By The Associated Press

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cubs-Pirates

CHICAGO: Kerry Wood's excellent start is reflected in his 3-0 record and 3.12 ERA, but he's also getting plenty of help. The Cubs averaged 9.75 runs in his first four starts. ... Wood is 24-12 with a 3.23 ERA at Wrigley Field, which has never been known as a pitchers' ballpark. ... The Cubs could threaten the club record of 16 wins in April, set in 1969. They led the NL East most of that season before being overtaken by the eventual World Series champion Mets. ... Cubs closer Antonio Alfonseca (strained hamstring) is expected to go on a minor league rehabilitation assignment if no problems are found in Monday's exam in Chicago. Because of Joe Borowski's strong work as the closer with Alfonseca sidelined, manager Dusty Baker isn't promising Alfonseca will be the closer when he returns.

PITTSBURGH: Manager Lloyd McClendon held a pregame meeting with his position players before Friday night's game against the Cubs. Amid some sloppy defense, especially by 3B Aramis Ramirez, the Pirates dropped two of three games in each of their previous three series. McClendon said, "He's had a couple of tough errors at home and it's affected him, like it would anybody else. It's tough enough to overcome it and refocus, but I think he'll get it done." ... 1B Randall Simon, involved in a minor traffic accident near PNC Park after Thursday night's game, didn't start Friday night's game against the Cubs because of a sore neck. The injury is believed to be minor. ... The Pirates were 9-9 at home against the Cubs in PNC Park's first two seasons. ... The Pirates once played all early-season Saturday home games in the afternoon. This season, only two Saturday home games - both in August - are afternoon starts. Their Aug. 16 game against Milwaukee starts at 12:35 p.m. to avoid a conflict with a Steelers home exhibition game that night. The Braves-Pirates game on Aug. 30 starts at 1:20 p.m. so it can be televised by Fox.

---

Marlins-Mets

FLORIDA: The Marlins entered the game leading the majors in stolen bases with 28 this season. Since the beginning of last season, Florida has been particularly successful stealing against the Mets, stealing 33 in 45 attempts since then. That includes a 30-for-34 rate against Mets C Mike Piazza, in the lineup for New York on Friday night. ... Mike Redmond started at C against LHP Al Leiter. Redmond is 11-for-21 (.524) against Leiter, while Ivan Rodriguez is 3-for-14 (.214), but with seven walks.

NEW YORK: The Mets recalled C Jason Phillips from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned RHP Jason Middlebrook to Norfolk. Phillips, the third catcher on the Mets' roster, was recalled primarily to be a pinch hitter. He opened the season with New York, going 1-for-3 with a walk in two games as a backup while Mike Piazza served a four-game suspension. Phillips hit 10-for-24 with nine RBIs, two homers and just one strikeout with the Tides. ... LHP Mike Stanton tested his strained right calf before the game, throwing in the bullpen for what he estimated was about 12 minutes. He said he was able to throw all his pitches with their usual velocity and location. "The way I feel, if the situation comes up, I could pitch tonight," Stanton said. ... Tsuyoshi Shinjo was in the lineup, playing CF and batting eighth against Florida LHP Mark Redman.

---

Phillies-Braves

PHILADELPHIA: RHP Kevin Millwood won't pitch against his former team for the second straight series. Millwood had a strained right groin when the Braves when the teams played a three-game series at Philadelphia from April 8-10. This time, his turn in the rotation won't come for a weekend series in Atlanta. "I would much rather have pitched against them earlier, in Philly," Millwood said. "It would have been nice to get it all over with. But I'll see them soon enough." Millwood, who was traded from Atlanta to Philadelphia over the winter, said it was a "weird feeling" to be in the visitor's clubhouse at Turner Field. But he's gotten used to his new team. "I feel like I want to beat them, just because that's what we're going to have to do to make the playoffs," Millwood said. "And now it's on to a new chapter, I guess."

