BALTIMORE: SS Miguel Tejada arrived in the clubhouse only about an hour before the scheduled first pitch. ``I wasn't aware of that and I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it,'' manager Sam Perlozzo said after the game. The start wound up being delayed 41 minutes by rain. ``Today was a day when we didn't know if we were going to play. That's why I came at that time,'' Tejada said. He certainly was ready to play - Tejada went 4-for-4 with a home run. The homer and two singles came off LHP Randy Johnson, and Tejada added a ninth-inning single off Mariano Rivera. ... All-Star 2B Brian Roberts didn't play, giving him two days to rest his left hip flexor. ``Just kind of protecting him, especially in these conditions,'' Perlozzo said. ``Can't afford to lose him for a couple weeks.'' The Orioles get their first day off Monday since April 4 before opening a three-game series Tuesday night in Toronto. ``It's been like this for several days,'' said Roberts, who is 1-for-10 against Yankees starter Randy Johnson. ``I think it's a little better.''
NEW YORK: RHP Aaron Small (right hamstring) could rejoin the team after one more rehab outing, Thursday with Triple-A Columbus. ... Jason Giambi has nine multihomer games since July 4, 2005. ... New York has won eight of its past nine against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. ... The Yankees are 8-0 in day games and 1-8 at night. They are just the third big league club in 30 years to win its first eight day games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 1992 Toronto Blue Jays also won their first eight and the 2003 Seattle Mariners took 17 in a row. ... LHP Randy Johnson has given up four homers in 31 1-3 innings. He yielded a career-high 32 long balls last year, the most ever by a Yankees left-hander.
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BOSTON: RHP Jonathan Papelbon recorded his eighth save in as many opportunities to start his major league career, breaking the team record he shared with Dick Radatz (1962). Papelbon is one save shy of the major league record for saves in April by a rookie (Mike MacDougall, Kansas City, 2003, 9) ... DH David Ortiz has 25 home runs and 78 career RBI against Toronto, the most against any opponent. He has 15 home runs and 42 RBI at Rogers Centre, his best totals outside Fenway Park and the Metrodome.
TORONTO: RHP Shaun Marcum pitched the ninth a day after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. His stay could be a short one as Toronto needs a starter for Thursday, possibly triple-A prospects Casey Janssen or Josh Banks. The Blue Jays placed RHP A.J. Burnett on the 15-day DL on Saturday with an elbow injury. Burnett will be examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday. Andrews performed ligament replacement surgery on Burnett's elbow in 2003. Burnett, who signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the Blue Jays in the offseason after spending seven seasons with the Florida Marlins, began the season on the DL after scar tissue broke off in his elbow March 18 during spring training.
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TAMPA BAY: 3B Ty Wigginton isn't thinking much about a streak in which he has homered in seven of his last 12 games. ``I'm getting pitches up in the zone and hitting them hard,'' said Wigginton, who has eight homers. ``I don't want to figure it out. I just want to run with it.'' ... RHP Doug Waechter pitched two scoreless innings of relief Sunday. He will be in the bullpen again Tuesday night against the New York Yankees, but manager Joe Maddon said Waechter is the probable starter Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.
TEXAS: RHP Kameron Loe has been battling a chest cold the past three days and was sent home early on Sunday. Manager Buck Showalter said Loe, who also left early Saturday, is still expected to start Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics. ... Showalter has been impressed with RHP Rick Bauer, who is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. He has made four appearances in relief and started one game. ``One of the things that's attractive about Rick is his ability to start and come out of the bullpen.'' Showalter said.
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MINNESOTA: After watching Carlos Silva get knocked around on Sunday, manager Ron Gardenhire thinks the right-hander needs to tweak his mechanics. ``His arm strength looks good, his velocity is very good, but it's a mechanical thing just getting the ball down and locating the ball a little better,'' Gardenhire said. Silva allowed seven runs on 13 hits - four homers - in 5 2-3 innings and fell to 1-3. ... OF Shannon Stewart is expected to rejoin the team on Monday in Kansas City after missing his fourth game to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter. ... Twins DH Ruben Sierra was back in the lineup after fouling a ball off his left ankle on Friday. He did not play on Saturday.
