Braves confirm September additions

WASHINGTON -- Right-handed pitcher James Parr and infielder Brent Lillibridge will be spending the season's final month looking to make a good impression and prove they can compete at the Major League level.

The Braves confirmed Sunday that Parr and Lillibridge will be among the players added to the roster after it expands to 40 players on Monday. Other additions will include right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton, left-handed reliever Jeff Ridgway and catcher Corky Miller.

Morton will be added to the roster on Monday, and he is scheduled to start the following day against the Marlins. Parr, Lillibridge, Ridgway and Miller are expected to participate in Triple-A Richmond's series finale on Monday and then join the big league team on Tuesday.

When Double-A Mississippi completes play in the Southern League playoffs, right-handed reliever Luis Valdez could be added to the roster. In 55 appearances this year, Valdez has worked 65 1/3 innings, registered 77 strikeouts and limited opponents to a .208 batting average.

Among the players joining the club from Richmond, Parr is the only one without any previous Major League experience. In 28 combined appearances (26 starts) with Mississippi and Richmond this season, he has gone 13-7 with a 3.52 ERA.

To make room for Miller and Parr on the 40-man roster, the Braves will transfer right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano and outfielder Matt Diaz to the 60-day disabled list. Diaz, who has been sidelined since May 27 with a torn MCL in his left knee, is expected to visit noted knee specialist Dr. Richard Steadman again on Sept. 15.

Niese to make Mets debut Tuesday

MIAMI -- Desperate times call for left-handed measures. And so the Mets will promote the most successful lefty they've employed in their farm system for some time, officially scheduling Jonathon Niese to make his Major League debut Tuesday night in Milwaukee.

Manager Jerry Manuel confirmed the move late Sunday morning.

"That's just where we are," Manuel said. "That's our best option. You don't know what you're going to get, that's true. But you have talent."

Niese, 21, excelled with both Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A New Orleans this year, finishing the latter assignment with a 5-1 record and 3.40 ERA. And although he will make his Major League debut against the Brewers, one of the league's best offensive teams, the Mets insist that Niese has the makeup to excel.

"Mentally, he's prepared," said Nick Evans, a teammate for much of the early season at Binghamton. "I don't have any reason to doubt that he's going to be ready to go."

"We think very highly of Jonathon Niese," said Tony Bernazard, the Mets' vice president of player development. "He's a 21-year-old that we expect to be an important member of this organization, this Major League team. You have to perform at some point. You have to perform, and it happens to be Tuesday against a very good team."

Niese's successes, quite simply, depend upon his curveball, a looping pitch in the mold of Barry Zito. Also equipped with a fastball and changeup, Niese sports average velocity, but a knowledge of how to pitch beyond his limitations.

He made three starts for the Mets during Spring Training -- all of them after a tutorial with Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax -- and finished with a 3.12 ERA. And although his rank as one of the team's top pitching prospects came by default, after the Mets traded away multiple starters to acquire Johan Santana last winter, Niese has done nothing this season but prove he deserves that tag. Quite simply, he has excelled at every level.

And that has earned him a date with the Brewers in a game with playoff implications.

"I don't know if you can ever prepare a young man for that," Manuel said. "You can talk about it, but that is one of those things that you have to experience."

Several other Minor Leaguers -- not including outfielder Fernando Martinez, the Mets' top overall prospect -- will join Niese in Milwaukee on Monday, when rosters officially expand to 40. Pitchers Robert Parnell, Ricardo Rincon, Carlos Muniz and Al Reyes -- recently signed as insurance for the back end of the bullpen -- will earn the call from Triple-A. So too will Argenis Reyes, who became expendable earlier this week when Luis Castillo returned from the disabled list, and fellow infielder Ramon Martinez. Outfielder Marlon Anderson will also come off the disabled list in time for Monday's game.

The decision to leave Fernando Martinez behind stemmed from the current makeup of the Mets' roster. With Ryan Church back from the disabled list and Daniel Murphy bullying his way into consistent playing time, Martinez, 19, would have provided little more than clutter.

"We don't have a need to bring up an extra outfielder right now," Bernazard said.

Phils pick up lefty bat in veteran Stairs

CHICAGO -- The goal for Matt Stairs, since the day he signed his first professional contract, has always been to win World Series.

"Or a Stanley Cup," the Canadian-born hockey fan said Saturday from Wrigley Field, where he joined his new Phillies teammates. "It depends on what uniform is on. When you get near the end of your [baseball] playing career, the sacrifices you make, you just want to get a ring and go from there."

With his hockey career having ended in high school, Stairs embarked on a professional baseball vocation when he signed with the Expos on Jan. 17, 1989. Still playing at age 40, now for his 11th team, the Phillies give him a much better chance of reaching that goal than his former team, the Blue Jays.

"It's tough leaving Toronto, being Canadian, but when they told me I was going to Philly, I was like, 'Nice,'" said Stairs, who served as an assistant hockey coach for John Bapst High School in Bangor, Maine, during the offseason. "[The Phillies] are a team in the hunt, in a park I enjoy playing in. There's an opportunity to win, and whatever my role is, is fine."

That role will mostly be pinch-hitting, though manager Charlie Manuel said he'll work Stairs in at the corner outfield spots, especially against tough righties. The Phillies will assume the balance of Stairs' $2.25 million salary for this season and $1 million for 2009. The Jays will receive a player to be named after the conclusion of the World Series, according to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick.

The Phillies had been looking for a left-handed bat since losing Geoff Jenkins on Aug. 23 to a strained right hip flexor, and there's little chance he'll return when eligible on Sept. 7. Philadelphia claimed Stairs off waivers, limiting the Blue Jays to one trading partner.

"We lost Jenkins and were short left-handed," Gillick said. "Consequently, to get an experienced guy who can play some and hit off the bench can't hurt. We had claimed him, so they either had to make a deal with us or keep him on the roster."

Motivated by wanting to find a spot for top hitting prospect Travis Snider, Toronto quickly agreed with Philadelphia, but haggled over money and the quality of the player to be named.

None of this matters to Stairs, who has been part of two playoff teams, with Boston in 1995 and Oakland in 2000. He understands that staying loose is important during the final weeks.

"My approach is it doesn't matter if you're 100 games out or 100 games up," Stairs said. "Every day and every at-bat, you have the same approach. At this point, you have to stay loose and have fun. I've been on teams before where you get in a race and everyone gets tight."

Stairs said Thursday that he would've liked to finish his career with the Jays and "party down Yonge Street" if they won a World Series. He'll just have to adjust.

"When you get to be my age, you don't want to move around as much as I have," said Stairs, who learned about Philadelphia from former Flyer Mark Recchi. "I'll have to find a new street in Philadelphia and party down there, maybe look for Rocky Balboa and hang out there."

Perhaps on Broad Street.

Angels looking to deal for infield depth

ANAHEIM -- Tony Reagins spent a busy day on the phones trying to find a trade for a middle infielder on Friday, but the Angels general manager said no deal was imminent.

The Angels have until Sunday night to trade for a player who would be eligible to play in the postseason. Reagins isn't desperate to make a move, but the middle-infield depth has taken a hit recently with injuries to Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis.

"I think even though you have that deadline, you want to make the best decision for your club," Reagins said. "Just because the deadline is in place, it doesn't mean you do something that doesn't benefit your team."

Reagins, though, said finding the right middle infielder for the right price would be beneficial to the club. He didn't comment on who the Angels were targeting, but various reports indicate the Angels have spoken to Toronto about David Eckstein, Marco Scutaro or John McDonald, to Baltimore about Juan Castro and to Cleveland about Jamey Carroll.

"Ideally, it's something we'd like to do," Reagins said. "I think it would strengthen us, but we're confident the pieces we have here will get us where we want to be."

The pieces for the Angels right now are rookies Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez, who started at shortstop and second base, respectively, for the second game in a row on Friday.

But Wood and Rodriguez, who both were very successful with Triple-A Salt Lake this season, have struggled offensively in various stints with the Angels. Wood is batting .118 with one homer and two RBIs in 30 games, and Rodriguez is batting .154 with homer and three RBIs in 31 games.

Reagins, however, was confident that both players will pick it up offensively and pointed out that both players have done well defensively.

"As long as their up here, the more comfortable they'll be," Reagins said. "When you're not swinging the bat well, the other aspects of your game have to be elevated, and I think they've been able to do that."

Wood made his first start since June 10 on Thursday but went 0-for-4 at the plate. But Angels manager Mike Scioscia was encouraged by the fact that Wood didn't strike out and hit the ball hard.

"I thought he had some good looks at the plate," Scioscia said. "He laid off some good pitches. He looks more comfortable than he was a few months ago."

Wood, who lowered his hand position by about six inches while in the Minors, said he feels more comfortable because he's already made his adjustment and is ready for it to pay off.

"I have more confidence now that there are not adjustments that need to be made right now," Wood said. "I think the swing and the foundation I built the last couple of months has a chance to be successful, and now I just have to go out there and do it."

Wood has been one of the Angels' top prospects for years and now could be the time for the infielder to make his mark with the club and stay in the Majors for the long haul.

"I think that's up to Brandon," Reagins said. "He's got to come up here and perform. If you take a look at his last seven or eight or weeks in the Minors, you saw him strike out less and walk more while swinging at his pitch. Those are things he has to do here, and if he can accomplish those things at the Minor League level, we're confident he can do it here."

Twins, A's kick off limited instant replay

OAKLAND -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire still had some questions about how the limited version of instant replay will work before his club was set to open its series against the A's on Thursday night.

But that didn't mean he wasn't willing to test it out on the first day the new technology will be used across Major League Baseball.

