Giants extend Alou’s contract

NOTES

The San Francisco Giants extended Felipe Alou’s contract through the 2006 season on Wednesday, ending any speculation about whether the manager would return for a fourth season.

The 70-year-old Alou and the Giants have a mutual option for 2007. Alou, who took over the team from Dusty Baker after the 2002 season, is one of only three managers in franchise history to win at least 90 games in his first two years.

Alou’s 191 wins in his first two seasons were the most for any Giants skipper.

Thome gets rare ejection

Mild-mannered Philadelphia first baseman Jim Thome was ejected from the game against San Francisco for arguing a called third strike.

Thome was upset after being called out on a pitch on the outside corner.

It was his first ejection since joining the Phillies in 2003. Thome is batting .209 with two homers and 17 runs batted in.

Clearing the bases

Johnny Damon was back in the Boston lineup. The only reminders of his outfield collision were the stitches in his eyelid, the scrape on his cheek and the body outline some Red Sox joker taped to the wall where he hit it. Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli is expected to get out of a splint in a week and start hitting. He has been on the disabled list two weeks with a left wrist sprain. … Curt Schilling of Boston has gone to Arizona to continue rehabbing a bruised bone in his ankle for the next 10 days. … New York Mets relievers Felix Heredia and Bartolome Fortunato are scheduled to have surgery today, and both are expected to miss the rest of the season. … Billionaire George Soros has joined one of the groups bidding for the Washington Nationals, the latest big name in a competition that has become as much about clout as money. … Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez was in the lineup against Texas, one day after breaking his right hand.