Ozzie Guillen

MINNEAPOLIS -- Reliever Mark Williamson returned from the 15-day disabled list yesterday, but he probably wishes he had taken one more day off.Williamson came on in relief in the seventh inning and gave up three runs, including a two-run homer to pinch hitter Paul Sorrento.The inning started inauspiciously. Third baseman Scott Leius reached base on a third-strike wild pitch and Gene Larkin lined a double down the left-field line, before pinch hitter Al Newman brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.Sorrento, who was recalled from the Class AAA Portland Beavers on Saturday, pinch hit for Dan Gladden and sliced a long fly ball into the right-center field bleachers.

It might not have surprised anybody outside of Baltimore when Cal Ripken didn't win a Gold Glove last year. But it offended the man who has the biggest collection."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Because of an injury to ace Mike Mussina and the recent struggles of Doug Drabek and Scott Erickson, the Orioles are experiencing a domino effect with their pitching staff. They can only hope it doesn't topple their bullpen.It already has spilled into there, with the rotation totaling just 11 2/3 innings in the three games before last night. Not knowing what Scott Kamieniecki would be able to give him against the Texas Rangers, manager Ray Miller sat in his office yesterday and sifted through the available arms.

HOUSTON -- Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams walked into the center of the visiting locker room at Minute Maid Park last night carrying the World Series trophy high above his head. Williams could have savored a private moment with a piece of hardware that hadn't been held by Windy City hands since 1917. A former White Sox player, Williams was the one who brought together this team of no-names and castoffs that won, 1-0, last night to sweep the Houston Astros in the 2005 World Series.

Nostalgia Night at Camden Yards did not exactly go as planned. Instead of several escapees from the Chicago White Sox inflicting a little pain on their former club, the Orioles left a 7-6 loss burned for the first time by an inability to play the game properly.A four-inning wipeout from starting pitcher and White Sox alumnus Doug Drabek (1-2), two critical unearned runs and a failure to exploit a ninth-inning meltdown by Sox reliever Matt Karchner fed the Orioles their third loss in 13 games.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two weeks ago the Orioles comforted themselves by insisting that they were experiencing nothing more than an early-season slump. Since, they have tumbled into the worst losing streak in a decade, causing manager Ray Miller to rip his clubhouse following Friday night's loss in Oakland and forcing the front office to contemplate an overhaul of an aged, seemingly indifferent club.Last Tuesday, majority owner Peter Angelos insisted the club would not be taken apart until a wild-card berth seemed improbable.

Remembering April 28 ... or not Asked White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen before the resumption of the suspended game if he had any recollections of the April 28 game that was finished last night. He didn't. "The only thing I remember was Alexei Ramirez's hit to win [Sunday's] game," Guillen said. "That's a lot of vodka between that game [April 28] and [Sunday's] game." (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

Braves: Despite the loss, Atlanta is 6-3 against the Cardinals this year and 27-10 since Aug. 20, 1995. Ozzie Guillen is 1-for-14 against Cardinals pitching this season and 2-for-22 for his career.Cardinals: Mark McGwire has a career-high 119 RBIs, one more than he got in 1987 for Oakland.Phillies: Rico Brogna, with a career-high 96 RBIs, is on pace to become the first Philadelphia first baseman to reach 100 RBIs since Bill White had 103 in 1966.Pub Date: 8/31/98

He said it "Mathematically we are still there, but the way we play, it's going to be hard for us to come back." Ozzie Guillen, White Sox manager, whose team has lost 20 of 28 and is two games under .500 Who's hot David Wright of the Mets is 13-for-32 (.406) during a seven-game hitting steak. Who's not Victor Martinez of the Indians is in an 0-for-14 slump. Line of the day Ted Lilly, Blue Jays P IP H R BB SO 9 3 0 2 13

"His big mouth could work stateside selling toothpaste or mouthwash." Bob Dorfman Advertising expert, on endorsement opportunities for Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen "Shaq can play defense without playing defense. Say you're an off guard and the ball's in your hands and you feel you can take your man off the dribble. But you see [O'Neal] waiting under the basket. Mentally, he just played defense on you." Lamar Odom Los Angeles Lakers forward, on the Miami Heat's Shaquille O'Neal