Reds

Quote: "It looks like somebody cut up the drapes and made shirts out of them."-- Reds manager Jack McKeon, on the Astros' Turn Back the Clock rainbow jerseysIt's a fact: The Cubs have been out-homered at home 49-33.Who's hot: The Reds' Barry Larkin is hitting .416 (37-for-89) in June.Who's not: The Cubs' Steve Trachsel, who is 0-6 with an 8.47 ERA in eight starts since May 15, leads the majors in losses with 10.On deck: Both the Marlins and the Expos are in a stretch that has them scheduled to play 20 straight games without a day off.Pub Date: 6/27/99

Quote: "When they want me to go, I'm going to try to go. But I'm not looking to be a Tony Womack and steal 70."-- Pirates catcher Jason Kendall, who stole three bases Monday and has seven for the season.It's a fact: The Pirates are three games above .500 for the first time since May 15, 1997.Who's hot: The Mets' John Olerud is 22-for-62 (.355) career against the Reds.Who's not: The Reds' Barry Larkin is 1-for-15 in his past four games.On deck: The Reds plan to activate Denny Neagle (Arundel)

No conference standings or playoff implications are on the line when public-school power Severna Park meets Catholic-power St. Mary's each year.In Severna Park's 8-7 win yesterday at the Maryland High School Lacrosse Showdown at Johns Hopkins University's Homewood Field, however, none of that seemed to matter.In an intense battle of area rivals, No. 6-ranked Severna Park built an 8-4 lead over the No. 7 Saints, then survived a late rally that saw the Annapolis school cut the lead to one with a pair of goals in the final 2: 03.Led by attacker Jess Gaither, seven players scored for the Falcons (11-1)

BALTIMORE CITYBryn Mawr Mawrtians (15-1-5)Coach: Jeanette BudzikOutlook: The Mawrtians lost some of their scoring punch with the graduation of three seniors, but they return an excellent defense anchored by goalie Katie Coyne, who allowed only four goals last season. With returning links Jen Ahn and Carey Fetting-Smith, the Mawrtians also have one of the area's best midfields.Friends Quakers (15-4-2)Coach: Carol SamuelsOutlook: The Quakers graduated the key components in their hard-hitting, long-ball game, so they will rely more on the short-passing approach.

The 1999 season is heading into its final month, and it's time for a startling prediction about the National League playoff picture.The Mets are out.That's right. The New York Mets, who entered Friday night's games with the second-best record in the league, are going to be watching the playoffs on television -- if they can stand to watch.The Atlanta Braves are going to hold on to win the East, in spite of some recent injury problems. The Arizona Diamondbacks already have the West locked up. And the Central will dispatch the Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds to the postseason.

Second-ranked St. Mary's recovered the fourth-quarter magic that eluded it in last Monday's loss to No. 1 McDonogh, turning yesterday's close game at No. 4 Roland Park into a 63-47 rout.The late surge helped two of the Saints reach career milestones. Emily Lipton became the Saints' all-time scoring leader, and Maria Smear scored her 1,000th point.Lipton scored a game-high 26 yesterday, boosting her career total to 1,456 and surpassing 1995 graduate Annetta Davis' 1,434. The All-Metro guard also moved up to eighth on the Anne Arundel County scoring list.

When Roland Park's Betsy Gaines scooped up the draw with her team down by a goal and time running out, Notre Dame Prep defender Mandy Borquin knew exactly what Gaines would do."You could see it in her eyes she was going [to goal]," said Borquin. "The only thing you could do was try to keep up with her, but she got what she wanted."Gaines got a jump on the Pirates defense, and her goal with 47 seconds left gave the No. 2-ranked Reds an 11-11 tie with No. 4 Notre Dame Prep in an Association of Independent Schools A Division game yesterday.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Sure enough, Ken Griffey has cast a giant shadow over baseball's winter meetings. His unsettled status is such a preoccupation that the Cincinnati Reds called a news conference to announce they are not going to trade for him.It was the second time that Reds general manager Jim Bowden has made a non-announcement in the past six weeks. He did essentially the same thing in a more informal setting at the general managers meetings in Laguna Niguel, Calif., in November."The Reds have pulled out," Bowden said.

Braves: Haven't lost consecutive games this season.Brewers: Are 10-5 on the road and 3-9 at home. Mark Loretta is batting .038 (1-for-26) with runners in scoring position.Cardinals: Are 2-10 at Turner Field in three seasons. Outfielder J.D. Drew did not start for the second straight day after straining his right quadriceps Monday. He pinch-hit in the ninth.Diamondbacks: Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 19 with a leadoff double in the eighth. The streak is a club record and the longest in the majors this season.