ATLANTA: LHP Mike Hampton will come off the DL Saturday to start against the Phillies. Hampton strained his right calf during a workout on a treadmill just three days before opening day. Hampton pitched in a simulated game Monday, then threw in the bullpen Wednesday. "I'm glad the team's started playing well," he said. "I'm ready to get out there and get things started for me." ... 1B Robert Fick sat out his fifth straight game with a sprained right shoulder. He did take some batting practice and hopes to be available for pinch-hitting duty on Saturday. "It's just a matter of time," Fick said. "I'm just trying to take it slow right now." ... RHP Paul Byrd, who underwent surgery a week earlier to remove bone spurs from his elbow, was showing off pictures of the operation in the clubhouse before the game. Byrd also has the chips - which look like small pebbles - in his locker. His 5-year-old son, Colby, has his own diagnosis. "He calls them rock candy," Byrd said with a grin. He'll resume throwing in about two weeks but isn't expected to pitch for the Braves for at least two months.

---

Astros-Brewers

HOUSTON: RHP Brian Moehler returned to Houston Friday an MRI after experiencing tightness in his right forearm. Moehler is 0-0 with a 7.90 ERA in three starts. ... Craig Biggio returned to the starting lineup in center field and Jeff Kent started at second base after both were rested Thursday. Both pinch hit in Thursday's game. ... OF Lance Berkman was held out of the lineup Friday with a sprained ligament in his left elbow. Berkman, who was scratched from the starting lineup on Thursday because of the injury, is listed as day-to-day.

MILWAUKEE: RHP Todd Ritchie will make his start as scheduled Saturday after receiving a cortisone shot Tuesday. Ritchie gave up five runs in 4 2-3 innings Monday and left the game with "fatigue" in his right shoulder. He threw on the side Friday and said he felt fine. ... RHP Matt Kinney, who pitched seven shutout innings against the Astros on Thursday, will go to the bullpen for the next several days because the Brewers have two days off and will go with a four-man rotation. "It's part of being a fifth starter," manager Ned Yost said. "Matt knows that and has a great attitude. He'll give us a good long reliever out there and then come back into the rotation when we need a fifth guy." ... 2B Eric Young was held out of the lineup Friday after leaving Thursday's game with a bruised left elbow. Houston's Tim Redding hit Young with a pitch. X-rays on Young's elbow showed no major injuries. Keith Ginter started at second.

---

Diamondbacks-Cardinals

ARIZONA: RHP Byung-Hyun Kim, struck on the right ankle by a Preston Wilson liner on Monday in his last start, likely will make his scheduled start on Saturday. "We're going to run him through some tests just to make sure, but we think he'll be able to take the ball," manager Bob Brenly said. ... 2B Junior Spivey, in a 2-for-32 slump, was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. SS Tony Womack, who has hit in six of his last seen games after starting the year 2-for-23. "Tony's been swinging the bat well, I haven't been displeased with him at all," Brenly said. "He just hasn't had a lot of luck to this point." ... The Diamondbacks have had two straight losing homestands this year, matching their total for last season when they led the major leagues with a 55-26 home record.

ST. LOUIS: OF J.D. Drew, on an injury rehab assignment with Class A Palm Beach after offseason knee surgery, is scheduled to join the team next week. "We'll see what he does this weekend, but he's on target," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's making a lot of progress." ... La Russa said the Cardinals might go with an 11-man pitching staff instead of 12, the present scenario, when Drew gets back. 2B Fernando Vina returned to the lineup Friday after missing six games with tendinitis in his right ring finger. He missed only 12 games last year and six in 2001. ... The Cardinals were first in the NL with a .309 batting average and 75 strikeouts, second in the NL.

---

Padres-Rockies

COLORADO: The Rockies won just three games on a seven-game road trip that ended Thursday in Arizona, but manager Clint Hurdle was pleased with the progress his team has shown. Colorado split four games against the Diamondbacks and would have won a third if closer Jose Jimenez had not given up three runs in the ninth on Wednesday. "We continue to get better. We continue to get challenged and challenge ourselves," Hurdle said. "We played three strong games in Arizona in a ballpark where we haven't played well at all. I see good things happening on a daily basis." ... Hurdle had been reluctant to split up Todd Helton and Larry Walker in the lineup for fear that Walker would be left in the on-deck circle too many times with runners in scoring position. On Friday, he had Helton in his usual third spot, but Preston Wilson was batting cleanup and Walker fifth. Hurdle made the decision based on Wilson's recent nine-game hitting streak and San Diego starter Oliver Perez's success against left-handers. "It's much easier to drop him (Wilson) in the fourth spot because of the way he's been swinging the bat, but this is also a very difficult left-hander for our two left-handed hitters in the middle of the lineup," he said. ... OF Greg Vaughn, signed by Colorado on April 9 after he was cut by Tampa Bay, was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in his debut with Triple-A Colorado Springs Thursday night.