CHICAGO: Two weeks ago, the White Sox were reeling. They were 1-4 after a 4-3 loss at Kansas City, but they've since won 12 of 13. ``We believed in ourselves,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said after Sunday's 7-3 victory. ``They have confidence. They know they have a lot of time. Our pitching staff is (starting) to put it together.'' ... Jim Thome failed to score a run Sunday, ending a major league record string of 17 games to start the season, and he did not reach base for the first time this year. ... Thome fell one shy of the AL record for consecutive games with a run, set by Red Rolfe in 1939 and Kenny Lofton in 2000. Billy Hamilton set the major league record by scoring in 25 straight in 1894. ... Chicago's Scott Podsednik extended his hitting streak to eight games with a double in the third. He is 12-for-34 in that stretch.
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CLEVELAND: RHP Paul Byrd is scuffling with a 9.15 ERA in his first four starts and allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks in three innings in a loss Saturday at Kansas City. ``I've got a lot of confidence in him,'' Indians manager Eric Wedge said on Sunday. ``He's just a little off. One of his greatest attributes is to make adjustments. I think when you look back at the end of the year, he's going to have a very solid year.'' ... DH Travis Haffner, who is hitting .343 with a team-leading seven home runs, was held out of the lineup, while regular C Victor Martinez was the DH and rookie Kelly Shoppach was behind the plate. Wedge said Royals starter Jeremy Affeldt was ``tough on Hafner'' (0-for-8) and on left-handed hitters. ``Victor needs a day off from catching and this keeps his bat in the lineup,'' Wedge said. ... The Indians are 10-4 when they score first.
KANSAS CITY: 1B Doug Mientkiewicz batted clean up for second time this season, while RF Reggie Sanders, who normally bats fourth, was rested. Manager Buddy Bell said he plans to give the 38-year-old Sanders time off on day games after night games. ... Utility player Esteban German, who is normally an infielder, made his second career start in center field. He made a nice running catch of Ronnie Belliard's fly to the warning track to end the Indians' fourth and contributed a RBI single. ... The Royals are 4-4 at Kauffman Stadium and 0-9 on the road. ...2B Mark Grudzielanek went 0-for-4 to snap his five-game hitting streak. ...The Royals have not homered in the past four games and have just one home run in the past six games.
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DETROIT: Manager Jim Leyland didn't mind Craig Monroe's three-run, game-clinching home run in the eighth inning Sunday - but he did mind Monroe's previous two at-bats. Monroe struck out twice against Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez, part of 10 strikeouts for Detroit batters Sunday. ... 1B Chris Shelton's hot April cooled over the weekend. He went 0-for-9 in three games. He arrived with 17 extra-base hits this month, the most by a Tiger since 1960. Shelton's nine home runs remain one short of Cecil Fielder's team record for April from 1996. He is batting .371 - down from his AL-leading .426 entering the weekend. ... RHP Todd Jones, who saved his second game Sunday in two appearances since returning from the DL on Friday, said his strained left hamstring is fine, but his arm strength is not. He said he may be available to pitch on consecutive days soon, but not yet.
SEATTLE: RF Ichiro Suzuki was 2-for-5 Sunday and is 10-for-21 in his last five games, raising his average from .177 to .253. The worst April of his career is .243. ... Former All-Star RHP Kevin Appier made his first start for Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday. He allowed three earned runs in five innings. Appier, 38, is trying to get back to the major leagues for the first time in 24 months. The Mariners are using his Tacoma stint as rehabilitation for a calf strain from March 17 - and to buy time to determine whether he will fit into their thin pitching staff. ... The Mariners designated OF Joe Borchard for assignment and recalled RHP Clint Nageotte from Tacoma before Sunday's game. Seattle has 10 days to trade, release or assign Borchard to the minor leagues. The 27-year-old former Chicago White Sox first round draft choice appeared in only six of the Mariners' first 19 games. He was 2-for-9. Nageotte, 25, was sent right back to Tacoma Sunday night after he allowed Craig Monroe's three-run home run and two walks in the eighth inning. So Seattle ended the day with 24 players on its 25-man roster.
