down to Patterson's old No. 2 spot. "You've got to try something when we're not swinging a lot of runs," Baylor said. ... Jon Lieber will start Thursday after missing Saturday's start with a sore elbow. Though Lieber hasn't had any problems in his side sessions, Baylor said he still plans to keep the right-hander on a pitch count. "Without a doubt," Baylor said. "His health is the most important thing." ... The Cubs have lost five of their last six games, getting outscored 48-25. During that span, Chicago has committed 12 errors resulting in 12 unearned runs. ... Despite a wet field, Moises Alou was in the starting lineup. Alou, the Cubs biggest off-season acquisition, has played only four games this year because of a strained calf and a sore back.