Zeile

At Oriole Park at Camden YardsDay, Time, TV, StartersTonight, 7:35, HTS, Brian Meadows (6-6, 4.26) vs. Scott Erickson (8-6, 4.42)Tomorrow, 7:35, HTS, Livan Hernandez (6-4, 4.24) vs. Pete Smith (0-2, 9.64)Thursday, 3:05, HTS, Joe Fontenot (0-6, 6.16) vs. Sidney Ponson (1-6, 6.67)Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) and WTOP (1500 AM)Marlins updateThe Marlins disarmed after becoming the first wild card to win a World Series last October. In what is certain to be the final year for manager Jim Leyland and general manager Dave rTC Dombrowski, the Marlins have become entrenched in last place in the NL East.

Dodgers: In his last 19 games, third baseman Todd Zeile, formerly of the Orioles, has seven home runs and 11 RBIs. He had only three homers and 16 RBIs in his first 33 games.Marlins: Bobby Bonilla needs two RBIs for 1,000 in his career.Padres: Tony Gwynn's lifetime average against Greg Maddux is .458 (33 of 72). Gwynn is one homer away from joining Nate Colbert and Dave Winfield as the only Padres to hit 100 home runs.Yankees: Hideki Irabu brought a mitt-popping fastball but an inconsistent curveball into his first open workout.

Quote: "I couldn't throw a fastball for a strike to save my life. I was a little dried out from the wind and I had poor mechanics. I had nothing." -- Brewers' Scott Karl, who allowed 10 hits and seven runs in five innings against the Giants.It's a fact: The Marlins have lost four of five since the seven-player deal that brought Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile from Los Angeles.Who's hot: The Astros are 17-6 against the NL East and have won nine of their past 13.Who's not: Since starting the season 15-6, the Brewers have lost 16 of 24.On deck: The Cubs' Kerry Wood, who had to come out of his last start because of a cut on his finger, is scheduled to start tomorrow in Atlanta.

MOVES BASEBALL CUBS: Optioned OF David Kelton to Triple-A Iowa. GIANTS: Placed 1B J.T. Snow on 15-day DL with strained left groin. Purchased contract of OF Todd Linden from Triple-A Fresno. Designated P Luis Estrella for assignment. ROYALS: Optioned P Runelvys Hernandez to Double-A Wichita. YANKEES: Released former Orioles IF Todd Zeile. Recalled P Jorge DePaula from Triple-A Columbus. FOOTBALL COWBOYS: Waived LB Louis Mackey, P Filip Filipovic, CB B.J. Tucker, G Justin Bates, S Jonathan Martin, WR Gary Lusk and FB Jason McKie.

Who's hot Eric Gagne, Dodgers closer, has 50 consecutive saves, four shy of Tom Gordon's 1998-99 major league record with the Red Sox. Who's not The Tigers have become the first team with three losing streaks of nine games or more in a season since the 1998 Marlins. Line of the day Rich Harden, Athletics P IP H ER BB HR 2 2/3 4 8 7 2 On deck Game 2 of a four-game series between the surging Twins and fading Royals, both fight ing with the White Sox for the AL Central lead. He said it "I realized that winning a ring seems insignificant if you're not contributing to it."

BaseballNational League -- Upheld a four-game suspension and fine imposed on Terry Pendleton of the Florida Marlins and announced it will begin today.Orioles -- Traded P Brad Pennington to the Cincinnati Reds for two minor-leaguers, OF Danny Clyburn and P Tony Nieto. Optioned C Cesar Devarez to Triple-A Rochester.Chicago Cubs -- Traded P Mike Morgan, IF-OF Paul Torres and C Francisco Morales to the St. Louis Cardinals for IF Todd Zeile and cash. Agreed to terms with Zeile on a one-year contract.

Four outs away, and just like that, the New York Yankees resumed their remarkable dominance this season at Camden Yards.It's not a home field, it's a haunted house.How else to explain Todd Zeile's botched throw?Mike Mussina's sudden collapse?The eighth-inning rally that happened so quickly, Jesse Orosco couldn't warm up in time to face Tino Martinez?This was a night in which the Orioles seemed on the verge of another stunning postseason breakthrough.Instead, it turned into a night that renewed all the old questions about this team's ability to prevail in close games against their biggest rival.