BALTIMORE: OF Nick Markakis is batting .400 (16-for-40) over his last 12 games. ... OF Brandon Fahey, a converted infielder who has provided spectacular defense in the outfield, has won over manager Sam Perlozzo. ``I am surprised at how well he's taken to it,'' Perlozzo said. ``The guys appreciate it, they enjoy it and we need more of that all the way around - attitude-camaraderie type thing.''
TORONTO: RHP Justin Speier said he'll return to the team in probably three or four weeks. Toronto placed Speier on the 15-day DL on Tuesday night with right forearm tendinitis. An MRI didn't show anything more than that. Speier said he'll rest for a week before throwing again. ... LHP Gustavo Chacin, who made his third rehab start Wednesday, is expected to rejoin the rotation next Saturday in Baltimore. The 25-year-old Venezuelan hasn't pitched since June 9 due to a left elbow injury that has sidelined him twice this season.
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TEXAS: DH Carlos Lee hit a solo homer off Barry Zito in the first inning. It was the slugger's first homer since joining the Rangers in a pre-deadline trade with Milwaukee, where he hit 28 this season. ... Mark DeRosa, who went 4-for-5 with two homers and a career-high six RBIs, was just 1-for-13 in his career against Zito before the game. ``Facing Barry Zito is the most fun that I have against a pitcher,'' he said. ``I enjoy facing him because I like to battle. I've always felt comfortable in the box. I just felt like he beat me (previously).'' ... Texas' 14-0 win was its biggest margin of victory over the A's, surpassing a 15-2 blowout on Aug. 5, 1975.
OAKLAND: OF Milton Bradley got his seventh career ejection for arguing with plate umpire Paul Schrieber. Bradley, a longtime hothead who has fought with teammates and umpires in the past, hadn't been ejected in more than two years. ``Some umpires just have short fuses,'' manager Ken Macha said. ... The A's activated RHP Jay Witasick from the 15-day disabled list and sent RHP Shane Komine back to Triple-A Sacramento. Witasick, who missed seven weeks with left ankle tendinitis, allowed two hits, two runs and two walks in one inning against Texas, boosting his ERA to 16.20 in six appearances this season. He also forgot his shoes before the game, forcing him to wear teammate Justin Duchscherer's cleats - which were a size too small, causing his feet to go numb. ... The A's extended their affiliation with Kane County of the Midwest League through 2008.
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TAMPA BAY: All-Star LHP Scott Kazmir might be on a pitch count Friday in Oakland. Kazmir, who has not pitched since July 23 because of inflammation in his throwing shoulder, is 10-7 with a 3.36 ERA. ``We might limit his pitches a little bit,'' manager Joe Maddon said. ``But otherwise, I don't anticipate any problems.'' ... RHP Jae
Seo, who pitched seven-plus innings Tuesday in a no-decision, has been a pleasant surprise for Tampa Bay.
Seo, after being traded from Los Angeles on June 27, has a 4.50 ERA despite a 1-5 record. ``When this guy doesn't pitch, he supports his teammates as well as any starting pitcher I've ever been around,'' Maddon said. ... The Devil Rays, who have dropped seven of their last eight games in Seattle, now head to AL West-leading Oakland for a three-game series beginning Friday. Tampa Bay is 8-31 all-time in Oakland, its worst record in any city. ``From what I've been finding out, coming to the West Coast bothers them a little bit,'' Maddon said. ``I don't quite get that.''
SEATTLE: RHP Mark Lowe, who has a tender elbow, was not available. Lowe played catch in the Mariners' batting cage area before the game. ... RHP Julio Mateo, who earned his second win in two games Tuesday, has been tinkering with his delivery. Mateo, who leads the AL in wins by a reliever, is 8-4 with a 4.53 ERA. Manager Mike Hargrove said the slight change has worked and that ``even Tiger (Woods) has a swing change.'' ... Hargrove said RHP Felix Hernandez is ``starting to show, like a lot of good pitchers, that if you're going to get to him, you've got to get to him early.'' Hernandez, who went eight innings Tuesday for the first time since June 11, is 10-9 with a 4.29 ERA. ... Seattle's three-game series with Tampa Bay was its only break from the AL West for a while. Starting with last weekend's series against Oakland, the Mariners play 14 of 17 against their division rivals, including an 11-game trip to Texas, Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels beginning Thursday.
