The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Baseball has banned players with minor-league contracts from taking ephedra, the substance linked to the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler.

The decision was made Monday by commissioner Bud Selig and transmitted to the teams in a memorandum by Jennifer Gefsky, a lawyer in the labor-relations department of the commissioner's office.

Players on 40-man major-league rosters, including those on option to minor-league teams, are not covered by the decision because they are members of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The players with major-league contracts are covered by the drug-testing rules of the new collective bargaining agreement, which bans only drugs of abuse and certain illegal steroids.

The decision to ban ephedra among players with minor-league contracts first was reported Thursday by the Baltimore Sun and was confirmed to The Associated Press by a baseball official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Minor-league players, who are not unionized, have been tested for many drugs by baseball for several years.

ASTROS: The team signed its top two starting pitchers, right-handers Roy Oswalt and Wade Miller, along with five other players.

Oswalt, 25, emerged as one of baseball's best pitchers last season with a 19-9 record and a 3.01 ERA and is 33-12 in his first two major-league seasons. Miller, 26, was close behind at 15-4 and a 3.28 ERA and tied the club record with a 12-game winning streak.

EXPOS: Portland Mayor Vera Katz and Grand Ronde tribal chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy met Thursday to discuss financing for a ballpark to attract the Montreal Expos.

The Indian tribe surprised Katz last week by offering financial support for a stadium in exchange for allowing the first casino outside of reservation land to be built in the metro area.

"It's a very preliminary warmup pitch," Katz said.

DODGERS: The team signed Taiwanese infielder Chin-Lung Hu, the third player from the island to join the club.

Hu is scheduled to report to the Dodgers' spring training camp Wednesday.

"We feel like we have a player who shows solid defensive actions and is a plus runner," said Jeff Schugel, the Dodgers' special assistant to the general manager.

Hu plays shortstop and second base and has been on Taiwan's junior national team the past three years.

GAME NOTES: Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones homered as the Atlanta Braves tied Georgia Tech 3-3 in a spring training opener halted by rain.

The Yellow Jackets scored three runs off Adam Wainwright, who originally signed with Georgia Tech but decided to skip college after the Braves picked him in the first round of the 2000 draft.

• Jim Thome got right into the swing for Philadelphia, homering in his first at-bat to lead the Phillies over Pittsburgh 6-3.

• Ivan Rodriguez singled and drove in the Florida Marlins' first run with a sacrifice fly to help them beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3.

The Orioles wore No. 51 patches on their sleeves to honor former pitcher Steve Bechler, who died Feb. 17 of heatstroke following a workout.

• Larry Barnes hit a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Detroit Tigers 6-5, spoiling manager Alan Trammell's debut.

• Ty Wigginton got off to a quick start in his bid to become the Mets' starting third baseman, hitting an RBI single and a solo homer to lift New York to a 6-3 victory over St. Louis.