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LOS ANGELES: 3B Maicer Izturis left after the second inning with a strained left hamstring and was replaced by Edgardo Alfonzo. Izturis will go on the DL as soon as Monday. ``It's tough for Izzy,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``This guy worked so hard and on a lot of clubs he'd be a starting shortstop. You watch him on the practice field and see the passion he has for baseball. He loves it. It's just a bump in the road for him. He'll get healthy.'' ... OF Reggie Willits joined the team a day after being called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace injured Juan Rivera. Willits' first game will be his major league debut. ... Scot Shields pitched a perfect eighth and opponents are batting 3-for-37 (.081) against the righty reliever. ``We all know how good our bullpen is,'' said Kelvim Escobar, the winning pitcher Sunday. ``When the game is one run, we have a lot of confidence in the eighth when we get to Shields and Frankie (Rodriguez).'' ... The Angels concluded their 10-game road trip 5-5 and still have another 10-game trip this year.
OAKLAND: A's closer Huston Street was unavailable for the fifth straight day and his status for a three-game series at Texas starting Monday also is in question. The A's have an off day Thursday before a weekend series at Kansas City, so they might decide to rest the reigning AL Rookie of the Year until then to be extra cautious. Street played catch for the second day in a row - making 32 throws - but did not feel good enough to work off the mound, which had been a possibility if he had been physically able. Trainer Larry Davis is going to be conservative with Street. ``It feels good, but it still feels weak,'' said Street, who is pain-free. ``I had to shut it down. I feel confident in the progress I'm making. But if you can't throw off a mound, you can't throw in a game.'' ... RHP reliever Jay Witasick, on the 15-day DL with a severely sprained left ankle, is regaining range of motion in his ankle but will stay back from the team's road trip to get treatment. He hopes to resume throwing this week. ... SS Bobby Crosby missed his second consecutive game with a strained right triceps muscle. He will work out before Monday's game at Texas and could be available.
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FLORIDA: C Miguel Olivo is hitting .409 (9 for 22) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last five starts. ... RHP Sergio Mitre is 3-8 in 11 career road starts. ... Marlins pitching held Philadelphia to a .056 average (1 for 18) with runners in scoring position for the rain-shortened two-game series. ... IF Alfredo Amezaga had a pinch-hit double in the eighth inning - his third pinch hit in six appearances this season. ... Olivo committed a throwing error in the first inning on a stolen base attempt - the Marlins have recorded an error in all 16 of its games. ... LHP Jason Vargas (1-1, 7.02) starts against the Chicago Cubs on Monday. Vargas was scheduled to pitch against the Phillies on Sunday, but had his start moved back because of Saturday's rainout. He is 1-0 with a 7.94 ERA in one career appearance against the Cubs.
PHILADELPHIA: LF David Dellucci got the start as manager Charlie Manuel wanted to give Pat Burrell, the regular starter, an extra-day's rest and add another left-handed hitter in the lineup. Manuel has said recently that he wants to give veterans like Burrell and RF Bobby Abreu about 10-15 games off during the course of the season to keep their stamina up. He also wants to keep his bench players game-ready. Dellucci went 0-for-3 with a walk, dipping his season average to .111 (2-for-18). ... 1B Ryan Howard has reached safely in 16 of 17 games this season. ... Gordon struck out the side in the ninth, giving him 802 career strikeouts as a reliever, which rank sixth among active pitchers.
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CINCINNATI: Right-hander Paul Wilson, currently on the 15-day DL recovering from surgery to repair the torn rotator cuff and frayed labrum in his right shoulder, is scheduled to make a rehab start for Class A Dayton on Wednesday. ... Brandon Phillips extended his hitting streak to seven games and has 17 RBI during the stretch. ... Cincinnati has scored at least seven runs in all but two of its 12 victories.
