--2B Mark Ellis has been icing his sore left hamstring and hopes to be in the lineup when the A's open a series in Cleveland Tuesday night. But even if he says he's fine, it wouldn't be surprising if the A's exercised caution and kept him out. Ellis was hurt rounding first base Sunday. "I don't think it's anything major," he said. "I can't even guess how long I'll need. Hopefully, I won't have to take any time off."

--RHP rookie reliever Joey Devine assumed he was getting summoned in the fourth inning Sunday and rushed out of the bullpen and darted toward the mound, only to be told to return to the pen. Manager Bob Geren simply was out to the mound to speak with starter RHP Rich Harden. "We laughed about it," Devine said.

--RHP Rich Harden's line Sunday: 3 2/3 innings, five runs, eight hits, four walks, five strikeouts. On the positive side, he had zip on his fastball, reaching 97 mph, and said he felt fine physically. It was his first appearance since April 2. He had been recovering from a shoulder strain. His next start is Saturday in Atlanta.

--OF Emil Brown, who drove in a season-high four runs Sunday and has 33 RBIs, second in the league behind Texas' Josh Hamilton (39), is hitting .474 with runners in scoring position, tops in the AL. Quite a high figure considering his overall average is .283.

--C Kurt Suzuki has started 35 of 39 games and leads big-league catchers in games caught and innings caught. Manager Bob Geren said he'll rest Suzuki, who was hitless in three games in Texas, once this week, either in Cleveland or Atlanta.

BY THE NUMBERS
5 -- Number of steals record by Oakland in a win at Texas on Sunday, the team's most in a game in 13 years. That gave the A's steals in six consecutive games, their longest such stretch in 16 seasons.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm trying to go deep. I really am. I have a good swing right now. I have a good approach; it's just the results aren't there." -- A's DH Frank Thomas, on his homer drought after being signed by Oakland to provide some power.

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