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**Kaptain** · 06-06-2004, 02:48 PM

Spark

Lots of effort...Appreciate it...Had to get away from the Service Request thread, tooooo many CUBS emblems staring at me, between you and JODY..

as always, you're the best...TOF, excuse me -- Capt. TOF:D

**Spark** · 06-06-2004, 03:05 PM

Please do not stay away for long YOF... I will pull the emblem down if you want....

Sunday, June 6th (All times eastern)
TEXAS RANGERS (30-23) AT NEW YORK YANKEES (34-20), 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Texas - Ryan Drese (2-2, 4.20) New York - Mike Mussina (6-4, 4.96)

(Sports Network) - After splitting the first two games the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers will square off in the final contest of their three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Heading to the mound for the Yanks this afternoon will be Mike Mussina. After beginning the season with a 1-4 record the veteran righthander has won five of his last six starts and is unbeaten in his last seven (5-0). The righthander hasn't lost since April 22 on the road against the Chicago White Sox.

In his last start on Tuesday, Mussina allowed just three runs on nine hits in six innings of work against the Orioles. At Yankee Stadium, Mussina has been dominate, posting a 4-0 mark in five starts

In 27 career starts against the Rangers Mussina is 12-12 with a 4.15 ERA.

The Rangers will put the ball in the hands of Ryan Drese today. Despite allowing five runs on eight hits in just 6 1/3 innings of work against the Indians in his last start on Tuesday, the righty was not strapped with a decision. Drese has not tasted victory in over a month, with his last win coming on May 5th against the Devil Rays. In that start, the 28-year-old tossed 6 1/3 scoreless and scattered just five hits in the process.

Yesterday, Juan Dominguez pitched eight strong innings for his first major league win and Brad Fullmer and Mark Teixeira homered, as the Rangers rolled to an 8-1 victory. Fullmer finished 3-for-4 with a walk, four runs scored and two runs batted in for the Rangers, while Teixeira added three hits and three RBI. Texas bounced back from a 7-6 loss in Friday's series-opener to win for the fourth time in five games.

Dominguez (1-1) was brilliant against a Yankee team that hit six homers in Friday's game and had scored at least five runs in its last 11 contests. The righthander, who had been 0-3 in seven career big league appearances over parts of two years, limited New York to five hits and one run with a walk and five strikeouts.

Ruben Sierra homered for the lone Yankee run. New York had won four straight and lost for only the second time in its last 12 games.

Yankee starter Jon Lieber (4-3) has been on the mound in each of those two losses. The righthander went the first six innings for New York and lost for the first time in three decisions at Yankee Stadium. He was roughed up for six runs on nine hits and suffered his second straight loss.

On the milestone watch, Yankee centerfielder Williams needs eight hits to become the seventh Yankee to reach 2,000. Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Don Mattingly, and Yogi Berra are also on that list.

Rodriguez has now reached base safely in 43 consecutive games, extending the longest such streak of his career and the longest streak in the majors this season.

Yankee outfielder Gary Sheffield has been on a tear during an 11-game hitting streak, going 20-for-47 with 12 runs scored, five home runs and 16 RBI.

Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter missed yesterday's game with a tight left groin and he is expected to sit out today's contest as well.

The Yankees, who are in the midst of a 12-game home-stretch, are 17-8 in New York this season.

Texas took two of three from the Yankees earlier in the season and have won eight of the last 12 in the series. The Rangers have also won in nine of their last 15 games in the Bronx.

TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS (21-32) AT BALTIMORE ORIOLES (24-27), 1:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Tampa Bay - Rob Bell (1-2, 4.96) Baltimore - Rodrigo Lopez (4-2, 2.76)

(Sports Network) - A constant rain that drove up from the south and ran along the East Coast proved to be just enough to keep the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from hitting the field on Saturday.

While the game has yet to be rescheduled at this point, the teams are still planning on getting in their contest this afternoon at Camden Yards, now an abbreviated two-game series.

The opener on Friday night was pushed to 11 innings before Fred McGriff knocked in the go-ahead run in an 8-7 victory for the visitors.

The win was the third in a row for the Devil Rays who, as of Sunday, have the longest winning streak in the American League. The squad, which is just 7-18 on the road, tying them for the fewest road wins in the AL, is still last in the American League East, 12 1/2 games out of first at the moment.

By virtue of their setback two nights ago, the Orioles are now showing the longest losing streak in the majors at four games. The home team is just 12-14 at Camden Yards, the only team in the division with a losing mark on its home field. The birds are currently 8 1/2 games out of first place and falling fast.

Since their arms are well rested, both teams will keep with their starters from Saturday, with the Devil Rays handing the ball to Rob Bell this afternoon, making just his third start of the 2004 campaign. The righthander was called up from Triple-A Durham of the International League back on May 20 and was last on the hill on May 31, helping Tampa Bay secure a 7-3 win over the Minnesota Twins after hurling seven strong innings on the road. Bell allowed two runs and struck out four in the victory, his first in the big leagues this season.

