The Skinny - AL East

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American League East NOTES
Baltimore
• SS Miguel Tejada left the game after being struck with a thrown ball in the eighth inning, but X-rays were negative.
• The Orioles had 15 hits Thursday, and have at least 10 hits in 10 of their last 15 games. Baltimore has outscored its opponents 77-55 in its last 12 games and outhit them 130-96.
• LHP Eric DuBose has won three straight games after losing his first two starts this season. He's allowed only 11 hits in 21 innings during his three-game streak.
• 2B Brian Roberts and 3B Melvin Mora combined to give the Orioles eight hits from the top two spots in the lineup Thursday. Both went 4-for-5.
• LHP B.J. Ryan allowed his first run of the season. The reliever had a 0.00 ERA over his first 12 innings through nine appearances, but allowed three runs, two earned, during his one inning. (updated: 4/30/04)

Boston
• Fans in the center-field bleachers wore dark green T-shirts - given to them by the Red Sox - that blended in with the dark green seats. It allowed the team to sell tickets in that area without interfering with the background for hitters trying to see pitches.
• SS Nomar Garciaparra worked out on the field between games. He has been on the disabled list all season with tendinitis in his right Achilles tendon. On Thursday, he played catch from a distance of about 70 feet and fielded grounders. The Red Sox have not put a timetable on his return, but he almost certainly won't be back in early May as originally hoped.
• Boston Celtics new coach Doc Rivers threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the night game. He was introduced at a news conference earlier in the day. Danny Ainge, the Celtics head of basketball operations, also attended the second game.
• RHP Tim Wakefield worked out of the bullpen for the first time since last May 6 - a span of 31 starts - when he pitched two innings of relief in the first game.
• UT David McCarty made his first start in the outfield this season in the second game. He played left field and entered the game with one hit in 13 at bats this year. (updated: 4/30/04)

New York
• RHP Orlando Hernandez left after just nine pitches in a rehab start for Tampa in a Florida State League game against Clearwater. Hernandez said he felt some discomfort in the back of the right shoulder. "Just a precaution. I'm not worried," Hernandez said. He worked one hitless inning, and said he expects to pitch at Lakeland next Tuesday. El Duque is recovering from shoulder surgery and could rejoin the Yankees before the All-Star break.
• Bernie Williams was back in the lineup, but as the Yankees' DH - a day after sitting out Wednesday night with what was first called a strained left knee. Manager Joe Torre said the injury, which occurred while getting out of the way of a pitch thrown by Tim Hudson on Tuesday, is actually a slight sprain. "I wanted to get Bernie in there, but still give his knee another day by getting him in there as a DH," Torre said. "I just think the less he has to be on it, the better."
• 1B Travis Lee has a sore left shoulder and was scheduled to be re-evaluated by Dr. James Andrews on Thursday. "We're not sure when we'll get the results, probably some time over the weekend," Torre said. "I think it just doesn't look good right now."
• RHP Kevin Brown was looking to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 1990, when he was with Texas. (updated: 4/30/04)

Tampa Bay
• Thursday's doubleheader was the eighth in team history. The Devil Rays haven't swept any of them.
• LHP Damian Moss is one of 17 Australians to play in the majors, 11 of them pitchers.
• 1B Tino Martinez, who struck out three times in Wednesday's 6-0 loss, had two of Tampa Bay's three hits in Thursday's opener.
• The Devil Rays had an unusual first out in the second inning of Game 1. RF Jose Cruz Jr. led off with a walk. Martinez then hit a low-liner to right field that Cruz tried to duck. He went to the ground then regained his footing and ran to second base. But home plate umpire Jim Joyce ruled that the ball had glanced off him and he was called out. Martinez stayed at first with a single and was erased on a double-play grounder by SS Julio Lugo. (updated: 4/30/04)

Toronto
• The Blue Jays matched their worst start in club history with a 9-5 loss in Minnesota on Wednesday night. Toronto manager Carlos Tosca is concerned, but said there are a lot of games left. "I think that when you sit in the chair that I sit in, you're judged by how many wins you have and how many losses you have. Obviously, I didn't think at this point in the season this would be our record and the one thing I do know is this - this is a marathon, this isn't a sprint," said Tosca. "There's ballclubs out there that have a lot more money than we do and their record is not much that different than us and their not going to stop the season after the month of April."
• Tosca is concerned with his left-handers in the bullpen, in particular Jason Kershner. Three of his appearances this season have not resulted in an out. "Kershner has made three outings where he hasn't been the same guy last year, where he was throwing the ball over the plate," said Tosca. (updated: 4/30/04)

