WESTERN intelligence
A look at the Twins' upcoming AL West opponents:
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The Twins will be in Seattle just before the trade deadline, but the Mariners don't expect to be making many moves. "In all fairness, I don't think I'm going to be aggressive," General Manager Jack Zduriencik said. "I don't think I'm going out there and start shopping our players." That's partly because so many of their most tradable players have stabilized Seattle after a slow start.
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The Angels' hopes of contending have been all but scuttled by injuries to their pitching staff, but they might start to get some starters back soon. Tommy Hanson, out a month because of a forearm strain, could return to face the Twins this week, while lefthander Jason Vargas, sidelined by surgery to remove a blood clot, could start throwing off a mound this week. In addition, outfielder Peter Bourjos (broken wrist) hopes to return in early August.
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Astros fans were bracing for a 1962 Mets kind of season, but a 20-20 stretch shows that Houston's rebuilding already is showing results. The latest sign: Rookie Jarred Cosart, considered a future cornerstone of the rotation, pitched eight shutout innings in his major league debut July 12, holding the Rays to just two hits.
