The Hot Corner

Don't come between the Cardinals and their dinner. Disgusted by a lackluster effort in a loss to the Tigers on June 10—St. Louis's seventh loss in 10 games—manager Tony La Russa declared the postgame supper spread off-limits to his players. Before losing to the Dodgers on Sunday, the hungry Cardinals had won six straight since the food ban and vaulted to a 6�-game lead in the National League Central....

Amid the talk of a fire sale swirling around the disappointing Orioles, one scout who has been following Baltimore says, "I see [outfielder] B.J. Surhoff looking in the stands before every game to see which clubs came to see him. He needs to get out of there. I think anybody's available [on that team]."...

How dire is the Indians' arm shortage? Last Friday they signed Jaime Navarro, who was released by the Brewers in April after starting the season 0-5 with a 12.54 ERA and had been pitching in the Rockies' farm system. One of Navarro's former teammates, White Sox lefthander Jim Parque, told the Chicago Tribune last week, "Jaime's a good guy, but when it came to team, he was more about I." Navarro started Sunday against the Tigers and didn't get the decision in a 9-4 Cleveland win....

Angels leftfielder Darin Erstad, who had 107 hits through Sunday, reached 100 in his team's 61st game. Only one major league player—Heinie Manush of the Washington Senators, who did it in his club's 60th game in 1934—has attained the century mark faster.