Bell has appeared in just one other game previously against the Orioles, picking up a win after allowing just two earned runs on a pair of hits and four walks.

As for the Orioles, they are putting their faith in Rodrigo Lopez, now 4-2 on the season. Only recently has the righthander been placed in the starting rotation, already having made a dozen appearances out of the bullpen for the club this year.

The 28-year old had his longest outing of the season the last time out, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits, in a 13-4 blowout victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.

Lopez has already appeared in a pair of contests against Tampa Bay this season, allowing three hits while striking out a trio in five innings of relief. Overall, Lopez is 4-2 versus the Devil Rays in his career, striking out 34, while walking 11, in 44 1/3 innings of action altogether.

Miguel Tejada, third on the team in batting at the moment at a .316 clip and leads the group with 43 RBI, has had the most experience against Bell with nine hits in 23 at-bats.

As for the Devil Rays versus Lopez, Jose Cruz has four hits in nine plate appearances, while Rocco Baldelli has come away with just one hit in the same number of at-bats.

Tampa Bay now leads the season series with the Orioles by a count of 4-3 and is 6-8 in its last 14 games played at Camden Yards.

DETROIT TIGERS (25-30) AT MINNESOTA TWINS (29-26), 2:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Detroit - Nate Robertson (4-3, 4.43) Minnesota - Carlos Silva (6-3, 4.34)

(Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins will square off in the final contest of their three-game set this afternoon at the Metrodome.

Heading to the mound for the Twins will be Carlos Silva. Silva snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory in his last outing on Tuesday. In that contest, Silva allowed just two runs on five hits in seven innings against Tampa Bay.

Silva will look to rebound after struggling through the month of May with a 1-3 record and an ERA of 5.14 in five starts. The righthander is 1-0 with an ERA of 6.00 against the Tigers in two starts, both of which came this season.

The Tigers will hand the ball to Nate Robertson this afternoon. Tuesday was the last time Robertson stepped on the mound for the Tigers. In that contest, the southpaw held the Royals to just three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings of work, but despite the effort, the youngster did not record a decision.

Robertson has not tasted defeat since May 15th when he lost to Texas 6-1. In that outing, Robertson record 10 strikeouts, but allowed three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. The 26-year-old is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the Twins in his two career starts.

Yesterday, Craig Monroe drove in four runs and Gary Knotts threw shutout ball into the eighth, as the Tigers earned a 6-0 victory. Carlos Pena and Carlos Guillen homered for Detroit, while Ivan Rodriguez finished with four hits and two runs scored. The Tigers snapped a two-game slide and won for just the fourth time in their last 13 games.

The Twins, coming off a 3-2 victory Friday on Torii Hunter's ninth-inning homer, lost for the third time in four games.

Knotts (3-1) won his second straight start. He limited the Twins to three hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.

Steve Colyer got the final out of the eighth and Ugueth Urbina completed Detroit's fourth shutout of the season with a hitless ninth.

Seth Greisinger (2-5) took the loss for Minnesota. The former Tiger was tagged for four runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Minnesota's third baseman Corey Koskie has been tearing the cover off the ball, going 7-for-27 with six runs scored, four long balls and nine RBI in his last seven games.

In his last six games, Rodriguez is 14-for-25 with four runs, three doubles and four RBI.

Detroit is 13-14 away from home this season.

The two squads have split eight games thus far this season, however, Minnesota is 48-16 against the Tigers since the start of the 2001 campaign. The Twins have also posted a 28-5 mark at home versus Detroit in that time.

BOSTON RED SOX (32-23) AT KANSAS CITY ROYALS (20-33), 2:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Boston - Derek Lowe (4-5, 6.84) Kansas City - Chris George (0-0, 4.05)

(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox try to climb above the .500 mark on the road this afternoon as they close out a three-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

On Saturday the Red Sox, behind a strong effort by Curt Schilling, moved to 14-14 away from Fenway Park with an 8-4 triumph. The victory, coupled with a loss by the New York Yankees, moved the Sox to within 2 1/2 games of the top spot in the American League East.

Schilling allowed only three runs on six hits, striking out three and walking one, as he won his third straight decision and moved to 7-3 on the year.

The ace hurler received plenty of support from Boston hitter as David Ortiz, Mark Bellhorn and Kevin Youkilis all had home runs for the Red Sox, who ended a four-game losing streak and evened this three-game set at a game apiece. Jason Varitek added three hits and an RBI for Boston, which has won three of five this season against Kansas City and 11 of the last 14 dating back to the 2002 campaign.

Benito Santiago had a homer and two RBI for the Royals, who had a two-game win streak halted with the loss. Ken Harvey extended his current hitting streak to 14 games as well, placing him second in the league in hitting with a .374 average.