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MINNESOTA: Twins manager Ron Gardenhire admits to getting nervous every time Detroit skipper Jim Leyland goes to the mound, given the number of pickoffs that have followed. ``It scares me. The guy goes out there with a motive. I'm not that smart,'' Gardenhire said. ... The Twins will place rookie starter Francisco Liriano on the 15-day disabled list Thursday and recall Boof Bonser from Triple-A Rochester. ... Brad Radke's win over the Tigers on Tuesday was the eighth of his career at Comerica Park, most of any visiting player. He has 20 wins against Detroit since 1995.
DETROIT: LHP Mike Maroth, who has been sidelined since May with elbow problems, made a rehab start for Triple-A Toledo. He allowed three runs - including two homers - in three-plus innings. Maroth was 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA in nine starts before having bone chips removed from his elbow on June 2. ... Brent Clevlen was in the starting lineup against Minnesota's Johan Santana, eight days after hitting a double against the Twins' ace in his first career at-bat. ... Craig Monroe entered needing two homers at Comerica Park to tie Carlos Pena's career record of 37.
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LOS ANGELES: Players relaxed in front of the clubhouse TVs before the game by watching first-place Oakland lose 14-0 to Texas. There was a hearty cheer when the Rangers tagged A's starter Barry Zito for a pair of home runs in the fifth. ... Manager Mike Scioscia said he's not concerned about his pitching staff's lack of experience during the playoff push. ``Youth by itself won't be an issue,'' he said. ``We are talented and have shown the ability to make pitches and it will continue down the stretch.'' ... Scioscia will take extra care with RHP Jered Weaver, whose innings will surely pile up over the weeks ahead. ``We'll push him back if necessary, but so far he has been bouncing back just fine,'' Scioscia said. ... After hitting his 25th homer Tuesday, OF Vladimir Guerrero has 96 homers and 322 RBIs in his first three seasons with the Angels. He has surpassed Don Baylor's three-season totals from 1977-79.
CLEVELAND: One year later, one-run games still haunt the Indians. Their 5-4 loss in the series opener was Cleveland's fourth straight by one run and dropped the Indians to 9-20 in those games in 2006. Last season, they set a franchise record by going 22-36 in games decided by a single run. Cleveland's close calls were the most by an AL team since the 1968 Chicago White Sox, who lost 44 times in one-run games. While manager Eric Wedge would love to be on the other side of those one-run games, he doesn't find the Indians' propensity for dropping tight games a trend. ``You can't compare this year and last year,'' he said. ``We are an entirely different team in an entirely different situation.'' ... By trading OF Todd Hollandsworth to the Cincinnati Reds, the Indians will get a chance to have a longer look at Franklin Gutierrez. In an earlier stint with the Indians, he batted .258 with 20 RBIs in 20 games. Gutierrez hit .281 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in 83 games at Triple-A Buffalo.
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NEW YORK: Yankees manager Joe Torre said 1B Jason Giambi was fine after getting hit by a pitch on the elbow Tuesday night. Giambi was out of the lineup Wednesday and is day-to-day. X-rays were negative. ... Injured RHP Carl Pavano is slated to pitch for Class-A Tampa on Thursday in his first minor league game since May 17. ... RHP Octavio Dotel pitched a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance for Tampa. Torre is more optimistic that Pavano will be able to help the Yankees this season than Dotel. ``Probably (Pavano) right now, because of the stuff that we saw the last couple of times in batting practice. You've got to consider what Dotel has gone through and the type of surgery he's had and even if he comes up here or when he comes up here we still have to handle him with kid gloves,'' Torre said. Dotel has been rehabbing from right elbow reconstruction. Pavano has been out all season after the removal of a bone chip from his right elbow. Torre expects Pavano to return by mid-September and said the team will treat his rehab starts as if it was spring training. ... LF Hideki Matsui is ``hopeful'' he will be cleared to increase his rehab program after his injured left wrist is re-examined Friday in New York.
