There is no cause for alarm  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — I suppose you want to know what's going on.  —  Baseball's going on.  The Big 162.  The ebb and the flow.  —  They go to Minnesota, drop three in a row, and you want someone to hijack their plane and drop them off in the middle of the Pacific Ocean somewhere.

Chacon could be on the way out  —  CLEVELAND - It appears unlikely that Shawn Chacon will make his scheduled start Sunday, but that could be the least of his concerns.  With Chacon failing to show any of the magic he had last season, his time with the Yankees could be coming to an end.

Eight-run inning ties Marlins mark; Marlins 18, Nationals 9  —  WASHINGTON — The Marlins completed a double play to end the fifth inning and retreated to their dugout, but they could just as well have converged on the RFK Stadium diamond and started shaking hands.

METS 5, PIRATES 0  —  Slow-Pitch Baseball as Hernández Quells the Pirates Softly  —  Cliff Floyd scored one of the Mets' five runs in the first inning in a 5-0 win over Kip Wells and the Pirates.  Orlando Hernández earned the victory.  —  Orlando Hernández threw …

Hendry backs off Baker deadline  —  GM says evaluation of Cubs' staff could take days—or weeks  —  HOUSTON — General manager Jim Hendry met with Dusty Baker before Wednesday's game and discussed published reports that the Cubs' manager and some of his coaching staff could be in danger of losing their jobs during the All-Star break.

Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week  —  Interleague play finished this past Sunday and the American League gave the National an old-fashioned whuppin': 154-98.  I'm not the biggest fan of interleague play, but I don't hate it either, and it certainly does give me good material for this column.

RANGERS NOTES  —  Loe could move to bullpen  —  ARLINGTON - Right-hander Kameron Loe, who is on the disabled list with a right elbow bone bruise, played catch on flat ground from 90 feet Wednesday.  He is scheduled to throw bullpen sessions Friday and Sunday, then begin a rehab assignment at Double A Frisco.

Twins option Bonser to Class AAA Rochester  —  The Twins optioned Boof Bonser, a righthanded starting pitcher, to Class AAA Rochester on Wednesday.  Bonser was 2-2 with a 5.30 ERA in seven starts for the Twins.  He lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks, in Tuesday night's 7-2 loss to Kansas City.

Angels trade Weaver to Cards for minor-league OF  —  SEATTLE — The Los Angeles Angels traded disappointing right-hander Jeff Weaver to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night for minor-league outfielder Terry Evans.  —  Weaver, 29, was designated for assignment by the Angels last Friday …

Yankees' International Haul Sits At Eight  —  Yankees international scouting director Lin Garrett said the Yankees weren't trying to send a message to anybody.  —  Instead, the Yankees just tried to improve their farm system, which has produced some quality of late (Chien-Ming Wang …

60 Years and 1,000 Tales Since 14 Were Ejected  —  Sixty years is a long time to stretch a memory.  But Dario Lodigiani is certain that the reason that he and 13 other Chicago White Sox players and coaches were ejected from a game against the Boston Red Sox had nothing to do with a ventriloquist in the stands.

Wagner behind Nomar in Final Vote  —  Closer in striking distance for last National League spot  —  NEW YORK — Major League Baseball officials say the Monster 2006 All-Star Final Vote count in each league is too close to call, and what that means is that Mets fans still have a chance to add …

Elbow surgery will end Martinez's season  —  WASHINGTON — Carlos Martinez's season is over.  —  As the Marlins feared, the right-hander needs Tommy John surgery.  Dr. James Andrews, who examined Martinez on Wednesday, will perform the operation today in Birmingham, Ala.

Notes: Brewers shuffle roster  —  Eveland returns, Moeller designated for assignment  —  rbraun@journalsentinel.com  —  Circumstances and a season-long slump caused the Milwaukee Brewers to make a couple of roster moves after their 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds Wednesday night.

Scowling Scolari blames referee  —  It was always unlikely that Portugal would leave this World Cup quietly and so it proved last night as Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari laid the blame for their semi-final defeat at the feet of the Uraguayan referee Jorge Larrionda.

Greg Maddux plus Randy Johnson equals Chris Young  —  SAN DIEGO — Chris Young, wearing a blue golf shirt and shorts, trying to look like any other San Diego tourist, still draws stares as he heads out walking for lunch.  —  "It's OK now," Young says.  "People walk up and ask questions about the Padres.