"I hope we hit so many balls off the wall that they have to check 10 of 'em tonight," Gardenhire said. "That would be just wonderful with me."

The Twins were one of six teams that were eligible to use the new system on Thursday as they began a four-game series in Oakland. Along with the Twins-A's series opener, the Angels were hosting the Rangers for the start of a series and the Cubs were opening up a set against the Phillies at Wrigley Field.

The limited version of replay will only be used to determine disputed home run calls -- fair or foul, in or out of the ballpark and fan interference.

Gardenhire has repeatedly expressed his approval of the new system, as have many of the Twins' players. First baseman Justin Morneau said he likes the new system, but he would like to see the replay extended beyond just home runs to include whether balls hit down the line are fair or foul.

For now, Morneau and the rest of baseball will have to see how replay works when it comes to home run calls. As for how much of an impact the replay system will have now that it's in place, that's still a question. But Gardenhire said he'll be paying close attention to it.

"I'll be anxious to see how many times it happens through the weekend," Gardenhire said.

Phils reportedly land Stairs from Jays

CHIGAGO -- Hours after being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays, Matt Stairs is believed to have found a new home with the Phillies.

The Phillies have added the veteran left-handed hitter to their bench, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, citing Major League sources.

Toronto would receive a player to be named and the identity of that player has not yet been determined. A Phillies spokesman was unable to confirm the deal late Thursday night.

Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Tuesday that the Phillies were looking to upgrade the bench, and the team had pursued outfielder Mark Kotsay, but he was dealt to the Red Sox.

With Geoff Jenkins possibly out for the season with a strained right hip flexor, Stairs, 40, can play both corner outfield positions and first base.

Stairs was hitting .250 this season with 11 homers and 44 RBIs. He has 252 career homers with a .266 career average in parts of 16 seasons in the Major Leagues.

A native of New Brunswick, Canada, Stairs made no secret of the fact that he had hoped to retire as a Blue Jay.

"Nothing would've been better than to go down Yonge Street [in Toronto]," Stairs told MLB.com, "celebrating with the guys I became really close with over the last year and a half.

"To me, the greatest city in the world is Toronto, and I'm not saying that because I played there or because I'm Canadian. It's a city I've always loved."

Broad Street in Philadelphia may be his next stop.

Byrnes progressing, return questionable

SAN DIEGO -- Eric Byrnes took batting practice on the field Tuesday for the first time since suffering a torn hamstring almost two months ago.

The D-backs outfielder squared up some balls, others not so much. The latter were followed by some choice language.

"I'm feeling good," Byrnes said. "But I still have to run."

Byrnes said he will have an MRI taken next week to determine if his left hamstring has healed sufficiently for him to attempt running.

Byrnes initially injured his hamstrings during Spring Training, and they hampered him in the first two months of the season. He went on the disabled list to try and let them heal but wound up tearing the left hamstring not long after returning.

The experience has provided Byrnes with a valuable lesson. So while he desperately wants to play again this year, he knows he can't push it.

"I'm going to be more careful," he said. "It's not worth it. I know what happened last time, and I can't rush the process."

That doesn't mean he's completely ruled out playing again this year. He knows he could not be an everyday player the rest of the way but would like to help if he could.

"If I come back, it would be just to help the team, not to be a hero," Byrnes said. "If I could come back and help the team in any way without risking next year, I'd like to."

Otherwise, he will try to convince the organization to let him play in the instructional league or maybe go to the Dominican Republic to get some at-bats so he can feel ready heading into Spring Training next year.

"This has definitely been a big learning experience for me this year," Byrnes said. "I realize how much I miss playing. There's nothing like being out on that field. I'm looking forward to playing next year. I can't wait to get back on the field."

Other sports have embraced replay

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball is ready to go to the videotape. While this represents a drastic step forward for the sport, it is a technology that has already been embraced widely on other playing fields and surfaces.

While video equipment has become prevalent in other professional sports, it is believed that MLB's use of instant replay will most closely resemble that of the National Hockey League.

The NHL reviews video only to judge disputed goals that are referred by one of the on-ice referees. The league has a central location in Toronto, where every goal scored during the regular and postseason -- more than 6,000 -- is reviewed by off-ice officials.

One is assigned at a monitor to watch a particular game, meaning that if there are 14 games on a particular night, 14 officials are utilized, said Frank Brown, a spokesman for the league.

Also, one official staffs a replay booth located on-site at each arena, which is equipped with high-definition cameras placed high above the two goals. While 1,230 games are played each regular season, only about a dozen are not televised on either the national or local level.

In that case, a second replay official is stationed in the arena and disputed goals are determined on-site, Brown said.

The National Basketball Association uses replay just to determine the validity of last-second shots, as opposed to time left on the game clock. Beginning with the 2007-08 season, the NBA began permitting referees to use instant replay to review altercations and flagrant fouls.

Only the National Football League uses replay extensively to review disputed plays. In the NFL system, a head coach can ask to review a call at the risk of losing a timeout if it's not reversed.

The NFL was one of the first major sports leagues to embrace instant replay, welcoming the technological advent by incorporating it into the television-friendly sport in 1986 and then revamping its use extensively in 1999.

Instant replay has been a boon to the NFL, though not everyone loves the concept as it relates to baseball. Cubs manager Lou Piniella was among those who dissented when polled on instant replay this season, saying, "When the NFL coaches drop that red handkerchief [for a review], I go to the refrigerator for about four, five minutes.

"My thoughts are, the game's been this way for 100 years and it's done well," he said. "Players, managers and coaches are all going to make mistakes, as umpires are, and it all evens out. I don't see the need for replay on home runs or anything else."

But instant replay has improved steadily in the NFL with years of use. The 2007 NFL regular season saw a record number of instant replay reviews, challenges and reversals. Last season, 327 plays were reviewed in 256 games, the most since the inception of the instant-replay system.

Out of a record 250 challenges by head coaches, 122 were reversed -- for a 48.8 percent reversal rate. That's up from 45.1 percent in 2006 and 29 percent in 1999.

Complete instant replay coverage
• Limited instant replay debuts Thursday
• Recent history led to replay for MLB
• Disputed home runs gallery

• Harold explains Instant Replay

• Jeffrey Maier play

• Ryan Howard's disputed homer

• A-Rod's disputed home run

• David Ortiz's disputed home run

• Marlins-Phillies disputed call

• Mike Cameron's disputed home run

• Other sports have embraced replay
• Most players, skippers in favor of replay
• Umpires see replay as an aid
• Official MLB press release
• Instant replay conference call

• PNC Park to demo replay debut
• Cox, Glavine cool with replay
• Marlins' Gonzalez supportive of replay
• Teahen undecided on replay
• Nationals happy about instant replay
• Piniella not sweet on replay
• Wedge not a fan of instant replay
• Yanks back replay on home runs
• Yost on board with instant replay
• Phils offer opinions on instant replay
• A's favor limited instant replay
• Twins say replay is beneficial
• Halos mixed on instant replay
• Rogers not a fan of instant replay

The NFL's use is extensive. Challenges can be made on a variety of game situations, including but not limited to scoring plays, complete or incomplete passes, interceptions, boundary calls, fumbles and forward passes. In April, owners voted to allow instant replay of field-goal attempts that go above or below the crossbar or inside or outside of an upright.

Those multiple uses would be too much for MLB to incorporate, opined Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

"I think it should be limited to a home run or fan interference," Scioscia said. "There are so many things in baseball that you can question that it would be almost dysfunctional."

Some NCAA sports and major tennis tournaments also utilize replay in some form, with the Big Ten Conference beginning use of football instant replay in 2004, and hoops using it on a limited basis. Tennis tournaments have moved technology past the video stage, permitting use of the Hawk-Eye 3D rendering computer program to spot close or controversial line calls.

The Little League Baseball World Series held Aug. 15-24 in Williamsport, Pa., had instant replay in place for the first time this year, with the help of ESPN's cameras.

For tournament rules, the use of video replay was limited to the case of a batted ball that left the field of play at or near the outfield fence, or should have been ruled out of the field of play at or near the outfield fence.

"As we have seen even in the professional ranks, these calls are among the most difficult for umpires to make for a variety of reasons," said Stephen D. Keener, the president and CEO of Little League Baseball and Softball.

"Using video replay, in very limited situations and on an experimental basis for one year, simply gives us a better chance to get these calls right. In 2009, we will evaluate the program and decide if it will be used again."

For a change, MLB will follow the kids. Rockies manager Clint Hurdle believes that the time to embrace instant replay has come.

"We live in a technological society now," Hurdle said. "We can get it right. The guy at home sees it right. That, for me, is where it gets confusing. You can sit in your chair at home and make the right call, but the man getting paid, who's the expert, who's done it for 20 years, is put in a box where you don't know."

Barton's bat, strong Braden give A's win

ANAHEIM -- A's manager Bob Geren spent a little time before Monday's game against the Angels talking about the work that struggling rookie first baseman Daric Barton has been putting in on his swing.

Barton and hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo, Geren explained, have been trying to correct a flaw in Barton's swing plane, trying to level things out.

"It helps keep the ball out of the air," said the skipper.

Yes, kids, line drives are good. Especially when they clear the outfield wall. That's what Barton's bolt to right field did a couple of hours later, sparking Oakland to a 2-1 victory in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.

Barton, who entered the game with the lowest batting average among big league regulars (.211) and the lowest slugging percentage in the American League (.313), went deep off Angels starter Jered Weaver with one out in the third inning for his sixth hit -- and second home run -- in 11 at-bats since breaking out of an 0-for-14 funk Saturday in Seattle.