SAN DIEGO: Oliver Perez didn't pitch more than five innings in his first three starts this season, but manager Bruce Bochy isn't discouraged. "We will see improvement. He's going through a maturity process," he said. ... Trevor Hoffman continues to recover from surgery on his right shoulder, but San Diego's closers have done well in his absence. Jaret Wright blew a save Thursday, only the first in five opportunities for the Padres closers. ... Bochy expects to get a lot of work out of his pen, particularly RHP Matt Herges, in the three-game series at Coors Field. "Matt is already icing down his arm," Bochy said. ... The Padres lost seven of nine games in Denver last season.

---

Giants-Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO: RHP Robb Nen underwent diagnostic surgery on his right shoulder in Los Angeles on Friday. Nen originally had a cleanup procedure on his labrum last November. He was placed on the 15-day DL before the team's season opener March 31. ... The Giants' 6-0 record is the most consecutive road victories to start a season in franchise history. ... San Francisco's relievers led the NL with nine saves in 10 chances going into Friday.

LOS ANGELES: RHP Masao Kida, who was injured in a car accident during spring training March 1, made his first appearance for the extended spring training Dodgers on Thursday. Kida pitched two innings and allowed one run and struck out two. ... RH reliever Eric Gagne had allowed no runs and two hits in 10 innings this season. He was 4-for-4 in save opportunities going into Friday night. ... C Todd Hundley's three-run homer Thursday was the first pinch-hit homer by a Dodger batter since Dave Hansen hit one last August at Cincinnati.

---

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tigers-Royals

DETROIT: The Tigers purchased the contract of OF Craig Monroe from Triple-A Toledo and designated OF Hiram Bocachica for assignment. Monroe hit .400 (18-for-45) with four doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBIs in 13 games with Toledo. Bocachica was hitting .045 (1-for-22) in six games with Detroit. The Tigers are averaging just 1.86 runs per game (26 in 14 games) and hitting just .165 as a team.

KANSAS CITY: The Royals completed their first winning road trip since last August with a 6-3 record in Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago. Kansas City hit .306 on the trip. The Royals dropped two of three in Chicago, their first series loss of the season, after winning home series against Chicago (3-0) and Cleveland (2-0), and road series in Detroit (2-0) and Cleveland (3-1). ... Kansas City's 11-3 start matched the club record through 14 games (1978). The 1978 team lost its 15th game. ... The Royals entered with a 21/2-game lead in the AL Central, the largest lead in the AL and second-biggest in the majors (San Francisco led the NL West by 41/2 games).

---

Devil Rays-Orioles

TAMPA BAY: 1B Travis Lee took some swings in the batting cage before the game, but continued to experience soreness in his right oblique. Lee, hitting .347, has missed the last three games. "Losing Lee has hurt our offense," manager Lou Piniella said. "We're not deep enough to lose good hitting." ... OF Ben Grieve, on a 9-for-25 streak, is expected to be sidelined at least until Sunday with an infection in his right hand. With Grieve and Lee unavailable, the Devil Rays have only a backup catcher and utility infielder available on the bench. ... Rookie OF Rocco Baldelli, who had 24 hits after his first 15 big league games, batted fourth for the first time this season. "I didn't want to hit the kid fourth. ... When we batted him third, he responded with three hits. Maybe he'll hit his first home run," Piniella said. ... Through the first 15 games, Tampa Bay's starters were 0-5 with a 7.27 ERA.

BALTIMORE: DH David Segui will miss at least a couple of days with a strained right hamstring. He was injured while running to first base Thursday night at Cleveland. "It depends on how fast it heals up," said Segui, the Orioles' leading hitter with a .441 average. "There's nothing encouraging about this. It's frustrating. ... I'm sick of this stuff." Segui opened the season on the disabled list with a fractured right thumb. ... LHP Buddy Groom, who pitched in the last two games in Cleveland, was unavailable. "We've got to get him a day or two off," manager Mike Hargrove said. ... RHP Rodrigo Lopez, who left his last start April 13 with a split fingernail, will make his scheduled start Saturday.

