Bagwell

PITTSBURGH -- The American League starting lineup last night hit 20 more home runs and drove in 80 more runs in the first half of the season than the National League starting lineup, and the AL had a six-game All-Star winning streak going into last night's game at Three Rivers Stadium.Even some of the NL All-Stars aren't too proud to admit the other locker room housed more talent."The AL is more powerful than the NL," Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell said. "There's no doubt about it. You look at that locker room and they've got the Big Hurt [Frank Thomas]

* ASTROS: Jeff Bagwell won the National League's Player of the Month award for May yesterday. Bagwell hit .412, 42-for-102 during the month with six doubles and seven home runs with 25 RBI and 22 runs scored. His on-base percentage was .467 and slugging percentage was .676 for the month's 27 games. . . . Bagwell pinch hit in the seventh inning yesterday, giving him a club record-tying 213th consecutive appearance. He tied the record set by Enos Cabell between Oct. 2, 1977, and May 29, 1979.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Outfielder Steve Finley frequently was injured when he played for the Orioles, but he's one of three Houston Astros who now share the second-longest consecutive game streak in the major leagues.Cal Ripken need not worry.Finley, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell have played only 162 straight games.Ripken has played more than 10 times that many, a total of 1,735. He's 395 shy of Lou Gehrig's all-time record of 2,130, which he could break in mid-1995.Ripken has started every game of his streak.