"I'm definitely feeling more confident," Barton said. "The big thing with me, though, has always been patience. I'm being a lot more patient lately and getting my pitch."

Barton wasn't the only rookie to have a big night. The A's got seven strong innings from Dallas Braden, who gave up three hits -- without allowing a run -- in the bottom of the first but just four hits thereafter. He consistently got ahead in the count, worked quickly and sailed through his outing on 82 pitches, walking zero and striking out zero.

"Dallas was outstanding," Geren said. "And that first inning was huge."

Chone Figgins opened the Angels' first with a single, but Braden picked him off. Erick Aybar then singled, and after Mark Teixeira popped out, Torii Hunter laced a single to left. Oakland left fielder Jack Cust came up throwing and nailed Aybar at third base to end the inning.

"It was awesome," Braden said. "Nobody wants to get into a hole, especially against these guys. What are they, 148-2 or something? It's ridiculous."

Actually, the loss dropped the Angels to a mere 79-51, shaving their lead over third-place Oakland in the American League West to 19 1/2 games.

"It's one of those things where we faced a guy who kept our hitters off balance," Weaver said. "Sometimes you just have to tip your cap, and obviously the guy did real well. There's nothing you can do about it."

The A's touched Weaver for another run in the fourth when Frank Thomas drew his second walk of the game, did a slow-motion rumble to third on a double by Jack Hannahan and scored when a Weaver sinker bounced in the dirt, ticked off catcher Mike Napoli's chest protector and zipped all the way to the backstop.

"We got a break on the wild pitch," Geren conceded.

As Napoli stepped into the batter's box to open the Halos' half of the sixth, the scoreboard flashed a graphic noting that three of Napoli's four hits against the A's on the year had been home runs.

Make that four of his five hits against the A's. Braden's first pitch landed well into the right-field bleachers, and the game was on.

Fortunately for Oakland, its defense and bullpen were up to the task. Braden's finest moment might have come in the seventh, when he made a deft diving stop of Howie Kendrick's bunt up the third-base line and quickly spun to throw a strike from his knees to end the inning.

"Pitchers don't get many chances to make sweet plays like that, so that was pretty cool," Braden said.

Braden's glove work was part of one of Oakland's better defensive outings of the season.

Cust's throw to cut down Aybar needed to be perfect, and was.

Third baseman Hannahan wowed the crowd with a brilliant backhanded stop of a smash by Teixeira before throwing a dart across the diamond to end the fifth.

One play earlier, Barton saved Hannahan from a potential error by leaping for a high throw off the bag and making a sweep tag of Aybar at first base.

And during righty reliever Joey Devine's perfect eighth inning, the only batter to put the ball in play was pinch-hitter Garret Anderson, whose grounder Barton gobbled up while ranging to his right before a perfect feed to Devine at the bag.

"I really think our defense is one of the best in baseball," Geren said.

The only miscue came with two out in the bottom of the ninth, on a play very similar to the one Barton made on Anderson. This time, Barton handled a grounder from Teixeira but overthrew closer Brad Ziegler, bringing Torii Hunter to the plate as the potential winning run.

Ziegler quickly picked up up his fellow rookie, inducing a weak grounder to shortstop that Bobby Crosby flipped to second baseman Eric Patterson for a game-ending forceout.

"It was a really nice victory," Braden said. "All the way around."

Now's the time for Bombers to go for it

NEW YORK -- Ivan Rodriguez has spent the majority of his career in the American League, so he is intimately familiar with both the Yankees and the Red Sox --- he knows the greatness of both organizations, the nuances and quirks of two classics who play home games in storied facilities.

Yet while Rodriguez is well aware of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and how two of baseball's most passionate fan bases react when their rosters clash, it is still almost a rumor to him. The late July acquisition will get his first taste of the intensity when Boston opens a three-game series at New York on Tuesday, and he will have a front-row seat to what should be a crucial set.

"I'm excited -- I can't wait until Tuesday," Rodriguez said. "I love to see those kinds of things. I've been in those things before, a lot through my career, so it's going to be fun. We've got to just take one step at a time and win games."

Of all the statistics the Yankees could compile in their remaining 32 games, wins are the most important, needed as much as oxygen or water at this point.

Their sweep of the Orioles wasn't as pretty as it was serviceable, with New York trailing in each game and watching a five-run lead fritter away on Sunday before Robinson Cano homered to center to break a seventh-inning tie. Cano called it his "best" hit of the year, and it wasn't about any sort of personal victory over Jamie Walker.

Above all, the weekend helped keep hope alive for the Yankees, particularly in the department of the American League Wild Card. Most admit that while the division is not out of question, it does seem a bit out of reach -- the Rays' 9 1/2-game advantage over the Yankees appears daunting, with Tampa Bay's little-engine-that-could primed to reach its October destination.

It's a neighborhood that the Yankees, of course, know well. They have not missed the playoffs since 1993, when their manager was Buck Showalter and the starting shortstop was not Derek Jeter -- and not even Tony Fernandez, the forever-referenced last Yankee to hit for a cycle -- but Spike Owen, he who carried a .234 batting average while letting Mike Stanley and Paul O'Neill handle the heavy lifting.

But they are in danger of not printing playoff tickets this first year of the Joe Girardi regime, taking over after Joe Torre piloted the club to 12 of their 13 straight October appearances. As co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner has been all too happy to remind the national media, the Yankees' season has been changed by injuries, a point few would contend.

Rodriguez, for example, was acquired near the trade deadline when it became apparent that Jorge Posada's ailing right shoulder could not hold up without a surgical procedure. Chien-Ming Wang is lost for the season, Joba Chamberlain's right shoulder is mending on its slow path back, and more than two months whipped by without the services of designated hitter Hideki Matsui, who has since returned and changed the landscape of the Yankees' lineup for the better.

"Having Hideki back in the lineup, everybody is starting to settle in and get that second run," Jason Giambi said. "They talk about the dog days of August, and I think everybody's starting to come out of it now and get ready, so hopefully it'll be a good September."

To make that happen, the Yankees needed nothing less than their sweep over the weekend in Baltimore, coming in the middle of a stretch when they are playing 25 of 35 games against clubs with winning records.

The Yankees were wary going in, knowing that the Orioles, though regarded as one of the softer clubs in the mix, are among the teams that always get up to play them. Clutching passports and preparing to leave Toronto, the Yankees were not in particularly terrific spirits, having dropped two of the three games and knowing that their road wouldn't be much easier once they got through customs.

Their smiles should have been more evident after work was complete on Sunday going into Monday's off-day, but the Bombers outlook was tempered with reality: the Red Sox will be checking into a midtown hotel and trudging up to the Bronx with the playoffs on their collective mind.

There is, however, a certain quality of recklessness. Why not? The chips have been down all season, so perhaps that is the perfect atmosphere for New York to go for broke.

"We have a veteran team, and we've been counted out so many times this year," Johnny Damon said. "We've got nothing to lose. We've got to go out there and just play the game. A lot of people weren't expecting us to do anything except the guys in this clubhouse now."

Girardi said that he believed the timing of Monday's off-day came at a good time for the Yankees, who opened the second half by reeling off an eight-game winning streak, but stumbled soon after.

New York has maintained a plus-.500 record since the break, playing 20-15 ball, but they have been absolutely break-even in August with 11 wins and 11 losses. They have scored just two more runs (116) than they have allowed in August, a good example of water treading.

"We get a chance to rest our bullpen, we get a chance to rest our position players that have played every day," Girardi said. "Our starters have been really going hard, they get an extra day here which i think is important, so I think it's a great time for a day off."

New York and Boston have evenly split their 12 games so far this season, meeting another six times before the championship schedule is packed away with the summer clothes, including the final series of the year Sept. 26-28 at Fenway Park.

The Yankees know that it is too early to peek ahead to that weekend of New England foliage. With a five-game deficit in the AL Wild Card -- and the pesky Twins to jump between them -- Giambi said that the Yankees can still settle into the driver's seat, playing 12 of their remaining 32 against Boston and Tampa Bay.

"It's late in the season, and the one nice thing is that we do control our own destiny," Giambi said. "We play the teams that are ahead of us, which sometimes is rare in this game, especially when you're playing for the Wild Card. We have a chance to move up in the standings, so we've got to take advantage of that."

This week's Yankees-Sox tilt will not provide an opportunity for the home team to secure their playoff existence. But it does give them a stage where their hopes can be soundly dealt a crushing blow. It is up to the Yankees -- who begin play on Tuesday by sending Andy Pettitte to the mound, opposite the returning Tim Wakefield -- to ensure that does not happen.

"If we don't play well in that series, it sets us back some more," said Damon, "but we know the urgency of playing well in that series or winning games. So if we need a time to catch up, Tuesday's the time for us."

Late run gives Tribe sixth win in a row

ARLINGTON -- Rain delayed Saturday's first pitch one hour, 14 minutes. Two hours after that, the game was right back where it started when Kelly Shoppach's three-run home run capped off an improbable six-run fifth inning by the Indians to tie the game.

Shoppach's drive, clutch situational hitting in the eighth and yet another save from Jensen Lewis overcame a six-run Texas fourth inning and sent Cleveland on its way to an 8-7 victory at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The victory extended the Tribe's season-long winning streak to six games.

"It's definitely a very pleasing day coming back with six runs after they scored six," said Shoppach, who is from the Fort Worth, Texas, area. "That's got to hurt a team when they score six and we come right back and score six."

Four innings into the game, one of the most highly unlikely scenarios was that Lewis would be on the mound looking for his sixth save in as many opportunities. But that's just the position Lewis was in, nursing a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.