---

Yankees-Twins

NEW YORK: Manager Joe Torre had a little talk before the game with rookie SS Erick Almonte, who entered on a 4-for-27 slide as he tries to replace the injured Derek Jeter. "He says he's OK," Torre said. "Right now, he's a little overanxious. It's not easy. He hasn't faced these guys." ... The Yankees began a 10-game road trip. ... Jeter (dislocated left shoulder) is throwing the ball, Torre said, but not catching it. Sort of like a quarterback on the sideline before a football game, Jeter has someone else catch the return throw. Jeter is also fielding groundballs that are rolled to him, not hit, to get back in the feel of bending over. ... Closer Mariano Rivera (strained groin) threw batting practice and "was wonderful," Torre said. He'll throw a simulated game Monday. Torre guessed that Rivera could be ready to come off the disabled list the weekend of April 25, when the Yankees visit Texas. ... The Yankees are still thinking about sending RHP Jose Contreras to Triple-A Columbus to get him some more innings. "If he does go," Torre said, "it's not going to be a demotion. ... Every meeting we've had, he's very serious in what he does. He's in a good frame of mind. He's looking to learn." ... LHP Andy Pettitte, who twisted his ankle backing up home plate Monday night, said he's fine and is expected to make his scheduled start Saturday against Minnesota's Joe Mays. ... Torre said he'd probably give Hideki Matsui a day off from left field during this four-game series, but Matsui could still be the DH that day. ... Minor league LHP Brandon Claussen, who underwent left elbow ligament replacement surgery last summer, is scheduled to make his first rehab start for Class-A Tampa on Saturday night. Claussen is considered one of the Yankees' top prospects. ... RHP Christian Parker, who hasn't pitched in a game the past two years because of a right shoulder injury, is scheduled to start for Tampa on Sunday. Parker won the Yankees' fifth starter spot in spring training two seasons ago, but went on the disabled list four days after making his major league debut on April 6, 2001.

MINNESOTA: CF Torii Hunter and LHP Kenny Rogers were given their Gold Glove Awards before the game. It's Hunter's second in a row. Rogers won his with Texas last year. ... RHP Mike Fetters (hamstring strain) threw another simulated game and is expected to be ready to come off the disabled list Sunday. ... All of Minnesota's five series have been sweeps, three for the Twins. It's the first time in franchise history that's happened. The last time a major league team opened a season with six straight sweeps was Baltimore in 1988 - the Orioles, however, lost 21 in a row that year. ... The Twins lost three in a row to the Yankees in New York last week. The last time they beat them was May 10, 2001, in the Bronx. That's nine losses in a row coming into this four-game series at the Metrodome. ... INF Denny Hocking laid down a few bunts at the beginning of a round of batting practice, as hitters normally do. Hocking, however, had a catcher's shin guard on his arm - sort of an extra-large version of the elbow pads worn by players such as Barry Bonds. Laughter surrounded the batting cage until Hocking shed the unnecessary gear. ... Bobby Kielty started at DH with a hit in every game (8) he had played in.

---

Blue Jays-Red Sox

TORONTO: The Blue Jays have three rookies, including starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson. They set a team record last season with 18 rookies. ... In the last series with Boston, Eric Hinske broke an 0-for-17 slump on April 8. ... Shannon Stewart struck out leading off the game. In his other 15 games, he had just three strikeouts in 68 at-bats.

BOSTON: Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli, who catches whenever knuckleballer Tim Wakefield pitches, had two passed balls in the first inning. ... Friday was the 22nd anniversary of the start of the longest game in baseball history, played by Boston's Triple-A team in Pawtucket. The score was 2-2 after 32 innings when the game was suspended. It was completed June 23 when Pawtucket, which had Wade Boggs, scored a run in the 33rd for a 3-2 win over Rochester, which had Cal Ripken on the team. ... Wakefield appeared in his 324th game for Boston, fifth among pitchers in club history. Cy Young is fourth with 327. ... Todd Walker has reached base in all 15 games he's played in after hitting a single in the first.

---

Indians-White Sox

CLEVELAND: The Indians signed RHP Blake Stein to a minor league contract. Stein, 29, spent most of his major league career with Kansas City, compiling a record of 21-28 with a 5.41 ERA in 117 appearances. ... Manager Eric Wedge said he is thinking about making a move with one of his relievers. "We are talking about different options right now. The people that we have here, I feel like we need to give them the opportunities that I feel we need to give them, but after saying that, there always comes a certain period of time where you are forced to make a decision," Wedge said. Indians relievers came in 0-4 with a 4.10 ERA. ... OF Ellis Burks was back in the lineup after missing two games with the flu.