Darrell May suffered the loss, yielding seven runs -- six earned -- on 10 hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked one as he was handed his league- leading eighth setback of the season. The three homers he allowed also increased his league-lead in that category to 17.

Kansas City, which is an even 13-13 at home in 2004, remains at the bottom of the AL Central, now 10 games out of first with barely a week gone by in the month of June.

This afternoon the Red Sox throw Derek Lowe at Kansas City. The 31-year old is making his 11th start for the club, after losing four of his last five decisions.

Lowe was pummeled by the Baltimore Orioles in his most recent outing, allowing seven runs on eight hits and four walks, without a strikeout, in a 13-4 defeat on May 31.

The righthander has one of the highest ERAs of any starter in the AL at 6.84, with more bases on balls (25) than strikeouts (21) through 51 1/3 innings.

Lowe took part in the first series of the season against the Royals, but was tagged for four earned runs, walking a season-high five batters, in an 8-4 loss to KC on May 9 at Fenway Park.

For his career Lowe is just 1-4 with a 5.04 ERA against Kansas City.

As for the Royals, they plan to counter with Chris George on the hill this afternoon. The lefthander is making just his second start of 2004 in the majors, after being called up from Triple-A Omaha of the Pacific Coast League on June 1.

While in the minors George had a record of just 1-3, but had an ERA of 2.32 and allowed opposing hitters to bat only .252 against him.

George is now 13-18 with a 6.25 ERA in his four-year career with the Royals, which includes a mark of 0-2 with a 4.22 ERA versus Boston.

Off the field, at least at the major league level, the Red Sox are looking to the return of All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, sidelined all season due to a sore right Achilles' tendon. Garciaparra made his first rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday and has targeted June 8 as his return date to the big club.

CLEVELAND INDIANS (24-29) AT ANAHEIM ANGELS (33-22), 4:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Cleveland - C.C. Sabathia (2-3, 3.29) Anaheim - Bartolo Colon (4-3, 5.43)

(Sports Network) - Slowly losing their lead atop the American League West, the Anaheim Angels try to snap a two-game skid this afternoon as they close out a four-game set versus the Cleveland Indians at Angel Stadium.

On Saturday, Casey Blake's only hit of the game gave Cleveland the lead and the Indians held on for a 3-2 win, their second in a row after having dropped three straight and 10 of their previous 14 contests overall.

Blake finished 1-for-4 with a two-run double in the sixth inning, while Victor Martinez added three hits and Coco Crisp homered for Cleveland.

Rick White got the win in relief of starter Joe Dawley, who had to leave with an injured right elbow after 4 1/3 innings. White allowed only three hits in 2 2/3 innings of work in picking up his third victory in four decisions this season.

Dawley, making only his second career start, hurt his elbow on an offering to Josh Paul in the fifth. Paul flew out to left on the pitch and Dawley remained in the contest to throw one pitch to Alfredo Amezaga, but was then lifted for White.

Jose Jimenez came on to work a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season.

Chone Figgins, who needed a home run on Friday night for the cycle, picked up where he left off and smacked a two-run homer for the Angels in defeat.

Starting pitcher John Lackey, who was allowed to take the mound while appealing his five-game suspension following an incident against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 24 when he was ejected for throwing consecutive inside pitches to Simon Pond, dropped his fourth straight decision, surrendering three runs on eight hits. He struck out four, walked two and hasn't earned a victory since tossing a shutout on May 7 versus Tampa Bay.

With losses in his last two decisions, C.C. Sabathia tries to break back into the win column this afternoon as he takes the hill for the Indians, now tied with Detroit in the AL Central at six games out of first. The lefthander last took the ball for the Tribe on Tuesday when he surrendered five earned runs on six hits, while striking out a season-high tying six, in six innings of action at home. While Cleveland fell by a 6-5 score, Sabathia did not factor into the decision.

Sabathia is making his first appearance against the Angels this season, having already produced a 2-3 career mark with a 5.40 ERA i seven games versus Anaheim over the years.

Countering for the Angels in the contest will be the well-traveled Bartolo Colon, now with his fourth different team in the last three seasons. The righthander, whose only losing season in seven previous campaigns was his rookie year with the Indians in 1997 (4-7), is 4-3 at the moment with a 3.93 ERA for the Halos.

Colon last pitched on Tuesday, getting pulled after giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out seven, over the course of four innings. The Angels won the 7-6 decision over the Boston Red Sox at home, but Colon failed to record the win, which means his last triumph was nearly a month ago in a 7-2 victory over Tampa Bay on May 8.

Having turned 31 just two weeks ago, Colon is making his first start of the year versus his former team, one that he has a 2-1 career record against to go along with a 3.45 ERA.

The Angels are currently 18-9 at home this season while Cleveland has just eight road triumphs, against 16 defeats.

