Darryl Kile

Quote: "The sun's going to shine tomorrow; this is California." -- Dodgers closer Scott Radinsky after blowing his second save in three games.It's a fact: Bobby Jones' start was only the 62nd by a left-handed pitcher in the Rockies' 802-game history.L Who's hot: The Mets have 100 hits in their past seven games.Who's not: Aramis Ramirez, the Pirates' 19-year-old rookie third baseman, is 0-for-19 since being called up Tuesday.On deck: In a matchup of underachieving aces tonight, the Diamondbacks' Andy Benes (3-5, 4.41)

St. Louis-- --St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has seen it all in his 28 years as a major league manager, so it's hard to imagine a couple of wet evenings in the Midwest causing him a whole lot of anxiety. He was manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1989, when the earth shook in the Bay Area and put the Fall Classic in true perspective. He was manager of the Cardinals when one of his star pitchers - Darryl Kile - was found dead in the team hotel in Chicago. Into each life some rain must fall, and whoever came up with that cliche was not talking about anything that shows up on Doppler radar.

Cubs: The back-to-back victories are the team's first since a five-game winning streak April 28-May 2. Attendance was a season-high 40,332.Diamondbacks: Randy Johnson has reached double digits in strikeouts five times this season and 107 times in his career.Expos: Catcher Chris Widger left the game after three innings with a strained lower back. In two starts against the Pirates this season, Carl Pavano has pitched four innings, allowing 17 hits with 15 runs, for an ERA of 33.75.Pirates: Pittsburgh's 17 hits were a season high.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pat Hentgen, Darryl Kile and the rest of the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff had a three-word slogan that summed up their commitments to the team, themselves and the game they loved. Take the ball. When a major-league pitcher spends two or three hours every five days throwing a baseball 90 mph, his entire arm is put to a serious test. Afterward, his shoulder and/or elbow are usually packed in ice, and five days later, when it's time to start another game, he rarely will go to the mound without feeling some semblance of pain, stiffness or discomfort.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Who's hot The Angels have won 11 of 12 road games and 12 of 16 games overall. Who's not The Twins matched their longest losing streak of the season at five games and have dropped 14 of 17. Line of the day Jose Canseco, White Sox DH AB R H RBI HR 4 2 2 5 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE Who's hot Jeff Bagwell of the Astros finished with a club record 36 RBIs in July. Who's not The Brewers have lost four in a row and are 3-16 since the All-Star break. Line of the day Darryl Kile, Cardinals pitcher IP R H BB SO 8 0 8 1 8 ORIOLES The Ripken countdown 54 Total games remaining 25 Home games remaining Highlight: In 1983, Ripken's only trip to the World Series, he batted .167 (3-for-18)

The top candidates for Comeback Player of the Year: American League Cal Ripken (Orioles): Can he make it all the way back from surgery? Darryl Strawberry (Yankees): With Chili Davis gone, might return to prominence. Jay Buhner (Mariners): Prone to injury, but also prone to hit 45 homers if healthy. Sandy Alomar (Indians): Trying to shake off another painful season. Jim Edmonds (Angels): Still trade bait after injury-marred season. Steve Trachsel (Devil Rays): Losingest pitcher in major leagues last year.

CHICAGO - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile complained of shoulder pain and weakness the night before he died, possible warning signs that he had heart problems, officials said yesterday. An autopsy on Kile, 33, revealed an 80 to 90 percent narrowing of two of his three coronary arteries, and that his heart was nearly 25 percent larger than normal, said Dr. Edmund Donoghue, the Cook County, Ill., medical examiner. Donoghue said he believed Kile's condition, known as coronary atheroscleroris or hardening of the arteries, brought on an erratic heartbeat that caused his death.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pat Hentgen, Darryl Kile and the rest of the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff had a three-word slogan that summed up their commitments to the team, themselves and the game they loved. Take the ball. When a major-league pitcher spends two or three hours every five days throwing a baseball 90 mph, his entire arm is put to a serious test. Afterward, his shoulder and/or elbow are usually packed in ice, and five days later, when it's time to start another game, he rarely will go to the mound without feeling some semblance of pain, stiffness or discomfort.

CHICAGO - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile complained of shoulder pain and weakness the night before he died, possible warning signs that he had heart problems, officials said yesterday. An autopsy on Kile, 33, revealed an 80 to 90 percent narrowing of two of his three coronary arteries, and that his heart was nearly 25 percent larger than normal, said Dr. Edmund Donoghue, the Cook County, Ill., medical examiner. Donoghue said he believed Kile's condition, known as coronary atheroscleroris or hardening of the arteries, brought on an erratic heartbeat that caused his death.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Who's hot The Angels have won 11 of 12 road games and 12 of 16 games overall. Who's not The Twins matched their longest losing streak of the season at five games and have dropped 14 of 17. Line of the day Jose Canseco, White Sox DH AB R H RBI HR 4 2 2 5 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE Who's hot Jeff Bagwell of the Astros finished with a club record 36 RBIs in July. Who's not The Brewers have lost four in a row and are 3-16 since the All-Star break. Line of the day Darryl Kile, Cardinals pitcher IP R H BB SO 8 0 8 1 8 ORIOLES The Ripken countdown 54 Total games remaining 25 Home games remaining Highlight: In 1983, Ripken's only trip to the World Series, he batted .167 (3-for-18)

NEW YORK - The thumb on shortstop Mike Bordick's right hand remains a little stiff, limiting his range of motion. The big toe on catcher Mike Piazza's right foot is still sore, the reminder coming each time he runs. Second baseman Edgardo Alfonzo had his left hand wrapped during Friday's workout after being hit by a ground ball. The New York Mets don't know adversity, only minor inconveniences. The St. Louis Cardinals? Now there's a team with problems. Huge, throat-griping problems - the kind that have left them gasping for air in the National League Championship Series.

Quote: "He's something. He's a superstar, no question about it. This is what Babe Ruth must have looked like." - Florida manager John Boles on Montreal slugger Vladimir Guerrero, who hit his team-record 43rd homer of the season. It's a fact: Colorado's Jeff Cirillo and Todd Helton are the sixth pair of teammates to both reach 50 doubles in the same season. Who's hot: Houston's Richard Hidalgo homered off St. Louis' Gene Stechschulte for his 42nd of the year and ninth against St. Louis, the most vs. any team.

The top candidates for Comeback Player of the Year: American League Cal Ripken (Orioles): Can he make it all the way back from surgery? Darryl Strawberry (Yankees): With Chili Davis gone, might return to prominence. Jay Buhner (Mariners): Prone to injury, but also prone to hit 45 homers if healthy. Sandy Alomar (Indians): Trying to shake off another painful season. Jim Edmonds (Angels): Still trade bait after injury-marred season. Steve Trachsel (Devil Rays): Losingest pitcher in major leagues last year.