MILWAUKEE: The Brewers walked 13 batters, their most in a game since Aug. 7, 2000 at San Francisco. The Brewers' record for most walks in a game is 14. ... Doug Davis is off to an 0-2 start in five outings, to go with 21 walks and a 7.66 ERA. ``There's a lot to work on, obviously,'' Davis said. ``This can't go on all year, so it can only get better.'' ... Geoff Jenkins doubled in the ninth for just his second hit in his last 20 at-bats.
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PITTSBURGH: Pirates reliever Mike Gonzalez, who was born in Robstown, Texas and grew up in the Houston area, said he was glad to play in Sunday's game since he had a lot of friends and relatives in attendance. The lefty allowed one hit and walked one in one inning. ``It's a pleasure to be home and it's great to pitch here,'' he said. ``I had my parents, sisters, it's always a good feeling. I don't get to see them much so I take advantage of this time.''
HOUSTON: The Astros closed the roof at Minute Maid Park for the first time this season for Sunday's game. Houston catcher Brad Ausmus liked the move. ``I like playing with the roof closed on day games because it kind of tricks you into thinking it's night time,'' he said. ``You don't squint as much and your eyes are more relaxed.'' ... Chris Burke had no trouble getting on base on Sunday as he hit three doubles, the problem came after he got on base. He got thrown out at third on a bad decision in the fifth inning. ``I was an idiot on the base paths today,'' he said. ``I got caught in that rundown on a ball I shouldn't have been running on. I just wasn't thinking.''
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CHICAGO: RHP Greg Maddux is 25-18 with a 2.63 ERA for his career against the Cardinals and has won seven of his last 10 starts against St. Louis dating to 2002. ... Manager Dusty Baker said RHP Angel Guzman, recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday after RHP Jerome Williams was demoted to the minors, likely will start in Williams' spot on Wednesday although he'll be available for bullpen duty on Monday. ... Rookie Ronny Cedeno, who batted eighth his first 11 games, has hit second the last two. He doubled and tripled with an RBI on Sunday and is 3-for-6 with three sacrifice bunts and a steal in that spot. ``I told you, I always thought he'd end up there,'' Baker said. ``I didn't think he'd get there quite this quickly but he's shown he can handle it.'' ...
ST. LOUIS: Scott Rolen, hitless in nine at-bats in the first two games of the series, was 3-for-3 with two doubles and barely missed a homer on a drive near the top of the center-field wall off Greg Maddux in the sixth. ... Manager Tony La Russa has tried six players in the No. 2 slot in the order in the first 18 games. The reason for the search: Juan Encarnacion, who's hit second 10 times, is batting .200 with one RBI and 13 strikeouts in 65 at-bats.
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SAN FRANCISCO: Manager Felipe Alou appeared stunned by the number of ejections in Sunday's 3-2 loss. ``No brawl. No fight,'' he said of the ejections of himself, Giants starter Matt Morris, pitching coach Dave Righetti and Colorado reliever Ray King and Colorado manager Clint Hurdle. ``I never saw anything like this before.'' ... The Giants purchased the contract of RHP Brian Wilson from Triple-A Fresno on Sunday and designated RHP Tyler Walker for assignment. ... RHP Kevin Correia worked a career-high 5 1-3 innings on Sunday. ... RHP Brian Wilson pitched two innings in his major league debut.
COLORADO: RHP Byung-Hyun Kim will make a rehab start Monday in Tucson. ``BK's pitch limit will be 100 pitches,'' manager Clint Hurdle said. ``We will see how that start goes and move on from there.'' ... RHP Mike DeJean (right shoulder tendinitis) played long toss. No target date has been set for a rehab assignment. ... Hurdle provided a brief update on the status of 1B Todd Helton, who was placed on the DL with an unspecified stomach ailment. ``There is improvement,'' Hurdle said. ``More optimism maybe today than there was yesterday.'' ... While improving to 3-0, RHP David Cortes increased his scoreless streak to 10 scoreless innings. ... The Rockies are 3-0 in extra inning games this year.
