BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES

The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles have been within 1 1/2 games of one another in the American League East for the last 55 days. They’ve also traded leads 14 times.

“We’re trying to find a time two teams have ever been that close for this long,” said Rick Vaughn, Oriole public relations director, “but we can’t find it. We’re still looking.”

Trivia: Who are the three active players who have had their uniforms retired?

New York Mets first baseman Eddie Murray, whose uniform was retired by the Baltimore Orioles; Oakland designated hitter Harold Baines, whose uniform was retired by the Chicago White Sox; and Texas pitcher Nolan Ryan, whose number was retired last week by the Angels.