The Angels took six of nine from the Indians last season and are 13-8 against Cleveland since the start of the 2002 campaign.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (25-31) AT OAKLAND ATHLETICS (30-24), 4:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Toronto - Jason Kershner (0-0, 4.76) Oakland - Mark Redman (3-3, 3.79)

(Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays will square off in the final contest of their four-game set this afternoon at the Coliseum.

The Athletics will send Mark Redman to the mound this afternoon. Redman was extremely effective in his last start, allowing just one run on six hits in six inning against the White Sox on Tuesday. However, despite the effort Redman did not record the decision.

The last victory for the southpaw came on May 19th against the Tigers at the Coliseum. In the game, Redman allowed just two runs on seven hits in five innings against Detroit.

Redman has dominated the Blue Jays in three career starts, posting a 2-0 record with a meager ERA of just 1.29.

Jason Kershner, who is starting for the injured Roy Halladay, will be making his second start of the season and of his young career. In his only start of the season the 27-year-old lasted just 3 2/3 innings, while allowing four runs on six hits against the Mariners.

The southpaw has made just four relief appearances against the Athletics in his career, posting a 0-0 mark with an ERA of 1.35.

Yesterday, Tim Hudson tossed his first shutout of the season to lead Oakland to a 4-0 win. Hudson (6-2) allowed eight hits to earn a victory for the first time in three starts for the Athletics, who won for the ninth time in 10 home games. He walked one and struck out five, and permitted just two runners to second base in his seventh career shutout.

Scott Hatteberg and Bobby Crosby both homered for Oakland, which has won four of five overall.

Pat Hentgen (2-5) dropped his third straight decision for the Blue Jays, who lost for the second time in three games. Gregg Zaun and Alexis Rios both finished with two hits.

Hentgen, the former Cy Young winner allowed four runs on four hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out four.

The A's have won nine of the last 12 versus the Blue Jays.

Oakland is 16-10 at the Coliseum, while the Blue Jays are just 11-17 outside of their Canadian home.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (30-23) AT SEATTLE MARINERS (20-34), 8:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Chicago - Esteban Loaiza (6-3, 3.7 Seattle - Jamie Moyer (4-2, 4.02)

(Sports Network) - With the worst record in the American League entering action on Saturday, the Seattle Mariners try to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since May 25-26 as they close out a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field.

On Saturday the Mariners, who only a few years ago were the toast of the AL West, but are now last in the division with a mark of 20-34, recorded a 4-2 win at home thanks to a Bret Boone two-run homer. The victory snapped a three-game slide for Seattle, while the Sox bowed for the third time in the last four outings.

Aging lefthander Jamie Moyer, now in his 18th season in the majors, tries to win his fourth straight start for the Mariners as he pitches in the series finale. On Monday the 41-year-old allowed just two runs, on a pair of solo homers, over the course of 7 2/3 innings in a 6-2 victory against Toronto.

For the month of May, Moyer was 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA, striking out 23 while walking only five, although he did surrender 11 home runs in just 41 innings of action. The Pennsylvania native has now allowed 16 home runs this season in 71 innings.

For his career Moyer, who is three strikeouts shy of his 1,700th is 5-6 with a 4.42 ERA versus Chicago.

Searching for his third straight win on the mound, the Chicago White Sox put the ball in the hands of Esteban Loaiza. The 32-year old last made an appearance on Tuesday when he failed to earn a decision after hurling eight innings against the Oakland A's, giving up four runs on nine hits, in what turned into a 6-4 defeat for the club.

Loaiza started off the season very strong with four wins in the month of April, but then dropped three straight contests to start May.

The righthander, now with a career mark of 96-85, is 2-4 with an inflated ERA of 8.15 in seven career games versus the Mariners.

Starting pitcher Ryan Franklin yielded two runs in the first frame but settled down to finish his outing with six scoreless innings in yesterday's game. He gave up six hits and three walks with four strikeouts to pick up his first victory since May 7 when he topped the Yankees.

Eddie Guardado got the last four outs for his 10th save of the year.

Carlos Lee extended his hit streak to 21 games with an RBI single in the first for the White Sox, with Jose Valentin posting the other RBI in the contest for the White Sox. Lee's hitting streak is the longest for a White Sox player since Frank Thomas hit in 21 straight in 1999. Thomas, who currently has a 15-game hitting streak, has 440 career doubles, tied with Luke Appling's franchise record that has stood since 1950.

Scott Schoeneweis was dealt the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts in five innings. He dropped to 1-8 with an 8.87 ERA in 18 career games versus Seattle.

Despite having the league's seventh-best hitter in Ichiro Suzuki (.339), the Mariners are second to last in team batting heading into this contest, swinging at a .259 clip. Seattle is also last in home runs with 40, while the White Sox are tied for second in the AL with 72.

Suzuki is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak.

The White Sox, who are first in the AL Central, two games ahead of the Minnesota Twins, are 13-13 on the road this season, while the Mariners have the worst home mark in the league at 11-16.