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American League Central NOTES
Chicago
• DH Frank Thomas is still nursing a sore hamstring, but continues to stay in the lineup. White Sox manager took Thomas out for a pinch-runner Wednesday because he didn't want Thomas to aggravate the injury. "With the soreness you don't want to take a chance like that, I have to be careful because I want him healthy," said Guillen.
• SS Jose Valentin reported to Triple-A Charlotte to begin a rehab assignment. Valentin has been on the 15-day disabled list since April 20 with a strained left hamstring. He is hitting .271 with three home runs.
• 3B Joe Crede was a late scratch with an upset stomach.
• In the two-game series against Cleveland, INF Juan Uribe went 6-for-7 with a home run and a double. Uribe has been starting at shortstop with Valentin out. (updated: 4/30/04)

Cleveland
• RHP David Riske and RHP Rafael Betancourt both struggled as the Cleveland bullpen fell to 3-8, with only two saves in seven chances. "I'm not throwing strikes, I'm falling behind hitters and it's making me throw the ball right down the middle," said Riske, whose ERA is 12.27. "You always got to think about it because you don't want to fail that many times. It's not fun. You have to deal with the adversity and move on."
• Manager Eric Wedge said he didn't know how the Indians would rectify their bullpen problems. "We have to reassess everything," he said. "It's been a battle for us all season.''
• SS Omar Vizquel's homer was his first since May 15, 2003. He missed most of last season with knee problems.
• Wedge reluctantly responded to Milton Bradley's scathing remarks in this week's Sports Illustrated. "If he chooses to handle things this way, that's up to him," Wedge said. "He knows the real story, like I know the real story. I will leave it at that. My focus is with this organization and this major league club." Wedge added that Bradley had no right to speak on the behalf of any of his former teammates. Bradley had called the Indians "a sinking ship," and blamed Wedge for his problems in Cleveland. (updated: 4/29/04)

Detroit
• The team acquired LHP Felix Sanchez from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league LHP Jon Connolly and a player to be named later. Sanchez had a 6.76 ERA in seven appearances at Double-A West Tennessee. He will report to the Tigers' Double-A affiliate in Erie on Friday. The team thinks he can start or relieve, but will remain in the bullpen for the time being.
• 1B Carlos Pena went into Thursday's game hitting .236, but manager Alan Trammell says he doesn't worry about Pena's average. "The number one criteria, for him, is production," Trammell said. Pena's RBI single in the fifth gave him 16 on the season, third on the team behind OFs Bobby Higginson and Rondell White.
• RHP Fernando Rodney underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He's expected to return in time for spring training.
• CF Alex Sanchez went 0-for-4, ending his 11-game hitting streak.
• The Tigers, who clinched their first winning April since 1993 on Wednesday, have lost three of their last four games. (updated: 4/30/04)

Kansas City
• The Royals have not won back-to-back games since April 10-11.
• They are 7-13 and in last place in the American League Central. After 20 games last season, the Royals were 16-4 and led the division by 5 1/2 games.
• RF Juan Gonzalez, who missed the previous two games with a fever, was back in the clubhouse Thursday, but not in the lineup. "I feel a lot better, but I don't feel too strong," Gonzalez said. "I'm still not 100 percent.''
• CF Carlos Beltran scored two runs Thursday and leads the majors with 23 runs.
• The Royals open a nine-game trip Friday in New York. They'll also travel to Toronto and Boston. The Royals were 4-14 against those three teams last year, including 1-8 on the road. The Royals are just 1-7 on the road this season.
• 2003 American League Rookie of the Year Angel Berroa could be back in the lineup Saturday, the first day he is eligible to be activated from the disabled list. Berroa went on the DL with migraine headaches and has been rehabbing with Double-A Wichita.
• LHP Darrell May will miss his start against the Yankees on Saturday after experiencing discomfort in his left leg during Thursday's throwing session. May, who is 0-3 with a 7.32 ERA, left last Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins with similar discomfort in his left groin area. He will throw another bullpen session on Saturday and could start during the Royals' three-game series at Toronto. (updated: 4/30/04)

