The Skinny - NL East

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National League East NOTES
Atlanta
• C-OF Eli Marrero was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 25, with an upper respiratory infection. Marrero headed back to Atlanta to see a specialist because he hasn't been able to get rid of a virus, which caused him to miss three straight games before going on the DL. "He can't shake it," manager Bobby Cox said. Marrero also spent a stint on the DL earlier this month with a strained abdominal muscle.
• Also, the Braves purchased the contract of outfielder Damon Hollins from Triple-A Richmond, and transferred right-hander Paul Byrd from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. Byrd is recovering from elbow surgery. (updated: 4/29/04)

Florida
• LF Jeff Conine was a late scratch with lower back stiffness. Abraham Nunez took his spot. Conine had nine hits in 14 at-bats (.643) in his team's three-game series at Colorado. The nine hits in three games matches his career high. He increased his batting average from .158 to .309 over his last seven games, batting .500 in that span.
• The Marlins recalled LHP Franklin Gracesqui from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace RHP Chad Fox, who was placed on the 15-day DL with right elbow inflammation. McKeon promised to use Gracesqui, who impressed the Marlins this spring, and he sure did. Gracesqui made his major league debut and struck out Michael Tucker with a runner on third to end it. "I knew if I got ahead of him or even in the count I was going to get him," said Gracesqui, who had to carry a pink bag filled with candy and snacks for the bullpen as an initiation. Said McKeon: "We said we'd give him an early baptism. He got it and he did a heck of a job."
• The 73-year-old McKeon enjoys managing against the second-oldest skipper in baseball - Felipe Alou turns 69 on May 12. "I'm happy for us old guys," he said. ``Heck, I feel like I haven't hit 50 yet."
• LHP Dontrelle Willis, an Oakland native, will have several family members and his fiancee in the stands when he starts Friday night. (updated: 4/30/04)

Montreal
• RHP Sun-woo Kim, who pitched two scoreless innings of relief Wednesday night, will likely make his first start of the season Sunday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers and Hideo Nomo. Kim will be taking the spot of RHP John Patterson, who was placed on the DL Wednesday with a right groin strain.
• Despite the Expos' 5-17 start, Manager Frank Robinson hasn't lost his sense of humor. When asked if there were any roster moves, Robinson replied with a grin: "We're going with this juggernaut all the way." (updated: 4/30/04)

New York
• SS Jose Reyes, on the DL with a right hamstring injury since March 14, left after the fourth inning Thursday night in the second game of his rehabilitation assignment in Florida with Single-A St. Lucie. Mets' spokesman Jay Horwitz said Reyes felt a twinge in the hamstring and didn't want to take any chances. Reyes will be re-evaluated on Friday, Horwitz said. Reyes was 0-for-2 when he left the game. A night earlier, he went 1-for-5 with a double.
• C Mike Piazza, whose 351 homers ties him at the top of the catcher's list with Carlton Fisk, recently has passed some other greats on the overall home run list. Despite having hit just four homers this year as he headed into Thursday night's game against the Dodgers, Piazza has a total of 362 homers and has moved into 58th on the list, passing Yogi Berra, Johnny Mize, Gary Gaetti and Joe DiMaggio since the start of the season.
• 3B Todd Zeile helped raise $200,000 for the diabetes program of Children's Hospital of Los Angeles by hosting a bowling tournament in Hollywood. A number of celebrities, several New York teammates and the Dodgers' Paul Lo Duca and Robin Ventura were among the participants. Zeile's daughter Hannah, 6, has juvenile diabetes. (updated: 4/30/04)

Philadelphia
• RHP Kevin Millwood has pitched at least six innings in all five of his starts. Thursday was his 200th career start.
• 1B Jim Thome hit his 387th career homer, passing Dwight Evans for 43rd on the career list. He's two behind Johnny Bench for 42nd place.
• OF Ricky Ledee has eight career pinch-hit homers, seven with the Phillies. He needs one to tie Cy Williams for the franchise record.
• The Phillies totaled 16 runs in their first seven games with two home runs, and have scored 69 in their last 13 with 19 homers.
• All but three of the first 20 games have been decided by three or fewer runs, including six one-run decisions. They're 2-4 in one-run games.
• After going 14-for-28 in a six-game hitting streak, RF Bobby Abreu went 1-for-10 the last two games of the series. (updated: 4/30/04)