Since the beginning of the 2001 campaign Seattle has produced a record of 12-5 against Chicago on its home surface and is 19-10 overall.

06/06 11:43:15 ET

**Spark** · 06-06-2004, 03:06 PM

Sunday, June 6th (All times eastern)
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (29-25) AT ATLANTA BRAVES (27-2, 1:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Philadelphia - Kevin Millwood (4-3, 4.39) Atlanta - Jaret Wright (3-5, 3.65)

(Sports Network) - Kevin Millwood has looked awful facing the Atlanta Braves in his career. The Philadelphia righthander gets another shot at beating his former team again as the Phillies conclude a four-game series today at Turner Field.

Today's pitching matchup is a repeat from May 27th when Atlanta's Jaret Wright got the best of Millwood in a 6-1 Braves win at Citizens Bank Park.

Millwood allowed six runs on six hits with a career-high six walks in four innings that night. Millwood, who pitched the first six years of his career (1997-2002) with the Braves, has lost all five of his lifetime starts against them and has an 8.65 ERA.

Overall, Millwood is 0-1 over his last four starts with this last win coming May 11 at San Francisco. He's coming off a no-decision to the Mets on Tuesday when he gave up four hits in seven scoreless innings.

Wright took a shutout into the eighth inning of his game against the Phillies and ended up allowing six hits and a run over 7 1/3 frames. The righthander's most recent appearance was Tuesday when he tossed seven frames in a no- decision versus Montreal.

Wright holds a 1-1 mark in seven career games (1 start) against the Phillies.

Yesterday, Ricky Ledee drove in three runs and Brett Myers threw seven strong innings to lead the Phillies to a 5-3 victory. Chase Utley and Todd Pratt contributed an RBI each for Philadelphia, which has won two straight over the Braves after losing the opener of the four-game series on Thursday.

Tim Worrell struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save in nine opportunities.

****** Estrada, Julio Franco and Andruw Jones had an RBI each for Atlanta, which has lost three of its last four games.

The teams split a four-game set at Philadelphia last weekend.

FLORIDA MARLINS (32-24) AT NEW YORK METS (27-2, 1:10 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Florida - Brad Penny (6-2, 2.43) New York - Al Leiter (1-2, 2.23)

(Sports Network) - Florida righthander Brad Penny tries to win his fourth straight decision as the Marlins conclude a four-game series against the New York Mets today at Shea Stadium.

The NL East-leading Marlins have won the last two contests of the set, including a 7-6 come-from-behind triumph yesterday.

Penny is 3-0 over his last four outings and is coming off a no-decision on Tuesday when he tossed six innings in a game versus the Reds. He has not lost since facing the Astros on May 11.

On the negative side for Penny, though, is his lifetime mark against the Mets, which stands at 1-7 with a 6.86 ERA. He lost his first seven decisions versus New York before winning his last start, on June 24, 2003 at Shea Stadium. He has never pitched more than seven innings in 11 career outings versus the Mets and has never struck out more than seven hitters in a single game against them.

Lefthander Al Leiter will toe the rubber for the Mets today. He came off the disabled list Tuesday at Philadelphia and threw five scoreless innings in a no-decision. He is 0-2 in his last six appearances with his only win this season coming April 15 against Atlanta. Leiter is 11-5 with a 4.40 ERA in 17 career appearances against the Marlins.

Yesterday, Alex Gonzalez went 2-for-4 and singled in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, as Florida rallied to win. Luis Castillo also had two hits and scored twice, while Jeff Conine drove in a pair of runs and Damion Easley belted a three-run, pinch-hit homer.

Mike Piazza slugged a pair of solo home runs for New York, which lost for just the second time in six games, while Todd Zeile and Ty Wigginton had three hits each.

Matt Perisho (4-2) picked up the win with 1 1/3 innings of perfect relief, while Armando Benitez recorded his 22nd save despite allowing Piazza's second homer of the afternoon in the bottom of the ninth. The blast snapped a 30- inning scoreless streak for Benitez and was the first hit off the Marlins' closer in 41 at-bats.

Florida swept a three-game set between these foes last week at Pro Player Stadium. The Marlins are 17-8 against the Mets since the start of last season, including an 8-4 record at Shea Stadium.

MONTREAL EXPOS (18-36) AT CINCINNATI REDS (33-22), 1:15 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Montreal - Livan Hernandez (3-5, 3.43) Cincinnati - Todd Van Poppel (2-2, 4.31)

(Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Reds have spent the last 13 days in sole possession of first place in the National League Central Division. Today they take on the Montreal Expos in the rubber contest of a three-game series from Great American Ball Park.

The Reds enter today's action a game ahead of St. Louis for first place. After losing the opener of the series 4-2 on Friday, the Reds pulled out a dramatic win last night. Adam Dunn's second homer of the game, a three-run shot in the bottom of the 10th inning, gave Cincinnati a 6-3 win.