And that one-run lead looked mighty vulnerable when Lewis went 3-and-0 to the first batter of the inning. But Lewis bounced right back and struck out the Texas side in the ninth to slam the door shut.

While all signs pointed to a night off for Lewis, he held out hope that the club would need him in the ninth.

"That is the one thing," Lewis said. "I don't think any of us in here think we're ever out of any game. When you get behind like that, that's when you really have to grind down and chip away, and that's what they did."

Five innings earlier, Texas had posted a six-spot on Cleveland starter Jeremy Sowers.

Sowers, whose Achilles' heel this season has been getting lit up in the first inning, made it through the first two unscathed, facing the minimum. But he started to falter in the third, allowing a run on three hits, before getting chased in the fourth.

Four straight Rangers reached to lead off the inning before a two-out, two-run home run from Michael Young ended Sowers' night with Texas ahead, 7-1.

"He just made some bad pitches," manager Eric Wedge said. "He left some pitches out over the plate and, most of all, he struggled [pitching] out of the stretch."

The Rangers sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth en route to a six-run inning, and the Indians matched them in the top of the fifth, scoring six runs of their own to get Sowers off the hook.

"We had a lot of baseball to play," Wedge said. "I told the guys to get back at them. It was great, not just to come back, but to do it right away."

The fifth inning couldn't have started out much worse for Cleveland, though, against Texas reliever Josh Rupe. Three batters into the inning, the Tribe was down to one out after David Dellucci hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

But after that, Rupe put four straight Indians on base. One of those baserunners was hotly contested by the Rangers.

Rupe threw an 0-and-1 hanging breaking ball inside that appeared to hit the handle of Jhonny Peralta's bat as he ducked to avoid the pitch. Instead, home plate umpire Tim Welke ruled it hit Peralta and awarded him first.

A protest from Texas manager Ron Washington and a conference among the umpires didn't result in an overturn.

"It was just tough to tell," Wedge said.

Three batters later, Shoppach belted a three-run home run to left off Warner Madrigal, who'd just entered the game, to tie the score, 7-7.

"It was a new pitcher, so I just guessed and got lucky that he threw where I was swinging," Shoppach said.

In the eighth, Shoppach started a rally that resulted in the deciding run.

After legging out an infield single and advancing to second on a passed ball, Shoppach was pinch-run for by Franklin Gutierrez with pinch-hitter Jamey Carroll at the plate. Carroll singled to right field and Gutierrez chugged home for the winning run off Jamey Wright.

"You know you're going to get a professional at-bat out of [Carroll]," Wedge said. "He puts himself in a position to have a good at-bat, and that's just what he did."

Cleveland's bullpen moves fared far better than the ones Texas made.

The combination of Edward Mujica, Rafael Perez, Rafael Betancourt and Lewis combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Mujica pitched 2 1/3 of those innings as Texas sent only 16 batters to the plate the last five innings.

"This one, give all the credit to the rest of the bullpen," Lewis said. "If they don't shut down the offense, we wouldn't have had a chance to win. And we had guys on offense who didn't quit, and that's our nature."

Grady Sizemore remains waiting to join the 30/30 club, going without a home run Saturday, but he tacked onto his stolen base total with three. It was the second time in his career he swiped three bases in a game, and it increased his season total to 34.

IOC: MLB players needed for 2016 bid

BEIJING -- In an exclusive interview with MLB.com, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said during Saturday's United States-Japan bronze medal game there is "no hierarchy" among the seven contending sports to be added to the 2016 Summer Olympics and said marquee Major League Baseball talent must be sent if his group is to approve the return of baseball as one of those.

Rogge showed up right after Matt Brown's three-run homer for the U.S. in the bottom of the third inning, and he sat behind home plate next to Harvey Schiller, the president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and former U.S. Olympic Committee chief. It is the last day of baseball in the Olympics for at least eight years because, along with softball, it was removed from the 2012 Games in London by virtue of an IOC decision much earlier this decade.

"To be on the Olympic program is an issue where you need universality as much as possible," Rogge said. "You need to have a sport with a following, you need to have the best players and you need to be in strict compliance with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). And these are the qualifications that have to be met.

"When you have all that, you have to win hearts. You can win the mind, but you still must win hearts."

Those "hearts" must be won over when the IOC meets in October 2009. The IBAF and Major League Baseball are among those lobbying in full force during the Games and will be all the way up until that decision is made. In addition to baseball and softball, the committee will be choosing among squash, karate, golf, roller sports and rugby. Baseball and softball are mutually exclusive, not a package deal.

Major League Baseball once again did not permit its players to be on the U.S. team, which was eliminated from gold-medal contention on Friday night by Cuba. The U.S. roster is comprised of 23 Minor Leaguers plus San Diego State junior pitcher and top 2009 Draft candidate Stephen Strasburg. Rogge said that must change.

"Yeah, it's a big factor," he said. "We have [Roger] Federer, [Roger] Nadal in tennis, LeBron James in basketball. We have the best cyclists. Ronaldinho is here in football. We want these guys at the Games. We're not saying it should be an entire Major League team, but we want the top athletes here at the Olympics."

Will baseball be back in 2016?

"We will consider the possibility for baseball to come back as softball also is considered next year in October," he said. "Baseball and softball will have to compete with five other sports. There is no hierarchy. That's something that will be decided by our committee after reviewing all of the factors."

Rogge was asked by MLB.com why he was here in the first place, considering that his group removed baseball from the future games.

"I'm here because I want to pay thanks to our eight teams that participated," he said. "I am pleased to go to at least one event of all the Olympic sports. I can't go to all the finals, obviously, so I go to the qualifying games in some. I was [at baseball] in Athens, too. And I was also at Sydney."

MLB President Bob DuPuy said at last week's Owners' Meetings that MLB is completely behind the movement to return baseball to the program for 2016, and indeed various people from MLB (and Gene Orza of the Players Association) have been at Wukesong Sports Complex and working with Schiller behind the scenes to work toward that end. Schiller said this week that MLB players will be part of the proposal in some capacity, mentioning one scenario whereby Major Leaguers could participate in the medal round and Minor Leaguers in the preliminaries.

Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of MLB, told MLB.com during Friday night's game against Cuba that it is way to early to speculate on how Major Leaguers might be used.

"There is no proposal right now that I know of," Solomon said. "We're going to do all we can to support Dr. Schiller. Of course, we are very supportive of the Olympic movement, and we are interested in helping Dr. Schiller in every way possible. But specifics right now are not appropriate.

"We're going to do our best. We think baseball deserves to be on the Olympic stage. We'll do absolutely our very best, but how we go about that remains to be seen."

Rogge was told that at least from a U.S. perspective, there seems to be a great deal of optimism that baseball will be back.

"If you weren't optimistic," he said, "there would not be a chance."

Perkins, Twins dominate Angels

ANAHEIM -- On Thursday night, the Twins tested their road mettle against the Angels by pulling out a one-run victory in 12 innings at Angel Stadium.

One night later, the club didn't need quite so many theatrics.

A 9-0 victory over the Angels on Friday night not only gave the Twins two consecutive wins to start out their 14-game road trip, it also moved the Twins back into first place in the American League Central.

It's exactly the type of start that the club was looking for in what has been the most-talked-about road trip for the Twins this season.

"We are on a very tough road trip here and we're playing the best team in our league," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We know we have to come out and can't make mistakes. We have to be totally into the games."

One person who clearly appeared into the contest from the first pitch he threw was Twins starter Glen Perkins.

Pitching has been a focus for the Twins on this trip and they got another big boost Perkins. The Angels' offense was handcuffed for a second straight night, as Perkins followed Scott Baker's eight-inning gem by tossing eight shutout innings of his own. The rookie left-hander scattered just five hits in the contest and didn't give the Angels much breathing room at all.

"Watching how [Baker] got the guys out last night, I just tried to emulate that and made my pitches and guys made the plays behind me," Perkins said. "Having a game like that last night where a starter goes eight, you're trying to save the bullpen and still end up pitching four innings, it's nice to be able to go that deep and save the bullpen."

The only real scoring threat for the Angels came in the first inning, when Erick Aybar doubled with one out in the inning and reached third base on Vladimir Guerrero's flyout. But Perkins (11-3) got Torii Hunter to fly out to right field.

It was a continuation of Hunter's woes against his former team. After going just 3-for-16 in the opening four games of the season at the Metrodome, Hunter is 0-for-8 with a walk in two games in this series.

Perkins, who has won nine of his past 10 decisions, also got quite a bit of help from his offense, thanks to the nine runs of support. It was the most runs the Twins have scored at Angel Stadium since June 26, 2000, when they picked up a 10-8 victory.

And the offensive onslaught was carried by a pair of outfielders -- Denard Span and Delmon Young.

The two combined to go 5-for-9 with seven RBIs. But it was their pair of home runs that had the biggest impact.

Young's came in the fourth inning after the Twins had wasted earlier opportunities to get on the board. In each of the first three innings, the Twins' leadoff hitter reached base, but the club was unable to drive them home.

Then with two outs in the fourth and a runner on first, Young managed to display some patience against Angels left-hander Joe Saunders. He got ahead 2-0 in the count and then belted the next pitch deep into the right-center field seats.

"You just know he's not going to try to get behind 3-0 with a runner at first base," Young said. "He was going to try to throw for a strike and he happened to miss over the plate."

The two-run homer by Young gave the Twins their first lead and the team just continued to pelt Saunders after that. In his start against the Twins in April, Saunders limited the club to just four hits over eight innings. But this time, Young said the lefty gave the club opportunities to work the counts and get hits by his failure to throw first-pitch strikes.

