The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - Larry Bowa will retain his job through the end of the season, but Philadelphia general manager Ed Wade wouldn't address whether the Phillies manager will return in 2005.

"As is the case at the end of every season, we will sit down at that point to review and address the status of our players, our manager and his staff," Wade said in a statement Saturday. "Until that time, our sole focus will be on our performance on the field."

After a flurry of offseason moves over the previous two years, including the acquisition of closer Billy Wagner and starter Eric Milton last offseason, the Phillies were the favorite in the NL East. They were 44-37 on July 5 and led the division by three games, then went 19-28 and fell 12 games behind first-place Atlanta going into Saturday's night game against Milwaukee.

Wade repeatedly has been asked about Bowa's status.

"Much of the speculation has come about because of the inconsistent performance of the team and the high expectations that many of us had coming into the 2004 season. But the season is not over," Wade said.

CUBS: Reliever Kyle Farnsworth took out his frustrations by kicking an electric fan. Now he's expected to miss at least three weeks.

Farnsworth was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained and bruised right knee Saturday, one day after he gave up six runs in the ninth inning to the Houston Astros. Farnsworth, who'd been struggling, threw his glove in the stands as he left the field following the six-run ninth that helped the Astros to a 15-7 victory.

Then, as he went back to the Cubs clubhouse, he kicked an electric fan that sits in the runway from the dugout, manager Dusty Baker said. Farnsworth was on crutches Saturday and declined comment.

YANKEES: Manager Joe Torre reached across one of baseball's biggest rivalries Friday to donate $25,000 to the Jimmy Fund, which raises money for children with cancer and has long been affiliated with the Boston Red Sox.

Saturday Night Live's Seth Meyers donated the $100,000 he won on the television show Celebrity Poker Showdown during the telethon at Fenway Park, and a group of Red Sox owners gave $110,000 to help push the total to more than $1.5 million.

• After five mediocre starts, Esteban Loaiza lost his job in the Yankees' rotation and was sent to the bullpen.

Loaiza failed to make it out of the fifth inning in Friday's 8-7 victory over Toronto.

Loaiza, 0-2 with a 7.30 ERA in five starts for the Yankees, hung his head when manager Joe Torre came out to the mound with one out in the fifth to remove him. He left to boos from Yankees fans scattered throughout SkyDome.