Dunn finished with three hits and four RBI for the Reds, who won for the fourth time in five games overall and snapped a three-game home losing streak. Ken Griffey Jr. delivered his 496th career homer.

Tony Batista and Nick Johnson both homered with two outs in the ninth off Danny Graves to force extra innings for the Expos, who finished with just five hits. They had a two-game winning streak snapped and lost for the 11th time in 15 games.

Graves, who leads the NL with 26 saves, blew his fifth save of the season.

Sean Casey and Brandon Larson each posted two hits for Cincinnati, which squandered a 3-0 lead before winning it in the 10th off Chad Cordero.

Todd Van Poppel will be on the mound today for the Reds. The righthander will make his sixth straight start and 12th appearance of the season. His first six appearances came in relief. He is 0-1 in his last three outings and is coming off a no-decision at Florida on Monday when he was touched for 10 hits and five runs in five innings.

This will mark Van Poppel's first career start and his eighth career appearance versus Montreal. He is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA against the Expos.

Livan Hernandez gets the ball today for Montreal. The righthander has taken the loss in three straight starts for the first time since taking four losses in as many starts from June 18-July 2, 2002 while pitching for San Francisco. During the current slide, Hernandez has given up 22 hits and 13 earned runs over 20 innings.

Hernandez is 2-4 with a 5.28 ERA in seven career games versus the Reds.

The Reds took two of three meetings between these teams last weekend at Olympic Stadium. Nonetheless, Montreal owns an 11-6 advantage since the start of the 2002 campaign.

HOUSTON ASTROS (29-25) AT ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (32-23), 2:15 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Houston - Roy Oswalt (3-4, 3.45) St. Louis - Jeff Suppan (5-4, 3.54)

(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals aim to extend their season-high winning streak to seven contests today as they conclude a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium.

Because of the latest push by the Cardinals, they are now just a game behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the NL Central. St. Louis hasn't won seven in a row since April 27 to May 4 last season.

Last night, Jim Edmonds drove in four runs to lead the Cardinals to a 10-4 win and today St. Louis goes for the series sweep. Edmonds has 12 RBI against Houston this season.

Albert Pujols went 4-for-5 with two runs scored for the Cardinals, while Tony Womack went 3-for-6 with a solo homer and John Mabry added two RBI in the winning effort.

St. Louis starter Jason Marquis (5-4) got the win despite going just five innings and allowing four runs on 10 hits. It was his fourth win in the last five starts. Marquis also struck out seven and walked just one hitter.

Lance Berkman drove in four runs for the Astros, who lost their second straight.

Astros starter Tim Redding (3-4) was saddled with the loss, which snapped his three-game winning streak. Redding yielded six runs on nine hits in just four- plus innings of work.

Houston's Jeff Kent extended his hitting streak to a career-high 20 games and is just four shy of the team record held by Tony Eusebio in 2000.

Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Jeff Suppan tries to win his third consecutive start as he takes the mound today for St. Louis. The righthander is unbeaten in his last three outings and the two victories have both come at the expense of his former team - the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is 2-3 lifetime against Houston.

Roy Oswalt, who has just one victory in his last eight outings, gets the start today for Houston. The righthander took a loss on Monday against the Cubs after allowing 10 hits and three runs in six innings.

Oswalt allowed one run over seven innings in his only appearance against the Cardinals this season. He is 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA in nine career starts versus St. Louis. That includes a 1-0 mark with a 1.35 ERA (3ER/20IP) in three career starts at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis has won seven of the last eight meetings and is 7-4 this season against Houston this season. After today's game, these two division rivals won't meet again until September when they will play six games against each other.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES (24-2 AT CHICAGO CUBS (28-26), 2:20 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Pittsburgh - Ryan Vogelsong (1-5, 8.0 Chicago - Greg Maddux (4-4, 4.41)

(Sports Network) - Greg Maddux tries to move closer to the magical 300 win mark in his career as the Cubs play the rubber contest of a three-game series today versus the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Only 21 pitchers in major league history have reached 300 victories and sometime this year Maddux could become the first National Leaguer to reach the mark since Steve Carlton (September 23, 1983). Maddux has a 293-167 mark in his career and the 38-year-old righthander is coming off a victory Monday against Houston when he allowed seven hits and a run over 6 2/3 innings. He left the game with a mild muscle strain in his right side, but will not miss a start.

Maddux has gone 4-2 over his last nine starts.

Over his career, Maddux has logged a 21-14 mark with a 2.56 ERA in 42 games against the Pirates. He has already faced Pittsburgh once this year and was battered at Wrigley Field on April 12, which was Chicago's home opener. Maddux threw just 3 2/3 innings. He walked five, hit a batter and gave up eight hits and six runs -- five earned. The Pirates pounded out 17 hits that day and won 13-2.

