They both took perfect-game bids into the seventh inning, and their efforts matched up to the exact minute. While Sheets was posting zeros for Milwaukee at Pittsburgh, Garcia was coming close for the Chicago White Sox at Anaheim.

``I saw that on the scoreboard,'' Sheets said. ``Two no-hitters going?''

Since 1900, there have been just 14 perfect games in regular-season play, plus Don Larsen's gem in the 1956 World Series. No research was available to

His most recent save, in Sunday's 4-3 win over Toronto, gave the 24-year-old Rodriguez 100 almost a year earlier than Gregg Olson, who made it to the milestone at age 25 with Baltimore in 1992.

Rodriguez has blown just three

X-rays were initially negative and Hafner was listed as day to day. He continued to feel more pain and a second X-ray before Friday night's game against the Chicago White Sox revealed the fracture.

Hafner tied a major league record with six grand slams this season. He hit .308 with 42 home runs and 117 RBIs.

``It would've been nice to get a couple chances with the bases loaded to see what could've happen out

The Chicago White Sox blew a ninth-inning lead, bounced right back and gained a game in the AL Central race.

Thanks to Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, the Minnesota Twins had a much easier night.

After closer Bobby Jenks quickly squandered a two-run cushion, A.J. Pierzynski bailed him out by hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth Friday to give Chicago a 7-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

``It's amazing how it goes up and down, back and forth,'' said Pierzynski, who pumpe

Minnesota closed within four games of Detroit, the AL Central leader, and opened some space ahead of the Chicago White Sox.

``We're trying to take care of our own business,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ``You scoreboard-watch after the fact, but we've just got to take care of our own business, we know that. If we keep winning baseball games and you've

DETROIT (AP) -Jim Thome is expected to miss the Chicago White Sox's key weekend series with the Minnesota Twins because of a strained hamstring.

Thome was hurt during Wednesday night's win in Detroit and was not in the lineup for Thursday afternoon's series finale.

``It's about the same as it was last night,'' said Thome, who had ice and electrical stimulation on his leg before Thursday's game. ``Hopefully, it will only be a few days.''

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said the team will

CHICAGO (AP) -Remembrances from the first World Series championship for the Chicago White Sox since 1917 linger across U.S. Cellular Field like the smoke from a center-field fireworks display.

Banners trumpeting the team's pennants, division titles and championships hang from four different light poles.

Rock music blares through the loudspeakers as the team takes the field, one player at a time. A video presentation on the scoreboard salutes the past and names like Fox, Aparicio and Fisk,

Grudzielanek, in his first season with the Royals, was hitting .288 with only two errors entering Wednesday's game with the Chicago White Sox. The 12-year veteran hit his fifth home run of the season against Chicago.

He had a deal with a $3 million player option for 2007. His new deal has a player option for the 2008 season at $4 million to $4.5 million, depending on plate appe

Grudzielanek, in his first season with the Royals, also has a player option for the 2008 season.

He was hitting .288 with only two errors entering Wednesday's game with the Chicago White Sox. The 12-year veteran hit his fifth home run of the season against Chicago.

Grudzielanek left St. Louis as a free agent to sign a one-year deal with Kansas City before the 2006 season. The Royals are his fifth team.

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