CHICAGO: Paul Konerko, Carlos Lee and Frank Thomas all came in struggling at the plate. Konerko was batting .184, Lee .200 and Thomas .227, but the White Sox still have won four of five series. "That's an indication that we have a pretty good team," manager Jerry Manuel said. "I think once we get those things in order we will really start to play well." ... RHP Dan Wright began his rehabilitation assignment Thursday night. Wright has been on the disabled list since March 27 with right elbow inflammation. He pitched three scoreless innings for Triple-A Charlotte. He did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out five. "I was very encouraged that the curveball was good and his fastball had late life. When you have those things working that means a lot of things are going right in that elbow," Manuel said. The White Sox plan to extend Wright to four innings in his next outing in five days. ... Thomas has been working with former White Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak this week. "It's a situation where you hope it lasts for an extended period of time, anytime you put that much time in you are going to get results," Manuel said.

---

Rangers-Athletics

TEXAS: C Einar Diaz was a late scratch but it had nothing to do with an injury. The change was announced as a manager's decision. C Todd Greene replaced Diaz in the lineup. ... The Rangers purchased the contracts of RHP Rosman Garcia and LHP Brian Shouse from Triple-A Oklahoma and they were in uniform for the game. LHP C.J. Nitkowski was designated for assignment and RHP Jay Powell was placed on the 15-day DL to make room for Garcia and Shouse. ... OF Rontrez Johnson, the Rule 5 pick who started the spring with the Athletics, was returned to the Rangers from the Kansas City organization after clearing waivers. The Royals claimed Johnson off waivers in March.

OAKLAND: RHP Jim Mecir will pitch at Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday and Sunday as he recovers from offseason surgery on his left knee. He's scheduled to pitch two innings on Saturday and one on Sunday. ... Talking about the A's 3-7 road trip which ended with an extra-inning loss to Seattle on Thursday, manager Ken Macha said "it felt like a three- or four-week trip. I was doing my laundry the other day and it took me a long time to get it done." ... The A's, who came in 8-8, have not been under .500 since June 6 of last year. ... RHP Chad Bradford has stranded all seven runners he has inherited this season.

---

Mariners-Angels

SEATTLE: Mark McLemore started at 3B in place of Jeff Cirillo, who left Thursday's game against Oakland because of a strained muscle in his right side. ... LHP Jamie Moyer entered looking to join five-time Cy Young winner Randy Johnson as the only pitchers to win 100 games for Seattle. ... The Mariners, who had not allowed more than four runs in any of their previous eight games, faced an Anaheim lineup that scored 47 runs in its previous five home games. ... DH Edgar Martinez needs 41 RBIs to tie the Mariners' career record, held by Ken Griffey Jr. Martinez already holds the franchise records for hits, extra-base hits, doubles, walks, at-bats and games played.

ANAHEIM: RHP Kevin Appier, who will face the Mariners for the second time in 10 days on Saturday, still can't figure out what all the fuss was about in Seattle when the Mariners collected baseballs they thought he deliberately scuffed. "If anybody was playing head games, it was them, not me," said Appier, who added a cut fastball to his repertoire this season. "They were just seeing a new pitch from me. It happened to be working real good that day, and they were looking for explanations, other than the truth. I had mixed feelings about it. I was flattered that they thought the pitch was good enough for them to consider it to be scuffed, but I was teed off that they were implying that I might have been doing that." ... DH Brad Fullmer entered hitting .415 in 13 games with three homers, 14 RBIs and a streak of 10 consecutive times reaching base safely. The club record is 12, set by Bobby Grich in 1984. "This is my best start. I feel like I'm at the top of my game right now," said Fullmer, who hit .219 last April with no homers and five RBIs. "It's certainly better to get off to a start like this than last year. I feel confident no matter what right now. I feel like I'm swinging about as good as I can right now, so let's roll with it." ... 2B Benji Gil entered hitless in his first 14 at-bats. "This is by far the worst start of my career - including Little League," the eight-year veteran said. "The easiest way to get hits is to swing at good hitters' pitches, but I didn't do that in Texas. I'm not saying that I should play more than other guys, because we're trying to win games. But from a player's view, the only way you can get out of a slump and into a groove is by getting at-bats."