Saunders lasted only 5 1/3 innings in this contest and wasn't in the game when Span added to the lead. A three-run blast to right-center by Span for his third homer of the season increased the Twins' lead to 8-0.

And from there, the Twins were able to cruise quite easily, thanks in part to some increased focus by Perkins. Although the Twins had built him big leads in previous starts, Perkins had watched some of them disappear due to some late blunders on his part -- including three home runs in the sixth inning to Seattle in his last start.

"It was nice to keep my focus and not only get through the sixth and the seventh but the eighth with a lead like that and not give anything back to them," Perkins said. "I think [pitching coach Rick Anderson] was the happiest about that."

With Chicago's 7-4 loss to Tampa Bay at home earlier on Friday night, Minnesota has a half-game lead over the White Sox in the division race. The Twins were well aware of the loss during their contest with some of the players checking the out-of-town scoreboard.

But while it was nice for the Twins to get a lead back in their division, the club was more focused on their ability to get started on the right foot for this road trip.

"The more wins we can get early, the less pressure it puts upon us to not have to try and salvage a road trip," Perkins said. "We know we have 12 games left on the trip and we're going to try to win more than we lose."

Blalock moves to first with activation

ARLINGTON -- Hank Blalock, after a four-month odyssey, is finally starting at first base for the Rangers.

Blalock was activated off the disabled list Friday and started at first base against the Indians. Chris Davis moved over to third base and Travis Metcalf was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma.

"I'm a little nervous about it," said Blalock, who was in the fifth spot in the batting order against Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona. "It's kind of like an Opening Day feeling. But I'm excited; it's a new experience for me."

Blalock has been almost exclusively a third baseman since he broke into the Major Leagues. He played four games at second base in 2003 but has never played first base. Blalock and club officials settled on the switch earlier this week when he decided his right shoulder just would not handle the strain of playing third down the stretch.

"That's my position the rest of my year," Blalock said. "I'll worry about the rest of my career later."

Blalock had been on the disabled list since July 28 with inflammation in the shoulder. He underwent surgery on May 21, 2007, and the shoulder has never really been at full strength since.

Blalock, who missed 2 1/2 months because of a torn left hamstring and then right wrist surgery, tried to play third base when he came off the disabled list at the All-Star break. But he lasted just nine games before the shoulder started acting up again.

He tried to come back as a third baseman but gave up on that idea before Texas decided to switch him to first base. That was the plan as far back as May, but that was before Davis was called up from Triple-A and provided an immediate impact with his offense.

"Coming off the All-Star break, I thought I would be able to play third base for the rest of the year, but that didn't happen," Blalock said. "Now, I want to finish the season strong. I'm excited to be back in the big leagues and playing with the guys. My body feels great, now I just want to go out and have some fun."

Blalock played in three games at Triple-A Oklahoma on a medical rehabilitation assignment before being activated. He went 6-for-12 with two doubles.

"I know if they throw one in the wrong spot, Hank will take a hack at it," manager Ron Washington said. "If they hit a ground ball at him, he'll catch it. If they throw a ball at him, he'll catch it and step on first. That's all he needs to do. Hank's a pro."

Davis has played two games at third base this season for the Rangers, but that was his position all of last year while in the Minor Leagues.

"After two days of working with Chris, he doesn't seem too rusty," Washington said. "If he has any difficulties, it might be on the slow roller, coming in, picking up the ball and getting rid of it quickly. But that might be the only problem. If they hit a ground ball at him, he'll certainly catch it."

Metcalf was hitting .214 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 16 games over three tours with the Rangers but was 9-for-26 (.346) in the last two weeks.

All-time Survivor leader up to 33 games

While nobody has broken Joe DiMaggio's legendary 56-game record on MLB.com's Beat the Streak, a different "unreachable" mark was finally surpassed Friday night on MLB.com.

MLB.com fan "frewerdj," who has yet to reveal his real name, eclipsed the 1916 New York Giants' legendary 26-game win streak on MLB.com Survivor and put himself in prime position to take home this year's grand prize.

The all-time MLB.com Survivor leader upped his record run to 33 straight days of picking a winning team Thursday thanks to the Cubs, who notched a 3-2 win over the Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Right-hander Carlos Zambrano (13-5) recorded the win for the Cubs, allowing only one run on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts over seven innings.

Zambrano also led the North Siders at the plate, hitting a solo home run in two at-bats. Second baseman Mark DeRosa added a solo shot in three trips to the dish.

If frewerdj finishes the 2008 season with the highest winning streak, he will win season tickets to the team of his choice for the 2009 season.

There are a number of fans currently around the 20-game mark, so there is no guarantee that frewerdj will prevail when the regular season wraps up at the end of September.

MLB.com Survivor is a free and easy-to-play fantasy game. Choose one team every day that you think will win its game. If the team wins, your streak goes on. If the team loses, you start over.

If you reach 27 or more games and finish the season with the longest winning streak, you win season tickets.

The 15-second-a-day fantasy game debuted on MLB.com in 2002. Prior to frewerdj's success, the top winning streak had stood at 24 games.

Glaus has stats to be Gold Glover in '08

ST. LOUIS -- It was the classic challenge trade, and one of the more intriguing deals of the offseason. The Cardinals sent Scott Rolen to Toronto in a one-for-one exchange for Troy Glaus, another former All-Star at the same position.

To some extent, the players were mirror images. Rolen remains an elite defender, at least arguably still the best in the game. But in his increasingly injury-hampered state, Rolen had become a major question mark on offense.

Glaus, on the other hand, was a potent offensive performer even in his last year in Toronto, when a foot injury limited him to 115 games. But his compromised mobility had turned him into a questionable defender.

The conventional wisdom in January has all proved to be true in August, except for one piece. Glaus has shown himself to be an exemplary defensive player. He's at least in contention to join Rolen, Terry Pendleton, Ken Reitz and Ken Boyer on the list of Cardinals Gold Glovers at the hot corner.

"Who's playing better than he is defensively?" manager Tony La Russa asked. "I would think he's the favorite."

For the most part, the scouting report on Glaus was accurate. He's not an acrobat, and he's not exceptionally fast. But he's been extremely sure-handed, he comes in on balls extremely well and he's quick in his reactions.

"To me, playing good defense is making the plays you're supposed to make," Glaus said. "The diving plays, hey, that's great. Everybody loves to see them, they're awesome. Bare-hand plays, things like that, everybody loves those. But at the end of the day, you just try to make the plays you're supposed to make. That's it."

He has assuredly done that. He stands far above everyone in conventional fielding stats, with a .984 fielding percentage that is way better than any other National League third baseman. He's been charged with just five errors this year.

But the more advanced numbers also tell a similar tale. He's second in double plays, tied for fourth in range factor and fifth in zone rating. In revised zone rating, a metric used by The Hardball Times, Glaus is tied for fifth. In The Fielding Bible's plus-minus ratings, he's second in the league behind only the Dodgers' Blake DeWitt, who's been nudged out of a job by trade acquisition Casey Blake.

Gold Glaus?Troy Glaus' fielding statistics and rankings among National League third basemen:Fielding Percentage.9841stDouble plays24T-2ndRange factor2.76T-4thZone rating.7935thRevised zone rating.709T-5thFielding Bible plus-minus+82nd

Glaus maintains he hasn't changed a thing. Cardinals infield coach Jose Oquendo says the same, that the club has simply let Glaus be himself.

"We just left him alone," Oquendo said. "Let him take ground balls when he wants to. We didn't try to change him. He's been around. He knows how to play the game. He was a shortstop, so a lot of the moves he does, he does like a shortstop."

For Glaus, the biggest factor this year is health, followed by perhaps a little luck. Plantar fasciitis rendered him all but immobile in 2007, and it was clear to see when he played the field.

"Last year was frustrating because I couldn't really move," he said. "I was fairly stationary, taking what was there. But for the most part, I'm doing what I've always done. Same preparation. Same everything. Maybe just a couple of in-between hops are going in where, maybe in years past they didn't."

With Rolen, a seven-time Gold Glover, gone to the AL, and Ryan Zimmerman enduring an injury-plagued year, the Gold Glove race may well be wide open. Coaches and managers vote on the awards, and they may not vote for their own players.

David Wright is the reigning winner, and he has edges on Glaus in revised zone rating and out-of-zone plays made. By most other metrics, though, Glaus ranks ahead of Wright. Not that the numbers necessarily dictate the winners when it comes to Gold Gloves, but Glaus must at least be in the conversation.

"He can't get my vote," said Oquendo, "but he would be my guy."

Glaus talks about Gold Glove possibilities in the same way he talks about hitting home runs, or virtually any other individual accomplishment or accolade. Sure, it would be nice, but it's not what he's aiming for.

"I'd love to be able to have that on the mantel," he said. "But at this point, that's not the goal. My goal is to play as well as I can and get this team into the playoffs. That's it."

Wagner suffers another setback

NEW YORK -- A vexing sequence of events has taken place within Billy Wagner's left arm, and now has threatened to end his season.

First, there was swelling, which became too much to bear during this month's opening series in Houston. Then, there was rest, aimed at healing his left arm. And now, more than two weeks later, an additional MRI has revealed increased inflammation in a tendon of Wagner's left elbow. So the Mets closer will not return this week, as team officials once hoped, and could potentially miss the remainder of the season.

"I want to play," Wagner said. "I want to compete. There's only so much time in a career, and I want to get out there and help my teammates."

The Mets continue to express confidence that Wagner can indeed return this season, though they remain quite concerned of his health. Because rest did not improve Wagner's left arm -- the swelling has only increased over the past two weeks -- the Mets must proceed forward without him in their plans.