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National League Central NOTES
Chicago
• RHP Kerry Wood will appeal the five-game suspension he received for charging an umpire in an April 17 game against Cincinnati. He said he expected a fine, but not a suspension. He will continue to pitch pending a hearing.
• Manager Dusty Baker sat out his one-game suspension on Wednesday. The penalty for his tirade during an April 16 game against the Reds. He said it was the first time he had been suspended at any level.
• After outscoring opponents 39-5 in their six-game winning streak, the Cubs were outscored 19-1 in two losses to Arizona. (updated: 4/29/04)

Cincinnati
• Barry Larkin celebrated his 40th birthday Wednesday. He is the youngest the 10 active players 40 or older in the majors. Atlanta's Julio Franco is the oldest at 45 years, 249 days.
• RHP Jose Acevedo (2-1, 4.26 ERA) will make his fifth start of the season Friday at Houston. He has 25 strikeouts in 25 1-3 innings.
• OF-3B Jacob Cruz, 31, had his contract purchased from Triple-A Louisville to replace injured RF Austin Kearns, who went on the 15-day DL wit ha broken left forearm. "It's unfortunate Austin got hurt," Cruz said. "Somebody has to step in and, hopefully, I can do the job for the Reds." (updated: 4/29/04)

Houston
• RHP Roger Clemens (4-0, 2.05 ERA) rejoins the Astros on Friday to make his first career start against Cincinnati. Clemens didn't travel to Pittsburgh because he wasn't scheduled to start there. He used one of his days off to meet 4,000 troops of the U.S. Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Neb.
• Clemens is the first Astros pitcher to start 4-0 since Shane Reynolds in 2000.
• The Astros are 12-0 when leading after eight innings and are 243-5 since 2001.
• 3B Morgan Ensberg, in a 2-for-19 slump, did not start either game in Pittsburgh against RHPs Josh Fogg and Kip Wells.
• LF Lance Berkman made a standout catch of SS Jack Wilson's fly ball to end the Pirates' sixth Thursday, the last batter Andy Pettitte faced.
• RHP Octavio Dotel struck out the side in the ninth for his third save. C Brad Ausmus said, "It usually takes him a few weeks into the season to get his mechanics in sync and get his consistent velocity. But it's been creeping up, he hit 97 today, and that's the O.D. we plan to have for the next five months." (updated: 4/30/04)

Milwaukee
• Chad Moeller became the fifth Brewer in franchise history to hit for the cycle, the first ever to do so in Milwaukee, when he accomplished the feat in his first four at-bats Tuesday night. He is the first Brewer to hit for the cycle since Paul Molitor on May 15, 1991, and only the 13th catcher in major league history to do it.
• Scott Podsednik has stolen 13 consecutive bases dating back to last season. The Brewers franchise record for consecutive steals is 17 by Robin Yount in 1988-89. (updated: 4/29/04)

Pittsburgh
• The Pirates are 8-2 when their starting pitcher lasts at least six innings.
• OF Jason Bay, still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, may begin a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Nashville this weekend. Bay did not play in the field during spring training and has been at the extended spring camp in Bradenton, Fla., since the season started. He had a setback last weekend and sat out a couple of games to let his shoulder rest.
• INF Freddy Sanchez (ankle surgery), also in the extended spring camp, is playing games but is not ready for a rehabilitation assignment.
• RHP Kris Benson starts Friday in Milwaukee for the first time since squandering a 4-0 lead in a 9-7 loss Saturday to the Reds. Benson is 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career starts against Milwaukee.
• OF Rich Thompson, one of five players the Pirates lost in the Rule 5 draft in December, was returned to them by Kansas City. A Rule 5 pick must stay with his new team for an entire season, or be offered back to his former team for $25,000 if he clears waivers. The Red Sox returned LHP Frank Brooks at the end of spring training. (updated: 4/30/04)

St. Louis
• C Mike Matheny issued a warning to Phillies OF Marlon Byrd, who left his feet and barreled into him at the plate in the eighth in an unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the ball. "No big deal," Matheny said. "He'd better watch out next time, though."
• 2B Tony Womack missed his eighth straight start with tightness in his right triceps muscle, related to offseason reconstructive elbow surgery. The Cardinals had planned on him playing, but backed off because of rainy conditions. Marlon Anderson is 10-for-28 with five doubles and a home run in six starts at the position and was 3-for-6 on Thursday.
• 1B Albert Pujols was presented with the Silver Bat award for his NL batting championship.
• The Cardinals were 5-for-30 with runners in scoring position in the series, including 1-for-10 on Thursday.
• St. Louis is 2-0 in extra innings.
• OF Reggie Sanders is batting .400 (18-for-45) in his last 11 games with five homers and 13 RBIs. (updated: 4/30/04)