CHICAGO: SS Juan Uribe was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game with a stiff lower back. Manager Ozzie Guillen, who earlier hinted Uribe might have to go on the disabled list, said the shortstop would have played if needed when Tuesday night's game went 11 innings. ``I thought it would be short term,'' Guillen said, adding he was satisfied with the play of Alex Cintron as Uribe's replacement. ``When he (Uribe) is ready to go, he can come to my office.'' And once he does, Guillen said he would not play Uribe that game but the next. ... The White Sox are the only team in the majors with four players with at least 70 RBIs - Jim Thome, Joe Crede, Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye. Crede tied his career high with his 75th RBI on Tuesday night.
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BOSTON: Manager Terry Francona decided to start Gabe Kapler in CF instead of Coco Crisp because of Kapler's numbers against Royals starter Mark Redman. Kapler entered 5-for-11 with one double and two homers off Redman. ... 2B Mark Loretta was back in the lineup after leaving in the fifth inning Tuesday when he was hit by a pitch on the left elbow. ... Pitching coach Dave Wallace is back in the dugout and making trips to the mound after missing much of the season for hip replacement surgery. ``Just to be back involved is a blessing,'' Wallace said. Al Nipper, who went from bullpen coach to interim pitching coach in Wallace's absence, and interim bullpen coach Ralph Truel will stay with the club the rest of the season. ... The Red Sox have used six starting catchers this season: Jason Varitek, Javy Lopez, Ken Huckaby, Corky Miller, Josh Bard and Doug Mirabelli. That's the most the team has used since seven catchers started in 1951.
KANSAS CITY: 3B Mark Teahen batted cleanup for the first time in his career. ... 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, who went on the disabled list July 26 with a lower back injury, is taking grounders and hitting in the cage. ``My strength is definitely not good enough to start playing games,'' Mientkiewicz said. ``Each day it is getting better, but it is just a slow process in my opinion. Each day I increase what I do. I've been pain-free for four or five days.'' ... RHP Luke Hudson is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA since moving into the rotation and has not allowed more than three runs in any of his six starts. He is 5-0 since July 1, tying for the most wins in the AL during that span.
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PHILADELPHIA: LHP Randy Wolf is gaining endurance as he comes back from elbow ligament replacement surgery. Wolf gave up two earned runs in 5 1-3 innings Wednesday. He said he had improved control of his slider and curveball. ``I feel strong,'' Wolf said. ``That's been the positive so far. My arm is not getting tired.''
ATLANTA: 3B Chipper Jones is to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Mississippi on Friday. Jones, returning from a strained left oblique, refused to say how much improvement he would have to see before returning for Sunday's game against Milwaukee. Jones has been out since July 29. Sunday is the first day he is eligible to return. ... 1B Adam LaRoche was held out for the second straight game. He was hit on the forearm by a Bronson Arroyo pitch Saturday, but he said he also has been troubled by a jammed wrist he sustained while diving for a ball. ... LHP Horacio Ramirez, partially tore a tendon in his left middle finger Tuesday, met with hand surgeon Dr. Gary Lourie. Ramirez is to have complete rest for 10 days, or until the finger no longer is sensitive. He then will have finger exercises. He probably will be placed on the DL Saturday, when the Braves have to call up a starting pitcher, possibly Kevin Barry, for a home game against Milwaukee.
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FLORIDA: RHP Logan Kensing (strained right wrist flexor) went on the 15-day DL, and RHP Sergio Mitre (right shoulder inflammation) was reinstated from the 60-day DL. Mitre will be used out of the bullpen, in short stints initially, manager Joe Girardi said. ``You have to be a little bit careful, because he's coming back from an arm injury - how much you use him, how many days in a row, until he builds up a little bit,'' Girardi said. ``Sergio understands I need him in the bullpen.'' ... To make room on the 40-man roster for Mitre, RHP Jeff Fulchino was designated for assignment. ... 3B Miguel Cabrera entered Wednesday with 17 homers, putting him on pace for 25 - he hit 33 in each of his two full major league seasons. ``I still think he'll hit 30 homers,'' Girardi said. ``I think they come in waves. He's a great hitter. He's an unbelievable hitter. He just takes what the pitcher gives him.''
