SEATTLE: The non-waiver trading deadline passed without the Mariners making any deals, a fact that didn't trouble manager Mike Hargrove. ``We feel good about the ballclub,'' Hargrove said. ``Can we get better? Yeah, we can get better. But we like what we got here.'' ... RHP Rafael Soriano, on the 15-day DL with right shoulder fatigue, threw 27 fastballs during a bullpen session Monday with no ill effects. Soriano, who was placed on the DL on July 29 retroactive to July 20, is eligible to be reinstated Aug. 4. ... With temperatures near 100 degrees forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, and heat indices expected to approach 115 degrees, Hargrove said he could rest a couple of regulars and would keep a close eye on his pitchers.
BALTIMORE: SS Miguel Tejada was delighted the Orioles spurned phone calls from other teams seeking him before the non-waiver trading deadline. ``They show me they really want to win. They kept me here,'' he said. ... Baltimore VP Jim Duquette expected the Orioles to make a trade, but nothing happened. ``For the volume of calls we had and made, I am surprised that we didn't do something,'' Duquette said. ``But it doesn't mean that we can't do something after the waiver deadline.'' ... The Orioles placed LHP Kurt Birkins on the 15-day DL with a sore elbow and recalled RHP Luis Manon from Triple-A Ottawa.
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CLEVELAND: Manager Eric Wedge said Hector Luna, acquired from St. Louis on Sunday for IF Ronnie Belliard, will alternate the rest of the year at second base with Joe Inglett. ... Casey Blake's second-inning homer was the Indians' first in four games, ending their longest homer drought of the season. ... Cleveland closed its third straight month with a losing record. ... The Indians lead the majors with five complete-game shutouts. ... LHP C.C. Sabathia, scheduled to start Tuesday night's second game of the four-game series against RHP Kyle Snyder, has one win in his last five starts.
BOSTON: The Red Sox had a winning record for the 13th straight month. ... LHP David Wells made his 450th career start. ... 2B Mark Loretta, a subject of trade rumors before Monday's deadline, was 1-for-10 before hitting a single in the first inning. ... An aching back apparently will keep RHP Keith Foulke, who has been on the DL, from throwing Tuesday as the team had hoped. ... Reliever Manny Delcarmen has been sidelined with a thumb injury and was expected to return soon, although Francona said, ``we're going to make sure he's fine'' first.
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DETROIT: Manager Jim Leyland said 1B Chris Shelton, who was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after the Tigers obtained 1B Sean Casey from Pittsburgh, will rejoin the team no later than Sept. 1 when rosters are expanded. ``I believe in my heart that Chris Shelton is the first baseman of the future for the Detroit Tigers,'' Leyland said. ``It's just one of those situations where Chris Shelton needs to go down and play. He will definitely be back up Sept. 1, if not before. I think he'll be our first baseman next year, and maybe more this year again.'' ... Leyland said 1B Dmitri Young will see extensive time at DH.
TAMPA BAY: LHP J.P. Howell will make his Devil Rays' debut Tuesday night. He is expected to make at least two starts filling in for injured LHP Scott Kazmir (shoulder inflammation). Howell was obtained from the Kansas City organization earlier this season. ... Following the trade of SS Julio Lugo to Los Angeles, the Devil Rays had only two position players - C Josh Paul and IF Greg Norton - on the bench when the game started. IFs B.J. Upton and Ben Zobrist will join the team from Triple-A Durham for Tuesday's game.
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TEXAS: Manager Buck Showalter lauded C Gerald Laird's performance at the plate in recent weeks, but said he would continue to platoon him with Rod Barajas. Laird is hitting .481 with three doubles, a homer and three RBIs in seven starts since the All-Star break. ``Gerald's got a hot hand right now, but Rod's been good for us, too,'' Showalter said. ``It's a two-headed position for us.'' ... Count SS Michael Young among those happy to be in Minnesota for a three-game series. Young has hit .377 with three homers and 11 RBIs in the Metrodome over the last four seasons.