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NEW YORK: 1B Carlos Delgado failed to homer for the only time in the series. He still went 2-for-5 with a run scored. ... OF Carlos Beltran did not start for the third straight game because of discomfort in his right hamstring. He is day-to-day.
SAN DIEGO: The Padres activated Cameron from the 15-day DL before the game and optioned pitcher Jon Adkins to Triple-A Portland. Cameron went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and two walks. ... Chris Young will have an MRI Monday resulting from a lack of feeling in his right thumb.
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ARIZONA: Diamondbacks radio analyst Tom Candiotti knows that Barry Bonds should have one more home run that he has been credited with - because he threw the pitch. On July 19, 1996, while Candiotti was pitching for the Dodgers at Candlestick Park, Bonds drove one of his knuckleballs over the fence in right-center and it bounced back onto the field. Second base umpire Tom Hallion ruled it a double. ``I looked over at Barry, he looks at me, and I just put my glove over my mouth because everyone in the ballpark knew it was out,'' Candiotti recalled with a laugh. ``Then Barry starts pointing at me, like, `You know that was gone,' and I just hold up two fingers. After the game, I'm walking out to the parking lot, and Barry was there just waiting for me to come out. He told me, `You know that ball was gone,' and I said, `I know it was gone.' Now, every time I see him, I tell him, `Barry, wherever you end up, just think you should have one more.' And every time, I get a couple of choice world from him.' So when he ties Babe Ruth, he should be past him.''
LOS ANGELES: Closer Eric Gagne, who underwent surgery on his right elbow April 7, will not travel to Houston with the club - but will join them in next Friday in San Diego to begin a light throwing program on flat ground from 60 to 90 feet. ... RF J.D. Drew, who began last season in an 0-for-25 rut, is hitting .339 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. He went 5-for-10 with two homers and four RBIs in the three-game series against Arizona, and has reached base safely in all 16 games he has played. ... The Dodgers presented CF Kenny Lofton with the third-base bag from Saturday night's game, when he recorded his 100th career triple. The only other active major leaguer with that many is San Francisco's Steve Finley (114). ... The Dodgers lead the NL with 20 stolen bases. They had just 58 steals last season, the second-fewest in the league, and the team's lowest total since 1968 (57).
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ATLANTA: OF Brian Jordan said before Sunday's game this probably will be his final season in the majors, although the reasons are not all baseball-related. ``I think this is it for me'' said Jordan, hitting .313 in 16 at-bats. ``My daughter, she'll be in high school next year, so it's time for Daddy to be home. She's growing up, boys are calling, so Daddy's got to be home to answer the phone.'' ... After being hopeful that SS Edgar Renteria (rib cage) could play Sunday, manager Bobby Cox decided to give him an extra day of rest and gave Wilson Betemit the start. With 3B Chipper Jones (ankle, knee) expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday, and 2B Marcus Giles (finger) day to day, Cox said: ``We could get them all back on the same day, maybe.'' ... Cox said he'll leave it up to RHP John Smoltz to decide whether to take his regular turn Tuesday night against Milwaukee or take advantage of Saturday night's rainout for an extra day off between starts. RHP Jorge Sosa is scheduled to make his first start since April 17 on Tuesday, and Cox noted Sosa has been ``sitting a long time not to get in there.''
WASHINGTON: Frank Robinson was honored before Sunday's game for becoming the 53rd manager in major league history with 1,000 wins, a milestone he reached Thursday at Philadelphia. Nationals players joined Robinson on the field for a video presentation that included shots of his playing days, and he was given a Nationals jersey reading, ``Robinson, 1000 wins.'' The team donated $10,000 in his name to a cancer center. Heading into Sunday, Robinson's career managing record was 1,001-1,095. ... The Nationals will take a ``cautious'' approach to SS Cristian Guzman's recovery from his torn throwing shoulder, general manager Jim Bowden said. If things go well, Bowden said, the player probably will spend 20 days on a rehab assignment at Triple-A New Orleans. ... RHP Felix Rodriguez hasn't heard anything from Major League Baseball about the appeal of his three-game suspension stemming from when he hit a Mets batter April 6.
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