BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : WORLD SERIES

Philadelphia left-hander Terry Mulholland, who will face Dave Stewart today in Game 2, said he is enjoying his first World Series experience so far.

“I had a good afternoon and had lunch in a little Italian restaurant in Little Italy,” Mulholland said. “It’s nice to be able to get away from the hotel and not get caught up in everything.”

Mulholland pitched five strong innings in Game 3 of the National League playoffs before falling apart in the sixth, when Atlanta scored five runs. It was only Mullholland’s third appearance since Sept. 3, when he was sidelined because of a hip injury that he says has healed. Mulholland is one of the best at holding runners on, which will come in handy against the Blue Jays.

For the first time in his five World Series appearances, Stewart did not pitch in Game 1. Stewart pitched in relief in Game 1 of the 1981 World Series for the Dodgers, then started in Game 1 for Oakland in three consecutive World Series, 1988-1990. His record in World Series games is 2-3, but with a 2.60 earned-run average.

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Aretha Franklin was at SkyDome early to practice the national anthem, so Philadelphia’s Kim Batiste went out to get an autograph. “It’s very seldom that I get a chance to be around somebody like that, so when I am, I try to get an autograph and get my picture taken,” Batiste said. “I don’t have her records, but when I get a chance to listen to her music I do. I’m more of a Teddy Pendergrass fan. He came down and met me personally two weeks before the season ended and we had a talk.”