MINNESOTA: A flu bug is starting to spread through the Twins' coaching staff. Third base coach Scott Ullger was extremely ill last week, and manager Ron Gardenhire was so sick on Monday that he had to skip his usual pregame media availability and leave the Dome to receive IV fluids. ... As the trade deadline came to a close on Monday, 1B Justin Morneau had a little fun with teammate Joe Mauer, the majors' leading hitter, in the clubhouse. ``Hey Joe,'' Morneau cracked. ``We traded you for a bucket of batting practice balls.'' ... OF/DH Rondell White sat out Monday's game to rest his sore left hamstring. White tweaked it in the third inning Sunday, but didn't expect to miss much time. ``It's not a major, major pull or anything,'' White said. ``Hopefully a couple of days. I just can't rush it.''
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CHICAGO: DH Jim Thome, who missed Sunday's game with soreness in his right wrist, returned to Chicago to receive a cortisone shot on Monday morning. Thome, second in the AL with 33 home runs, rejoined the White Sox on Monday night in Kansas City, but was not in the starting lineup. 1B Paul Konerko was the DH, while Ross Gload played first. ... The White Sox acquired RHP Mike MacDougal and C Sandy Alomar Jr. in trades last week, but GM Ken Williams did not make any additional deals before the trading deadline passed. ... The White Sox have homered in 17 of their past 18 games, 32 total in that span.
KANSAS CITY: 3B Mark Teahen was named the AL Player of the Week, hitting .400 with a .900 slugging percentage. He hit three home runs with eight RBIs and 18 total bases for the week. Ironically, Mets CF Carlos Beltran, who Teahen was dealt for on June 24, 2004, was the NL Player of the Week. ``Even trade,'' Teahen said and laughed. Teahen became the first Royal to win the award this season. ... With 1B Matt Stairs dealt to Texas on Monday and 1B Doug Mientkiewicz placed on the DL before the game, the Royals were without a first baseman. Utility player Esteban German played first base for the first time in the majors. ``I didn't even want to ask,'' Royals manager Buddy Bell said if German had ever played first. German said he played first ``for a couple of innings in Double-A,'' while in the Oakland organization. ... RHP Brandon Duckworth, who exited in the fifth inning on Sunday with soreness in his elbow, was placed on the DL on Monday.
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OAKLAND: The Athletics, who began their three-game series against the Angels with a half-game lead over them in the AL West, came up empty as the non-waiver trade deadline expired. They didn't want to jeopardize their chances by trading away 2002 Cy Young winner Barry Zito for a bunch of prospects. ``I'm not really surprised, but I haven't paid attention to trade rumors for three years,'' Zito said. ``Right now I'm focused on the rest of the season and getting to the playoffs. That's it.'' ... Despite all the hype and plaudits Billy Beane has received in his nine seasons as general manager, the Athletics have made only a couple of trade-deadline deals worthy of note. Among the players Beane has brought to Oakland at this time of year were IF Ed Sprague (Toronto) in 1998, RHPs Kevin Appier (Kansas City) and Jason Isringhausen (Mets) in 1999, IF Mario Valdez (Minnesota) in 2000, OF Jermaine Dye (Kansas City) in 2001, LHP Ricardo Rincon (Cleveland) in 2002, OF Jose Guillen (Cincinnati) in 2003.
LOS ANGELES: The non-waiver trade deadline came and went without any deals involving the Angels, who were coveting another big bat. ``We were in a lot of things. Our sights were set very high,'' GM Bill Stoneman said. ``We could have pulled the trigger on some deals very easily - and even sweetened some already generous offers. But this isn't about making deals or not making deals. This is about winning games on the field. In general, the consensus is that most deadline deals don't work out the way that the people who make them thing they will. But that's still not a reason not to try and help your ballclub if you get a chance to.'' ... Stoneman has made only three deadline trades during his seven seasons as general manager - none of which could be labeled as significant.
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