Quote: "I've been around long enough to know that you don't throw an inside fastball in that situation. I kind of left it out over the plate."-- Reds starter Steve Avery on Stan Javier's homer in the eighth that started the Giants' rally.It's a fact: The Mets' Rickey Henderson, who hit two homers yesterday, has 2,019 runs scored in his career, sixth best all-time.Who's hot: The Giants scored 26 runs on 33 hits with five homers in the three-game series with the Reds.Who's not: The Pirates' Pete Schourek, who had a 9.23 spring ERA,lost the strike zone after retiring the first eight Expos and quickly gave up two runs on four straight hits.

Orioles president Andy MacPhail is in the "beginning process" of adding someone to replace former director of baseball administration Scott Proefrock, and one possibility is former Cincinnati Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky. MacPhail said he has spoken to Krivsky and "absolutely" would consider him a candidate for the job, but said no interviews have been set up. "Frankly, there are other things that we are really attending to at this time," said MacPhail, who added that the front-office position probably wouldn't be filled for weeks.

Adding depth to their injury-riddled pitching staff, the New York Yankees signed right-hander Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract yesterday. With a history of off-the-field problems, Ponson was released Monday by the Texas Rangers for being a disruption to the team. He performed well on the mound, however, going 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA. Texas designated Ponson, a former Oriole, for assignment June 6 "for disrespecting teammates and club personnel," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.

Moves Baseball REDS -- Agreed to terms with OF Craig Wilson on a minor league contract. Colleges PITTSBURGH -- Named Bryan Bossard wide receivers coach. WASHINGTON -- Named Sean Curtis women's golf coach. Football COWBOYS -- Named Reggie Herring linebackers coach. PANTHERS -- Signed DT Damione Lewis to three-year contract.

Moves ANGELS -- Extended affiliation agreement with Single-A Cedar Rapids through 2010. BLUE JAYS -- Acquired IF-OF Buck Coats from Reds for player to be named and cash. PADRES -- Sold the rights to OF Terrmel Sledge to Nippon (Japan). REDS -- Waived IF Jorge Cantu for purpose of giving him unconditional release.

Moves Baseball ORIOLES -- Announced that hitting coach Terry Crowley will return in 2008. Promoted pro scout Jim Howard to advance scout, replacing Deacon Jones. REDS -- Named Dusty Baker manager and agreed to terms on three-year contract. Basketball NETS -- Waived F Rod Benson. SUNS -- Waived F Doug Thomas and F Rawle Marshall. Colleges INDIANA -- Announced that men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson will forfeit a scheduled $500,000 raise and that team will lose scholarship for exceeding NCAA limits on calls to recruits.

The Bryn Mawr and Roland Park players will tell you it doesn't matter which team is ranked higher or has the better record when the neighborhood rivals match up in girls lacrosse. That was certainly true yesterday as No. 13 Roland Park beat the No. 4 Mawrtians, 5-4, in a defensive match that Courtney Kirk decided with 3:18 left. "It was awesome," Reds defender Liz Hamilton said of her team's victory in the 75th anniversary of the first girls lacrosse game played between the two schools.

After rain washed out Severna Park's first two field hockey games, coach Lil Shelton said she was asked several times how a team that hadn't played could remain No. 1. The Falcons left no doubt about that yesterday at Roland Park's Sally E. Nyborg Field Hockey Invitational. First, the Falcons rolled over the host Reds, 8-0. Then, they came from behind to edge northern Virginia power St. Stephen's/St. Agnes, 2-1. And that came after opening the season Friday night with a 5-0 win at Southern.

In an attempt to build for the future while reshaping their club now, the Washington Nationals yesterday acquired two promising hitters in an eight-player deal with the Cincinnati Reds. The Nationals added slugging outfielder Austin Kearns and former All-Star shortstop Felipe Lopez, both 26-year-olds with high ceilings, as well as minor league pitcher Ryan Wagner, 23, for relievers Gary Majewski and Bill Bray, shortstop Royce Clayton, minor leaguer infielder Brendan Harris and pitcher Daryl Thompson.

On deck -- Diamondbacks at Reds -- Arizona's Brandon Webb looks to go 8-0 as he faces Eric Milton and Cincinnati tonight.

Baseball INTERLEAGUE Nationals 8, Orioles 3 Yankees 5, Mets 4, 11 inn. White Sox 7, Cubs 0 Dodgers 8, Angels 4 Giants 4, Athletics 2, 10 inn. Rangers 6, Astros 0 Tigers 7, Reds 6, 10 inn. Red Sox 8, Phillies 4 Twins 16, Brewers 10 Pirates 9, Indians 6 Cardinals 4, Royals 2 Devil Rays 4, Marlins 3 Rockies 5, Blue Jays 1 Mariners 6, Padres 3 NATIONAL LEAGUE Diamondbacks 13, Braves 0 Pgs 7-12D NCAA lacrosse MEN'S QUARTERFINALS Syracuse 13,...