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National League West NOTES
Arizona
• RF Danny Bautista has hit .405 (30-for-74) in his career-best 19-game hitting streak. He has a hit in every game since he went hitless in the season opener.
• Arizona has scored 32 runs in its three-game winning streak, entering Wednesday night's contest, and hit .319 through the first five games of its six-game home stand.
• The Diamondbacks have homered in seven consecutive games and 11 of its last 13. Arizona has 20 homers during that 13-game stretch. (updated: 4/29/04)

Colorado
• Denny Hocking got his second start of the year at second base. "I wanted to get him in because Luis Gonzalez and Aaron Miles are both having trouble," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Gonzalez has been off the ball more than ever, and we're working on some things with Miles.
• SS Royce Clayton has an 11-game hitting streak, one shy of his career best. Clayton is hitting .319 (15-for-47) in that stretch. "He's showing patience, using the whole field." Hurdle said. "He is certainly giving us more than we expected.''
• RHP Jason Jennings lost consecutive starts for the second time in his career. He lost successive starts Aug. 28, 2002, against San Francisco and on Sept. 8, 2002, against San Diego. "It's frustrating," said Jennings, who gave up six runs and three home runs in five innings. "I was more aggressive, but the results were the same."
• The Rockies failed to hit a home run for the first time since April 15 against Arizona. Colorado had homered in 11 consecutive games. (updated: 4/29/04)

Los Angeles
• LF Dave Roberts went into Thursday night's game with the highest on-base percentage (.415) in the NL. He is batting .281 with a double, triple, homer and five RBIs. He also was 14-for-14 in stolen base attempts.
• 3B Adrian Beltre is off to the best start of his career. He was hitting .355, with seven homers and 18 RBIs in his first 20 games as the Dodgers headed into Thursday night's game against the Mets.
• Odalis Perez made his 100th start and got the win in Wednesday night's 3-2 victory over the Mets. He has 29 victories since the start of the 2002 season, tied with the Mets' Al Leiter for fourth most among left-handers over that span. (updated: 4/30/04)

San Diego
• Catcher Ramon Hernandez was out of the starting lineup Thursday after jamming his ankle running out a fielder's choice in the eighth inning a night before. Hernandez ended up scoring from first on Khalil Greene's triple.
• Padres manager Bruce Bochy praised Greene, the rookie shortstop, who is hitting .278 with seven doubles and two triples. "We made up our minds, we thought he was ready and he proved us right," Bochy said. "And he's done everything we've asked and done a great job offensively, defensively and we're excited to have him here with us." (updated: 4/30/04)

San Francisco
• Manager Felipe Alou had to rewrite his lineup after Barry Bonds arrived at the ballpark and told Alou he wanted to play - usually the slugger takes the day off for a day game following a night game. Bonds hit his 668th career homer, too. "He wants to stay in there," Alou said. ``He wants to help even if they walk him."
• OF Dustan Mohr, in an 0-for-19 slump, doesn't have a hit in his last 10 games and is batting just .043. He's not too worried - and neither is Alou, who says he likes how aggressive Mohr is at the plate. "I feel good," Mohr said. ``I've hit a lot of balls hard and right on the money, but they've been right at people. At times, I feel like there are 12 guys on defense when I'm hitting. I don't feel like I'm 1-for-whatever-I-am (1-for-23). I feel like I'm aggressive in the zone and I'm fairly selective in the strike zone. I'm going to keep swinging and sooner or later they'll fall in."
• Alou wants to get SS Neifi Perez a day off because he's played every day, but Perez wants no part of it. "Keep me in there 'til I die," he said. "I'm used to playing every day in the Dominican. I don't want to sit on the bench." Said Alou when told Perez didn't believe he needs a break: "That's what he thinks."
• Slumping C A.J. Pierzynski was relieved to get two hits in Wednesday's 10-7 win, but he was even more happy to stay away from any double plays. He's hit into seven of them. The Giants lead the majors with 34 double plays. (updated: 4/30/04)