Wagner won't be able to throw off a mound until doctors reexamine him and find no additional damage, which can't occur until after the swelling subsides. In the interim, he will proceed with all other baseball activities and a light program of catch.

"Our doctors have pretty much recommended that he rest some more," general manager Omar Minaya said. "How much time? We don't know."

Wagner said that he explored other options, including a possible cortisone injection that would allow him to pitch through the injury. But the risk of compounding his medical problems seemed too great, and so Wagner will continue with only his standard regimen of anti-inflammatory medication.

Originally hitting the disabled list on Aug. 5 due to a strained tendon in his left forearm, Wagner pitched in a simulated game and made one rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton, which left him in a bit of pain. Not surprisingly, the notion of his injury being a forearm strain eventually melted into the reality that he had suffered elbow inflammation -- and possibly worse.

The Mets would not discount the possibility that Wagner may have suffered structural damage in his elbow, admitting only that they won't know for sure until the swelling subsides. So they'll instead proceed with the patchwork bullpen that has struggled in Wagner's absence.

"We'll just try to match up the best way we can," manager Jerry Manuel said.

Although the most likely closer candidate remains Aaron Heilman, he has posted a 12.91 ERA over nine August outings and has proven ineffective in recent ninth-inning stints. The Mets recently demoted another candidate, rookie Eddie Kunz, back to Triple-A to make room for Luis Ayala, but too many questions surround Ayala's velocity for him to step into the role. And none of the other bullpen options -- Scott Schoeneweis, Duaner Sanchez, Joe Smith and Pedro Feliciano -- have been effective on a consistent basis.

The Mets kicked around the idea of converting John Maine into a closer earlier this month, but Maine's health has prevented them from making that move. And the other candidates -- namely Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey -- are currently too valuable as starters for Manuel to reassign them to a different role.

So Manuel will instead use his current relievers as individual matchups might dictate.

"The thing that I want to be careful of is anointing someone [as the closer], and then that doesn't work out," Manuel said. "That's where we are now."

Wagner, for his part, disagreed, noting that a closer's effectiveness hinges in large part upon job security -- regardless of short-term success.

"The only reason Billy Wagner is Billy Wagner is because when I blew a save, they put me back out there the next day," Wagner said. "It's totally a feeling of you're the guy that's going to get the ball regardless of who you are, and what you did yesterday."

But Manuel's Mets are in a pennant race, and he can't afford to experiment with handing only one man the keys to the ninth inning.

What's clear is that whoever does ultimately earn the job will do so by providing the type of stability that this bullpen has lacked in recent weeks. If the Mets have designs on winning the division, they'll need to find one, two or a half-dozen men who are capable of closing out wins without incident.

"I do not necessarily determine the role," Manuel said. "The relief pitchers determine the role. Everybody gets an opportunity to get out there and see what they can do, however they do it. If they do it well, they'll get another opportunity. And it's not always result-based. It's how you compete."

Where are they now? Andre Dawson

WASHINGTON -- When baseball left Montreal in 2004, the world's last image of America's pastime in the Canadian city was one of empty seats and a franchise lost.

But that's not the Montreal that Andre Dawson remembers.

Considered one of the best players in Expos history, "The Hawk" said there were years the Expos drew upwards of two million people, most of whom he said were still "learning the game" but still came out to cheer heroes like Dawson, Hall of Famer Gary Carter and Tim Raines.

"I think we had some good careers over the time that we were there," Dawson said. "I played in an era when we were very competitive."

He certainly did. Selected in the 11th round of the 1975 Draft by Montreal out of Florida A&M, Dawson -- a Miami native -- made it to the Majors a year later and played on the only division-winning team Montreal ever had.

Along with players like Carter, Raines, Bill "Spaceman" Lee and now-Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Dawson helped Montreal to a 3-2 series win over Philadelphia in the 1981 National League Divisional Series. They would fall in the NLCS to Los Angeles by that same margin.

Now a special assistant to the president with the Florida Marlins -- the team with which he retired from baseball in 1996 -- Dawson said he splits his time between the Major League club and affiliates, helping young players develop and grow through Florida's system.

"I enjoy it, because it's a very flexible situation," Dawson said, adding that he particularly likes the work he does in the Marlins' Minor League system. Still, when you're considered one of the best overall players of your generation, Minor League baseball players tend to be a bit shy.

"They're kind of hesitant to approach you at first," Dawson said. "It takes them a couple days to warm up to you. ... Then, they're full of questions."

Dawson ought to have plenty of answers. In addition to his 10 years in Montreal, the right-handed outfielder spent time with Chicago, Boston and Florida over his 20-year career. He hit at a career .279 clip with 438 home runs, 1,591 RBIs, 503 doubles and 314 stolen bases. Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Willie Mays, Steve Finley and Reggie Sanders are the only other players in Major League history to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 career bases.

ARI: Aug. 28 | ATL:Sid Bream
BAL:Doug DeCinces | BOS:Fred Lynn
CHC:Doug Glanville | CIN:Tom Browning
CWS: Aug. 25 | CLE: Aug. 28
COL: Aug. 27 | DET: Aug. 26
FLA:Chad Fox | HOU:John Hudek
KC: Aug. 27 | LAA:Clyde Wright
LAD: Aug. 25 | MIL:Pat Listach
MIN: Aug. 29 | NYM: Aug. 22
NYY:Bucky Dent | OAK: Aug. 22
PHI: Aug. 21 | PIT:Mike LaValliere
STL:Andy Benes | SD: Aug. 29
SF: Aug. 26 | SEA: Aug. 21
TB:Fred McGriff | TEX:Tim Crabtree
TOR:Danny Cox | WAS:Andre Dawson
Presented by Monster

Still, Dawson played half of his career north of the border, presiding over arguably the most successful period for baseball in Montreal. He acknowledged, however, that by the time the team left for Washington, its situation was beyond fixing, victim to a "perfect storm" of factors. He said he realized just how bad things had become soon after Sept. 11, when he returned to visit the team.

"The writing was on the wall," Dawson said. "You could hear people in the stands talking to each other, and I was in one of the boxes. I realized then that the game in Canada was at an all-time low."

Still, Dawson thinks the possibilities could be bright for a Major League return to the city he described as "a small New York City, without the crime." He said he thinks if that does happen, it ought to be with a smaller stadium in the city.

As for Montreal's descendant Washington Nationals, Dawson can't really identify with the new franchise -- too few familiar faces, he said -- but he does try to follow some former Expos, including injured Washington first baseman Nick Johnson and some clubhouse personnel that made the switch from Montreal to Washington.

For now, the man Expos fans dubbed simply "Le Hawk" enjoys his job and spending his time close to home and the city where he grew up.

"This is my home," Dawson said. "This is where my loyalty is."

Matsui stays behind to rehab

MILWAUKEE -- Kazuo Matsui did not accompany the Astros to Milwaukee and instead stayed behind in Houston to rehab on his own, with the help of his massage therapist, Katsumi Oka.

Head athletic trainer Dave Labossiere left behind a rehab program for Matsui and will keep in contact with the second baseman while the team is out of town. The Astros are hopeful Matsui will be ready to come off the disabled list when he's eligible on Aug. 28, which falls in the middle of the next homestand with the Reds and Cardinals.

"Being this late in the year, hopefully, when we get back, he can do baseball stuff and get close there," manager Cecil Cooper said.

For now, baseball-related activities are off-limits for Matsui, who is on the DL for the third time this year. His current problem involves an irritated disk in his lower back, an issue that has plagued him at times during his career.

Carlos Lee also didn't make the trip to Milwaukee, and because he's out for the year, it's possible he won't travel with the team for the rest of the season.

Cooper, however, hopes Lee will be around when the team plays at home.

"He said he'd come out a few days during the next homestand to help with the hitting situation, talk to the young guys," Cooper said. "Just help us out a little bit."

Red Sox push back Beckett's start

BALTIMORE -- Red Sox ace Josh Beckett will be pushed back three days in the rotation and is now scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. This, after the right-hander felt some numbness in the pinky finger and ring finger of his right hand during his last start against the Blue Jays, in which he gave up eight hits and eight runs over just 2 1/3 innings.

Beckett and manager Terry Francona both said that the injury could have been caused by the pitcher sleeping on his arm.

However, Beckett added that the issue was not isolated to just Sunday, and that he's dealt with it on and off this season. But he said that this is the first time it got to the point where taking some time off was necessary.

"Yeah, it's just something I've been dealing with," said Beckett. "At some point and time, [we] just have to figure out what the [heck] it is. Obviously, it's not what I want, but at this juncture it's something that needs to happen. Obviously there's something going on."

Beckett, asked if he would undergo tests to make sure there is no aneurysm or anything else of that magnitude, said he has been given assurances that there are no such issues, and that those type of tests probably won't be necessary.

Still, he wants to get the problem under control.

"It feels alright," Beckett said. "I just have some numbness in fingers that obviously I'm not used to having. As far as pain goes, there's not very much pain at all with it. It's just, like I said, you have to figure out what it is or it gets so bad to where it gets to be a really bad problem.

"It's something that we've dealt with. Like I said, I've never had to deal with it on that level. It's something we've monitored over time. It hasn't ever festered [like this] until now."

With off-days on both Thursday and Monday, the Red Sox were easily able to re-arrange the rotation. Paul Byrd, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka will start the weekend series in Toronto.

Beckett, assuming the numbness goes away, will open the three-game showdown at Yankee Stadium, followed most likely by Byrd and Lester.