The Cubs evened the series with a 6-1 triumph yesterday afternoon. Rey Ordonez singled home two runs to snap a seventh-inning tie and Carlos Zambrano pitched eight strong innings to pace the Cubs.

Derrek Lee added a two-run homer for the Cubs, who snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their last 11 games. Chicago rebounded nicely after blowing a ninth-inning lead in a 2-1 setback to Pittsburgh on Friday.

Jason Bay homered for the Pirates, who have lost six of their last seven.

Pittsburgh righthander Kris Benson lost his second straight start and fell to 1-4 in his last six outings.

Ryan Vogelsong gets the start this afternoon for Pittsburgh. The righthander won his first start of the season, holding Philadelphia to one run over seven innings on April 8. He hasn't won since, going 0-5 in his last nine starts. His last start was an 8-1 loss to Jeff Suppan and the Cardinals at PNC Park on Tuesday.

So far this season, Vogelsong is 0-2 against the Cubs with a 16.88 ERA, having allowed 19 hits, including five homers and 15 runs in only eight innings. He has gone 1-3 with a 9.82 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) versus Chicago.

Bench coach Pete Mackanin will manage the Pirates again today as Lloyd McClendon concludes serving his two-game suspension. McClendon was handed a the suspension by the league Friday for getting into a shouting match with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa in Thursday's contest.

The Cubs lost three of four to the Pirates last weekend at PNC Park, but lead the season series, 6-5.

Cubs second baseman Todd Walker is one hit shy of 1,000 for his career.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (27-2 AT COLORADO ROCKIES (21-33), 3:05 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: San Francisco - Dustin Hermanson (1-2, 4.06) Colorado - Aaron Cook (1-0, 4.07)

(Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies try to put rare back-to-back wins against the San Francisco Giants this afternoon as the teams continue a four- game series from Coors Field.

The clubs have split the first two contests of the set with San Francisco winning 13-7 Friday night and Colorado blasting the Giants, 11-2 last evening.

The Giants swept a three-game set from the Rockies last weekend at SBC Park and had beaten Colorado six straight times dating back to last season before last night's defeat. San Francisco is 12-2 in the last 14 matchups between the clubs. Colorado last beat the Giants on back-to-back days July 9-10 last season.

Aaron Cook will try and help Colorado's cause as he gets the start this afternoon. The 25-year old righthander is unbeaten in five starts this season and is coming off his only victory, 7-1 over the Padres Tuesday night at PETCO Park. It was not only his first win, but also the first by any Rockies starter other than Shawn Estes, Joe Kennedy and Jason Jennings in 2004. The No. 4 and 5 starters had been 0-11 prior to Cook's triumph.

Cook is 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA in eight career games (3 starts) against the Giants.

Dustin Hermanson toes the rubber for San Francisco today. The righthander is 0-2 in his last six efforts, including four straight no-decisions. He tossed six innings without a decision on Tuesday versus Arizona.

Hermanson is 2-4 with a 6.19 ERA over 13 lifetime outings (7 starts) against Colorado. All 6 decisions have come as starter, but this will be his first opening assignment versus the Rockies since June 10, 2001. He is trying for his first win over Colorado since April 26, 2000, as he is 0-3 with a 9.78 ERA in his last five outings (4 starts). He has also struggled at Coors Field, going 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA in four games (2 starts).

Last night, Todd Greene belted a two-run homer and finished with a game-high four RBI to lead Colorado. Royce Clayton also hit a two-run homer and Aaron Miles scored three runs on three hits for the Rockies, who won for just the third time in nine outings.

Michael Tucker homered and finished with three hits for the Giants, who fell for the fourth time in five contests following a 10-game winning streak.

Jason Jennings (5-5) won his third straight start in 5 2/3 frames for the Rockies. Jennings only yielded one run on four hits and seven walks.

Kirk Rueter (2-5) suffered the defeat after getting tagged for five runs, one of which was unearned, in 4 2/3 innings. The lefthander also surrendered nine hits and two walks.

The Giants are 2-4 on their current 14-game road trip, the team's longest trek since the 1989 season. San Francisco is 12-14 outside SBC Park this season.

Colorado has lost six of its last 10 at Coors Field and holds a 13-14 home mark.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (30-23) AT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (21-35), 4:35 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Jeff Weaver (3-7, 4.35) Arizona - Steve Sparks (2-4, 6.59)

(Sports Network) - Alone in first place in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers aim for their fourth straight victory today as they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark.

The Dodgers have won six of their last seven contests to grab a one-game lead over San Diego in the division. A win today would give Los Angeles its first ever three-game sweep in Arizona.

Jeff Weaver tries to snap a two-start losing streak as he will pitch today for the Dodgers. Both of the righthander's recent defeats have come against Milwaukee, including Tuesday when he threw 6 2/3 innings. This will be his first career appearance against the Diamondbacks.

Weaver will pitch the day before his brother will likely be one of the top picks in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Jered Weaver, a 21- year-old righthander, is a standout at Long Beach State.