Minnesota
• 2B Nick Punto started in place of the struggling Luis Rivas, who's mired in an 0-for-21 slump. "We're just going to mix them up, try to find what works and see who's playing good," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Luis is having a hard time right now, so we'll put the other guy out there. A day off tomorrow, we'll come back and see where we're at the next game."
• Gardenhire said DH-C Matthew LeCroy is making good progress recovering from a pulled rib cage muscle he suffered the first week of the season. He'll likely need a minor-league rehabilitation assignment before returning to the Twins. "He was out doing some sprints, which look like jogs on most people," Gardenhire cracked. "We're getting there."
• Entering Wednesday night's game, the Twins had committed at least one error in 13 of 20 games, including seven miscues in their previous four. Gardenhire wasn't too concerned. "We haven't had our whole true lineup out there yet, really," he said. (updated: 4/29/04)

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American League West NOTES
Anaheim
• RHP Kelvim Escobar might miss a scheduled Saturday start because of a split nail on the middle finger of his right hand. "The thing is with these is they can heal quickly or become a long-term problem," manager Mike Scioscia said, adding that he doesn't know who would replace Escobar. RHP Aaron Sele and RHP Kevin Gregg are among those who might start on Saturday, but Scioscia said that RHP Scot Shields will stay in the bullpen. "With Brendan (Donnelly) still out, Scot is playing a vital role in our bullpen," Scioscia said. "It wouldn't help us to take him out of there."
• RF Vladimir Guerrero had four hits for the 11th time in his career.
• SS David Eckstein was held out of the lineup again after straining a groin muscle Tuesday night. "He's feeling better," Scioscia said. "If the groin keeps improving, he'll play this weekend."
• Scioscia gave 2B Adam Kennedy the day off. "He's a guy who's going to play a lot," Scioscia said. "We want to keep him fresh.''
• OF Chone Figgins' third-inning triple was his third of the season, tops in the AL. (updated: 4/30/04)

Oakland
• INF Marco Scutaro missed his second straight start after hurting his left hand chasing an Alex Rodriguez single in Tuesday night's game. Scutaro, batting .338, came in as a defensive replacement on Wednesday night, but manager Ken Macha said Scutaro still can't hit. "(Head trainer) Larry Davis feels he'll be able to get most of the swelling out by tomorrow," Macha said. "He can play the field, and we can still put him in for defense."
• LHP Barry Zito is coming off a bad outing in which he allowed a career-high nine runs on 10 hits in just four innings of a 12-2 loss to Anaheim last Friday. "Part of being a good major league pitcher is being able to bounce back from getting hit around," Macha said. "I bet there are some guys there in Cooperstown who got beat around at some point in their careers."
• OF Billy McMillon, just 4-for-18 this season, got the start in left Thursday night, mainly because he came in batting 3-for-4 in his career against Yankees starter Kevin Brown. (updated: 4/30/04)

Seattle
• The Mariners are 2-6 in day games this season.
• Seattle has only three road victories. Tampa Bay (two) and Kansas City (one) are the only AL teams with less.
• DH Edgar Martinez needs just one double to reach 500 for his career. He also is two home runs short of 300.
• LF Raul Ibanez and 2B Bret Boone hit doubles in Thursday's loss to Baltimore, but Seattle has only seven extra-base hits in its last five games.
• INF Scott Spiezio's eight-game hitting streak ended Thursday with an 0-for-2 performance that included two walks.
• RHP Joel Pineiro has allowed at least eight hits in four of his five starts this season, including 12 Thursday.
• The Mariners are 2-9 when they fail to hit a home run.
• Seattle starters are 0-5 with a 7.02 ERA over the last eight games. (updated: 4/30/04)

Texas
• The Rangers won for the first time in 10 games in which they trailed after eight innings.
• LHP Brian Shouse, who is on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, is rehabbing in the minors. "He's making progress," Rangers manager Buck Showalter. "We can take it as far as May 20 (on the rehab assignment) if we choose to."
• The Rangers lead the majors with a .316 batting average.
• The team is guaranteed its first winning April since 1999, when it went 13-10.
• The Rangers are 6-6 on the road and have won four of their past five.
• The Rangers improved to 5-3 in day games. (updated: 4/30/04)