Rays' risky move pays dividends

ARLINGTON -- Rays manager Joe Maddon didn't see it as unconventional or unorthodox.

He called it "prudent." The results speak for themselves, even if it's the type of move reserved for a guy like Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth.

Maddon made the unusual call of intentionally walking Josh Hamilton with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning Sunday night. The Rays had a four-run lead at the time, and the move paid off when reliever Dan Wheeler struck out Marlon Byrd to end the game and preserve a 7-4 victory over the Rangers.

"I just thought it was prudent," Maddon said. "I could very easily see him hitting a grand slam. He's having -- I don't want to say spectacular -- but he's having a pretty good year. I didn't like Wheeler against him, either."

The Rays led 7-2 into the ninth, but the Rangers scored one and had the bases loaded with two outs when Hamilton came to the plate against reliever Grant Balfour. Byrd was on deck batting behind Hamilton because Milton Bradley had been scratched before the game due to back tightness.

Maddon said that made a huge difference in the decision to walk Hamilton. If Bradley is in that spot, Maddon made it clear the decision would have been different.

"Absolutely," Maddon said.

But Hamilton leads the Major Leagues in RBIs, and he had a grand slam against the Rays at Tropicana Field earlier this year. Maddon talked it over with pitching coach Jim Hickey, and decided to walk Hamilton on four pitches.

"He's got a pretty good shot at tying it up," Maddon said. "With Byrd and a single, we still have the lead. Extra bases maybe ties it up, and a home run wins the game. But I could easily imagine Hamilton tying it up right there. So I chose to walk him even though Byrd was 2-for-3 with an extra-base hit off Wheeler. I'd rather see him up there.

"Let's face it, this is Hamilton's year and I didn't want him to ruin ours."

Wheeler got ahead 1-and-2 on Byrd, and then hung a curveball. Byrd fouled it off. Wheeler then struck him out on a much sharper curve.

"That was the pitch to hit, a hanging breaking ball," Byrd said. "He executed the next pitch. I've got to come through in that situation."

As for the intentional walk, Byrd said: "It was the right move in the right spot. When a guy is the American League Manager of the Year like he's going to be, things go your way."

Sauceda stages 'perfecto' performance

WIILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- The word kept coming from right-hander Jesus Sauceda's mouth.

It was a word that pitchers everywhere want to use, because it represents, in baseball circles, excellence at its highest, which is why Sauceda used the word so often.

His outing against Italy was excellence on a grand stage on Sunday. It was, as Sauceda would say over and over in Spanish, "perfecto."

In one of the rarest feats in Little League World Series history, Sauceda pitched a perfect game as Mexico beat Italy, the winners of the Europe Region, 12-0, in a game stopped in the fourth inning because of the 10-run rule.

Yet even that didn't lessen Sauceda's achievement. As Italy coach Andrea Bettati put it, "This speed of their pitcher doesn't exist in Italy. We were in trouble."

And trouble started early for Bettati's boys.

In the bottom of the first, as Sauceda had struck out the side in the top of the inning, Mexico took a 1-0 lead on Tomas Castillo's leadoff homer. The inning would produce more than one run for Mexico, though.

After Castillo's homer, Italy right-hander Mirco Bannani walked left fielder Ruben Molina. Center fielder Sergio Rodriguez singled, and third baseman Emmanuel Rodriguez doubled home a run. Right fielder Eduardo Rodriguez knocked in two more runs.

That gave Sauceda a 4-0 lead. He didn't need any more. He rolled through the team from Italy in a performance as seamless as a Little Leaguer might craft.

The only drama as Mexico continued to pour on the runs against winless Italy was whether Sauceda would achieve perfection this afternoon. Would he become the fourth Little Leaguer to pitch a perfect game at the World Series?

Nobody had to tell the fire-balling Sauceda what was at stake as Mexico went into the top of the fourth, 12-0. He had a role in that lead as well, because it was his grand slam in the bottom of the third that had capped the scoring for Mexico, unbeaten in Pool C play.

Now, Sauceda had history in front of him.

"I realized it was so close," he said through an interpreter. "I was tired, I was really tired."

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• Little League World Series tries replay
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• Little League sticks to mission
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• Decade later, Toms River still amazed
• Big league surgery for Little Leaguers

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Yet he knew he had one more inning to go.

"I was really pumped up, really motivated," he said. "I knew I was throwing a perfect game. I was trying to get the perfect game -- or a least a no-hitter."

The fourth didn't seem to start well. The first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Matteo Lanfranchi, proved a struggle. He was fouling off pitch after pitch.

"He was really fighting it off, and I was started to get nervous there," Sauceda said. "He was just fouling it off and fouling it off, and all of a sudden, I had three balls on him."

But Sauceda slowed himself down. He didn't want to walk Lanfranchi. So Sauceda's 3-2 pitch overmatched Lanfranchi, who swung and missed.

Two more hitters to face -- pinch-hitters Guido Gerali and Giacomo Bassi. Both fanned.

"Perfecto" is the word Sauceda used.

Under the spotlight of TV coverage here and abroad, he faced 12 batters; he fanned 12 batters. Sauceda's 60-pitch performance was more than anybody had expected. It was more than he'd expected as well.

"Honestly, I'd dreamt of maybe being a hero of one of the games and win the World Series eventually," he said. "But this was a great game all-around. That was incredible."

It also was "perfecto."

Japan 9, Canada 3: Right-hander Takumi Ozeki called the game the worst he'd pitched. "I expected he would pitch much better," coach Shingo Ariyasu said through an interpreter. But as harsh as both evaluations might have been, Ozeki and Ariyasu could take solace in the fact the other players from Japan provided plenty of firepower. With a homer from catcher Yutaka Takeshita, a triple from Ryohji Kimuri and doubles from left fielder Shodai Mizuno, third baseman Masahiro Igarashi and center fielder Ryo Motegi, Ozeki wasn't short of run support. Overall, he pitched well. He allowed just three hits and one run in 4 1/3 innings. Ozeki teamed with Mizuno and Satoshi Suehiro to hold Canada to four hits.

Southwest 9, Great Lakes 0: Left-hander Trey Quinn might have been trumped by an earlier performance, but Quinn and his teams from Lake Charles, La., had to like the performance Quinn did produce. He pitched a no-hitter in shutting out Jeffersonville, Ind., to remain unbeaten in Pool A. In beating Jeffersonville, Quinn got plenty of support. Lake Charles scored five runs in the bottom of the first off Dalton Duley. "It's a lot easier to call a baseball game when the offense gives you some runs," said pitching coach Dave Quinn, Trey's father. "You don't have to nitpick." His son didn't. He walked one and struck out 12 en route to his World Series masterpiece. "I'm proud of him," his father said. He had more than his son to be proud of. Lake Charles got two triples from shortstop Kennon Fontenot, who pitched a dominant game a night earlier, and two hits and two RBIs from catcher Beau Jordan. Both teams are off Monday. They return to Pool A play on Tuesday. Jeffersonville will play Mill Creek (Wash.), the Northwest Region champ; Lake Charles will play Hagerstown (Md.), the Mid-Atlantic champ.

Latin America 12, MEA 0: Right-hander Aroldo Sanchez admitted he was nervous in the first inning. He needed to hear some wise words from his coach, who advised him to ignore the boisterous fans from his homeland. Sanchez listened well. He shook off those early jitters and held Saudi Arabia to three hits and no runs over four innings. Along the way, his teammates lavished him with runs aplenty, quickly turning the game into an easy win. Sanchez contributed to that offensive eruption. He doubled twice and knocked in three runs to pace a 14-hit attack that overpowered the Middle East/Africa Region champions. In the sixth, Saudi Arabia tried to mount a late threat against right-hander Will Changarotty, but nothing came of it, as Changarotty, the team's second reliever, kept the shutout going.

West 10, Southeast 2: The opportunity to clinch a spot in the next round was there to be had in Pool A, and Hawaii, the winner of the West Region, seized it. Using the strong relief work of right-hander Tanner Tokunaga, left-hander Trevor Ling, right-hander Christian Donahue and right-hander Kainoa Fong, Hawaii shut down one of the more potent offenses in the Series, holding Citrus Park, winner of the Southeast Region, to six hits. Aside from the 2-0 lead Citrus Park took in the first off starter Khade Paris, it wasn't able to generation anything more. Hawaii showed plenty of ability to score, and Tokunaga's grand slam in the bottom of the fifth sealed the victory. "He just hung a curve," Tokunaga said of right-hander Darren Miller. "I hit it good. ... It busted the game open." Citrus Park coach Joe McGuire said the loss was a wakeup call for his ballclub, viewed as one of the strongest teams in the tournament. Both teams play on Monday, though the Hawaii game against Rapid City (S.D.), winner of the Midwest Region, is meaningless. Citrus Park will play Shelton (Conn.), winner of the New England Region, for the right to advance.

Aybar's grab saves the Halos in win

CLEVELAND -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia thought the worst when Ryan Garko's bloop fly ball headed toward shallow left field in the seventh inning of Saturday's game.

Darren Oliver, who was watching from the mound after throwing the pitch, wasn't worried at all.

As it turned out, Oliver was right and the Angels held on for a 4-3 win over the Indians, thanks to a spectacular play by shortstop Erick Aybar.

While John Lackey raised his record to 10-2 and Francisco Rodriguez recorded his 47th save, Aybar's play was the biggest in the victory.

With the Angels leading by a run, Oliver relieved Lackey to start the seventh and immediately loaded the bases with two walks and a single. He then struck out Kelly Shoppach on a 2-2 pitch.