Knuckleballer Steve Sparks will be on the hill today for Arizona. He is winless (0-3) in his last five outings and has two straight no-decisions, both against the Giants. His ERA is 9.23 during the winless skid. He is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in three career outings (2 starts) against the Dodgers.

Last night, Dave Roberts belted a three-run homer to lead Los Angeles to a 10-3 romp. Paul Lo Duca hit his third homer in as many games for the Dodgers, who broke open a scoreless game with a six-run top of the fourth inning. Roberts, Milton Bradley and Cesar Izturis each had three hits for LA. Izturis is riding a 13-game hit streak.

Luis Gonzalez posted three hits and one RBI for the Diamondbacks, who dropped back-to-back games on the heels of a three-game win streak.

Odalis Perez (3-3) earned his first win since April 28 against the New York Mets. Perez yielded three runs and eight hits in five innings, in which he struck out one.

Edgar Gonzalez (0-1) suffered the loss in his season debut for the Diamondbacks.

Arizona shortstop Alex Cintron has a nine-game hitting streak.

Los Angeles took two of three from the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium last week.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (27-26) AT SAN DIEGO PADRES (30-25), 5:00 P.M.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Milwaukee - Doug Davis (4-4, 3.13) San Diego - Adam Eaton (1-6, 5.89)

(Sports Network) - San Diego righthander Adam Eaton tries to snap a long winless string today as the Padres play the rubber match of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers today from Petco Park.

Eaton is 0-6 in his last nine starts with his only win this year coming April 13 versus the Dodgers. The Padres have lost the last six times the 26-year-old has taken the mound, including Monday against the Rockies when he gave up seven hits and four runs in 6 1/3 innings. He is 1-0 with a 6.97 ERA in two lifetime games versus Milwaukee.

Eaton hopes to ride the momentum of Ismael Valdez' strong performance last night as the Padres won 4-0. Ismael Valdez scattered four hits in a complete- game performance. Valdez (5-2) improved to 2-0 in his last four outings, as he struck out four and walked none. It was the sixth shutout of his career.

Jay Payton drove in two runs for the Padres, who have won two of their last three and remain a game behind Los Angeles for first place in the NL West. The Padres outhit the Brewers 10-4. Every San Diego starter had a hit except for Valdez. Sean Burroughs extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games.

Gary Bennett had a pair of hits for the Brewers, who have dropped two of their last three.

Milwaukee starter Wes Obermueller (3-2) was saddled with the loss by allowing all four runs on seven hits in five innings of work.

Milwaukee lefthander Doug Davis has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last 10 starts, but he only has a 3-3 record in that span. He will start today's game. Davis threw six shutout innings in a win over the Dodgers on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He is 3-2 in six starts on the road this season posting a 2.43 ERA, but Davis has not surrendered a run in each of his last 14 1/3 innings on the road.

Davis is 2-1 in three career games against the Padres and that defeat came May 28th this year when he allowed five hits and three runs -- one earned -- over seven innings.

The Padres have lost six of their last eight at home, but hold a 15-12 mark at Petco Park.

The Padres took two of three from the Brewers at Miller Park last weekend. Milwaukee is still 12-5 against San Diego since the start of the 2002 campaign, including a 6-2 road mark.

06/06 11:50:09

**Spark** · 06-06-2004, 03:07 PM

Sunday, June 6

National League

Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, 1:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 80.
Florida Marlins at New York Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing in from left field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 60.
Montreal Expos at Cincinnati Reds, 1:15 p.m.
Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 75.
Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals, 2:15 p.m.
Mostly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 80.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Partly cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 75.
San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies, 3:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 90.
Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres, 5 p.m.
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks, 4:35 p.m.
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-20 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 85.
American League

Texas Rangers at New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
Cloudy with a 30-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing in from center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 60.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Baltimore Orioles, 1:35 p.m.
Cloudy. Winds blowing from left to right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 70.
Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals, 2:10 p.m.
Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 80.
Toronto Blue Jays at Oakland Athletics, 4:05 p.m.
Mostly sunny. Winds blowing out to right field at 10-20 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Near 70.
Cleveland Indians at Anaheim Angels, 4:05 p.m.
Partly sunny. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 70.
Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners, 8:05 p.m.
Cloudy with a 85-percent chance of rain. Winds blowing out to center field at 5-15 m.p.h. Game-time temperature: Around 55.
As of June 6, 2004, at 10:55 AM ET

**ez winners** · 06-06-2004, 03:37 PM

Keep up the great work SPARK!! You provide this forum with a lot of great info!!

**Spark** · 06-06-2004, 04:57 PM

Thanks EZ... Just a way for me to say thanks for the info I get from this forum....It's All about sharing as you know... Good Luck to you and keep up the good work...!!!!

**trick4** · 06-06-2004, 05:15 PM

Thanks Spark that is some great info!

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