WASHINGTON: After more than 2,000 at_bats in the minors since 1997, C Brandon Harper made his major league debut Wednesday night, hitting eighth for the Nationals. And Harper got a hit in his first big league at-bat, looping a double down the right-field line against Florida's Dontrelle Willis in the second inning. ... The Nationals hired career pinch-hit record holder Lenny Harris as their minor league roving infield instructor. ... 2B Jose Vidro (15-day DL, left hamstring) plans to head out on a minor league rehab assignment Friday, for a game or two. Once he's healthy, he figures he could be traded ``I think there's a pretty good chance'' of being sent in a waiver deal, Vidro said, ``but I've got to make sure I'm out there healthy. Whatever happens, happens. It's a business, so I understand.'' ... OF Jose Guillen was in Washington on Wednesday, two weeks after season-ending, reconstructive right elbow surgery, and he made a prediction: ``I'll be hitting in three months ... 100 percent, no doubt in my mind, I'll be ready in spring training,'' he said.
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SAN DIEGO: SS Khalil Greene did not start for the fifth straight game because of a sprained left middle finger. ``Ideally, I'd play tomorrow,'' he said. ... 2B Josh Barfield was hit in the back by a line drive during batting practice. Barfield fell to the ground in short right field and stayed down for about a half-minute. He was OK to start.
NEW YORK: GM Omar Minaya spoke to Paul Lo Duca followed the catcher's recent remarks that he liked to gamble on horse racing. ``I talked to him, and he said bet on horses which, as far as I know, is legal. I was satisfied with his answer,'' Minaya said. ... RHP Duaner Sanchez plans to stay with the Mets the rest of the season while rehabilitating his right shoulder. Sanchez was injured in a taxi accident last week in Florida. ``It's really tough for me. I feel like I let my team down, but it wasn't my choice,'' he said. Sanchez had stitches removed Wednesday and his arm was in a sling. He said he could begin throwing by late October, and said he hoped to pitch a few innings in winter ball. ... OF Ricky Ledee reported to the Mets, a day after being claimed on waivers. ... The Mets agreed to terms with RHP Kevin Mulvey, their top pick in the June draft. He was selected in the second round (62nd overall). The Villanova product will spend about a week in Florida before reporting to Double-A Binghamton.
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ST. LOUIS: Jim Edmonds' first-inning grand slam was the sixth of his career and his first since April 21, 2004, at Houston. ... LHP Mark Mulder, on the DL since June 21 with a sore shoulder, is scheduled to make his second rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Memphis. He threw five innings for Single-A Quad Cities on Sunday. ... RH reliever Brad Thompson was called up from Memphis, where he was optioned on July 3. OF John Rodriguez, who sprained his ankle on July 30, was optioned back to Memphis. ... RH reliever Braden Looper is expected to miss at least a couple of games with a sore back. He had to come out of Tuesday night's game after throwing a pitch.
CINCINNATI: The Reds got OF Todd Hollandsworth in a trade with Cleveland to correct an imbalance on the bench. Cincinnati's pinch-hitters have been a strength this season. They led the National League with seven homers and 30 RBIs at the time of the trade, and their collective .279 average ranked third. The problem is that switch-hitter C Javier Valentin is the only left-hander usually available. ... Edmonds' grand slam was the first homer that RH Aaron Harang had allowed in three starts against the Cardinals this season. Harang had allowed only three runs total in the two previous starts, winning both of them.
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CHICAGO: Prior to Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Dusty Baker was asked about his future with the team. ``I am the same guy,'' he said. ``I am the same guy I was when I got here. It doesn't matter which way it swings to me. ... We basically have the same team. It's just that we have got some guys that have gotten hot and are performing. And we have got some kids who are getting better through experience.'' ... RHP Wade Miller, who has not pitched this year following right shoulder surgery in 2005, will make a rehabilitation start Friday for Double-A West Tennessee. Also, LHP Sean Marshall, who was put on the disabled list July 23 with a strained right oblique, will start Saturday for Triple-A Iowa.
MILWAUKEE: 2B Rickie Weeks will have season-ending surgery on his right wrist next week. Weeks has missed nine games since getting hurt while wagging a bat in the dugout July 25. He said he considered playing through the injury, which causes the tendon to snap out of place. ``It wasn't getting any better,'' Weeks said. He meet with Dr. Don Sheridan on Monday and have the procedure Tuesday or Wednesday. Recovery is expected to take two months. ... RHP Ben Sheets is to start against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday after leaving last Saturday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals with a strained chest muscle. Sheets said he likely have a 100-pitch limit.