Enter Aybar, who took over as the Angels' starting shortstop on Friday because of Maicer Izturis' season-ending thumb injury. Garko's blooper looked like a sure bet to fall into shallow left field, but Aybar got an excellent jump on the ball and made a backhand, leaping catch. He hung on to the ball after hitting the ground and got to his feet quickly before the runners could advance.

Oliver retired pinch-hitter Jamey Carroll on a tapper to the mound, ending the threat.

Aybar's play was a big topic of conversation in the Angels clubhouse.

"That's something you'll see on Web Gems," Oliver said. "I knew he was going to make that play."

Scioscia, from his vantage point in the dugout, wasn't so sure.

"Off the bat, I thought it was in there," he said. "He went a long way. That's as much range as you're going to see from a shortstop. That was incredible."

The deciding vote goes to Aybar and even he wasn't so sure.

"I didn't think I was going to catch it," he said, through translator Ervin Santana. "The way it came off the bat, I thought it would get out there quicker. I ran fast and made the catch."

Lackey (10-2) allowed three runs in six innings, raising his road mark to 6-1 while Rodriguez worked the ninth for the save, which tied the club record he set in 2006.

Lackey gave up a solo homer to David Dellucci in the first and a two-run blast to Garko in the third. Both were on 2-0 counts.

"I was only upset about the second one," Lackey said. "It was a dumb pitch. I should have thrown him a cutter. On the first one, it was the first inning. I wanted to go ahead and challenge him."

Scot Shields worked the eighth. Rodriguez gave up a single to Jhonny Peralta to lead off the ninth, but struck out Shin-Soo Choo. Peralta took second on Kelly Shoppach's groundout before Rodirguez struck out Garko on a 3-2 pitch.

The Angels did get some help offensively, thanks to shoddy defensive play by the Indians. Vladimir Guerrero had the Angels' only two RBIs of the game. Three Indians errors and two wild pitches by Fausto Carmona helped the Angels score four times in the first three innings.

Chone Figgins started the game with a single off Carmona. Peralta couldn't handle Mark Teixeria's one-out grounder for an error and the runners moved up on Carmona's first wild pitch. Guerrero's groundout made it 1-0.

After Aybar drew a one-out walk in the third, Teixeria singled to right. As Aybar slid in safely at third, the throw from right fielder Ben Francisco bounced into the camera bay. Aybar was awarded home and Teixeria went to third.

Third baseman Andy Marte threw wildly on Guerrero's ground ball. Guerrero ended up at second and was given an RBI as Teixeria scored.

With Torii Hunter batting, Guerrero stole third and continued home when Carmona's second wild pitch went to the backstop.

"We really didn't swing the bats very well," Scioscia said. "Fortunately, we created some offense."

Garret Anderson had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 20 games. He's batting .386 (32-for-83) during the streak.

No-hitter? No matter for Little Leaguers

WIILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Right-hander Drew Ellis had his team from Jeffersonville, Ind., poised to win its opening-round game Saturday morning in the Little League World Series.

Playing in a Pool A game, Ellis and his teammates, the Great Lakes Region champions, had held Hagerstown, the Mid-Atlantic Region champs from Maryland, hitless as they headed into the last half of the fifth inning.

"We knew we had six outs to get the ball in play," said Hagerstown manager Bill Abeles Jr., whose team had its original game against Jeffersonville postponed Friday night because of rain.

His boys didn't waste those six outs. While they never did get a hit off Ellis, they used patience and his wildness to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win.

"We'll take a manufactured win anytime," Abeles said.

And manufactured this win was, too. Both runs in the fifth came on wild pitches, and Ellis' struggles to command the strike zone set up both runs.

Ellis hit a batter to jump-start the inning for Hagerstown; he then issued a walk.

"He was getting close to his pitch count," Jeffersonville manager Derek Ellis said of his son. "He was probably getting a little tired."

He decided to stick with his young right-hander, who had been dominating a Hagerstown team that had come into the Series with a reputation for scoring runs.

"He was a really good pitcher," Hagerstown center fielder Mark Grunberg said of Ellis. "He threw very hard."

And for most of the ballgame, Ellis threw under control, too.

With the game winding toward its final outs, he needed to keep that going.

He didn't, though.

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• World Series shines spotlight on kids
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• Decade later, Toms River still amazed
• Big league surgery for Little Leaguers

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With two men on in the fifth, Ellis bounced a ball that skipped away from catcher Josh Burke, which allowed the tying run to score. A frustrated Ellis, trying hard to keep Jeffersonville tied, then uncorked another wild pitch, which brought home the go-ahead run.

From there, it was a matter of whether Hagerstown could keep the lead. That looked as if it might present trouble when Jeffersonville shortstop Chandler Dale, facing reliever Josh Barron, opened the sixth with a double.

Third baseman Hayden Robb sacrificed Dale to third. With one out, Jeffersonville had the tying run on third -- a break of any sort away from evening the game at 3.

But Dale struck out Ben Shahroudi for out No. 2, and got Burke to ground to third to end the inning. The chance to tie had turned into defeat.

"They're a little down," said Derek Ellis, sharing the mood of his youngsters. "So what, we lost one. Big deal. We've got two more to play."

For Hagerstown, it puts itself into a stronger position to advance. It did so in one of the oddest of ways -- without a hit.

"That's a first," Abeles said. "Probably one hit here and there, and we manufactured a couple of runs and won a game. But that's the first one of those."

On Sunday, Jeffersonville plays Lake Charles (La.), winner of the Southwest Region. Hagerstown plays its next game in Pool A on Monday when it takes on Mill Creek (Wash.), which represents the Northwest Region.

Mexico 6, Caribbean 2: A pitchers' duel between Carlos Balboa of Mexico and Entwin Reigina of Curacao came undone in top of the fifth. Mexico broke the scoreless ballgame open with five runs in the inning. Center fielder Sergio Rodriguez provided the big blow: A three-run homer to cap the inning. Mexico scored another run in the sixth, but Curacao mounted a mini-rally of its own. It scored two runs off Rodriquez, who'd come on to replace Balboa, before he closed out the victory in the first Pool C game for both teams. "It was important to get this win, especially in a short series like this," said Mexico manager Gustavo Gomez. His team plays Guam, the winner of the Asia-Pacific Region, on Monday; Curacao plays Italy, the winner of the Europe Region.

Guam 7, Italy 6: Guam manager William Meeks needed what looked like a miracle to rescue the Asia-Pacific Region champions from what appeared to be a certain loss. "I told my kids to keep believing in themselves," Meeks said. "They came back strong." Indeed, his kids did. Trailing 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth, they scored three times but they still found themselves a run behind Italy. Now, Meeks needed closer Nicholas Cruz to keep Guam within a run. Cruz did his part, striking out the side on 10 pitches. That left victory in the hands of the offense. Italy, which won the Europe Region, didn't seem as if it would oblige. Right-hander Fernando Rabago fanned the first batter. He fanned a second hitter before finding himself with runners on second and third with two outs. That brought Johnny Quenga to the plate. Quenga, who had knocked in two runs earlier, lined one of Rabago's fastballs to center for a single. Two runs scored, giving Guam a win in its Series opener. Both teams resume play Monday. Guam will face Mexico; Italy will play Curacao in Pool D games.

New England 9, Midwest 4: The boys from Shelton National, which represented the New England Region, made amends Saturday for the lack of offense in their first game at the Series. They jumped on right-hander Cale Fierro, who started for Midwest representative Rapid City, for nine runs on six hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. Right-hander Jesse Riddle came on to stop the scoring, but his work could counter the damage Shelton had done against Fierro. For Shelton, coach Ed Szymansky got a solid outing from right-hander Bobby Moretti, who pitched a complete game. Moretti gave up five hits en route to the victory. Both teams get a day off Sunday before resuming Pool B play. Rapid City, winless so far, will take on Waipahu, Hawaii, which won the West Region; Shelton will meet Citrus Park, Fla., the winner of the Southeast Region.

Japan 5, MEA 0: In a game nobody expected to be close, Saudi Arabia, the team that won the Middle East/Africa Region, hunt tough against a powerful team from Japan. But in the end, the boys from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, would match the execution and skill of the team from Japan. Nor could they figure out how to hit right-hander Ryosuke Moriuchi, who came without two outs of pitching a no-hitter. In his 73-pitch outing, Moriuchi allowed two base runners, the first coming on a walk. He never let MEA mount a serious threat. Yet MEA didn't allow Japan much, either, until the top of the sixth. At the time, MEA trailed, 1-0; the run scored on a wild pitch. "I'm actually proud of my boys," MEA coach James K. Durley said. He had good reason to be proud. Even the Japan coach, Shingo Ariyasu, expected an easier game from his Pool D opponent. Both teams resume play on Sunday. Japan plays Canada, and MEA plays Latin America.

Southwest 5, Northwest 2: "To be the best, you want to beat the best," said Scott Mahlum, coach of the Mill Creek, Wash., team that represented the Northwest Region. In a loss to Lake Charles (La.), his club played one of the best teams in the Series. It certainly faced one of the best pitchers in flamethrower Kennon Fontenot. In pitching Lake Charles to the victory, Fontenot, a right-hander, struck out Series-high 15. "I can't get over how good a pitcher he was," Mahlum said. "He's a fantastic pitcher." Mill Creek coach Charlie Phillips called Fontenot's outing the difference-maker. From the start, he dominated. "I just had all my pitches working," Fontenot said. He and his teammates continue their Pool A play on Sunday, when they take on Great Lakes Region champion Jeffersonville. Mill Creek doesn't play again until Monday. It will face Hagerstown, the Mid-Atlantic champion.