BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Buechele Traded for Cubs’ Jackson

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their second trade in a week, sending third baseman Steve Buechele to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Danny Jackson on Friday night.

A week earlier, the Pirates acquired outfielder Alex Cole from the Cleveland Indians for two minor leaguers.

Buechele played baseball at Servite High in Anaheim and at Stanford before being selected by the Texas Ranger organization in the fifth round of the 1982 free-agent draft. The Pirates acquired him from the Rangers last August for pitcher Kurt Miller.

Buechele started for the Pirates at third base Friday night and left the rain-delayed game at Cincinnati for a pinch-hitter in the second inning. Buechele hit .249 in 79 games with eight home runs and 43 runs batted in.

Jackson, 4-9 with a 4.22 earned-run average in 19 starts, will join the Pirates after the All-Star break. He pitched Thursday night in a loss to the Atlanta Braves.

The American League is still concerned about charges that New York Yankee pitcher Tim Leary scuffed the ball during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 21. American League President Bobby Brown met with Leary and Gene Orza, general counsel for the Major League Players Assn. on Friday. Although the league said the incident remains suspicious, partly because of ESPN camera close-ups of the pitcher during the game, no disciplinary action is being considered.

Houston pitcher Mark Portugal, who argued with Manager Art Howe in the dugout after being removed in the third inning of the Astros’ 4-0 victory over the New York Mets Thursday night, was suspended for one game by the team. Portugal reportedly left the stadium before the game ended. Howe said he took out Portugal because he was concerned about stiffness in Portugal’s right elbow. . . . The Chicago White Sox have acquired infielder Eric Yelding, 27, as the player to be named to complete the trade made July 4 with Houston for left-handed pitcher Rich Scheid. Yelding, who was hitting .289 for the Astros’ triple-A Tucson team, will report to the White Sox’s triple-A Vancouver club. . . . The Orioles designated pitcher Jose Mesa for assignment to make room on their roster for reliever Pat Clements, who was claimed on waivers from the San Diego Padres on Thursday.