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PITTSBURGH: RHP Salomon Torres returned to the bullpen after sitting out Tuesday's game with stiffness in his neck. Heading into Wednesday's game, Torres led the majors with 67 relief appearances. ... Manager Jim Tracy dropped slumping Chris Duffy to No. 8 in the batting order and moved Nate McLouth into the leadoff spot. Duffy has gone 3-for-29 since he was recalled from Indianapolis on Aug. 1. ``We'll continue to try to get his bat going,'' Tracy said, ``trying to take a little bit of the onus off him hitting up there at the top spot.'' ... Tracy had no special speech ready to deliver before his young team faced Roger Clemens on Thursday. ``It's not like we have not seen some of the higher caliber pitchers,'' Tracy said. ``We have seen our fair share of all of them and we have handled ourselves extremely well in all of those situations.''
HOUSTON: Manager Phil Garner took extra time on Wednesday to work with Chris Burke, who's in a 6-for-44 slump. Burke has made only three starts in August. ``His bat head is getting ahead of his hands a little bit,'' Garner said. ``The important part is to stay through the ball a little bit better.'' ... LF Luke Scott was back in the starting lineup Wednesday, rewarded for continuing to hit well since he was called up from Triple-A Round Rock on July 14. Scott is hitting .413 since moving up, the NL's best average since July 13. Scott appeared in 34 games in 2005, but hit only .188. ``This year, he just hits it through the first baseman,'' Garner said. ``Last year, they were catching those balls.''
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SAN FRANCISCO: Manager Felipe Alou gave OF Barry Bonds the night off but said Bonds isn't ailing. The Giants are off Thursday. ``He told me he'll welcome two days off,'' Alou said. ... The Giants open a three-game series at Los Angeles on Friday night. ... The Dodgers had won 11 straight games heading into Wednesday. ``The Dodgers are hot,'' Alou said. ``Maybe we'll be the team that will stop the heat wave.'' The Giants are in a stretch of 19 straight games against the NL West. ... LHP Noah Lowry (5-7 with a 4.21 ERA) goes against the Dodgers in the series opener. He's coming off his best outing of the season. Lowry allowed one run in nine innings but did not receive the decision in a 2-1 loss to Colorado last Saturday.
ARIZONA: SS Craig Counsell, out since July 15 with a broken rib, took batting practice for the first time since the injury Wednesday. The club does not have a timetable for Counsell's return, and there's no need to rush him because his replacement, Stephen Drew, has performed well. Also on the mend are 1B Tony Clark, out since July 17 with right shoulder inflammation, and OF Andy Green, who has been out since Aug. 3 with left shoulder inflammation. ... The Diamondbacks are off Thursday before closing their nine-game homestand with a three-game series against Florida. Newly acquired RHP Livan Hernandez (9-8 with a 5.34 ERA) faces the Marlins on Friday night. ... After the Florida series, the Diamondbacks play 16 straight games against NL West rivals.
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COLORADO: The Rockies' five double plays on Tuesday night against the Dodgers tied a club record for a nine-inning game. They still lost 4-2. ... The crowd of 50,210 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night was the largest for a Rockies game this year. The attendance was higher than usual because RHP Greg Maddux was making his Los Angeles debut for the Dodgers. ... Heading into Wednesday's game, the Rockies were 2-9 against the Dodgers this season, including 0-5 in Los Angeles. But fourth-place Colorado still trailed the second-place Dodgers by just 3 1/2 games in the tightly bunched AL West.
LOS ANGELES: 1B Nomar Garciaparra, out since July 25 with a sprained right knee, was activated and back in the lineup for Wednesday night's game against Colorado. He acknowledged he isn't at full speed and probably won't be running the bases as fast as usual. ``These injuries can take anywhere from four to six weeks until you're 100 percent, but I don't think anybody's 100 percent out there right now - and neither will I be,'' he said. ... The Dodgers announced the launching of a new TV channel called ``Dodgers on Demand,'' which will be available free to the Los Angeles market year-round. The programming will include game highlights, classic game broadcasts, press conferences, profiles of players past and present.
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