Houston

GLENDALE ? Jason Hirsh has a bone to pick with Roger Clemens. A week ago, Clemens ? who signed a one-year deal with the Houston Astros in May ? struck out a franchise-tying 11 batters for the double-A Corpus Christi Hooks in his second tune-up start. The record just happened to be held by Hirsh, a St. Francis High graduate who pitched for the Hooks last year and is one of the top pitching prospects in the Astros' organization. Hirsh ? the ace pitcher for the Round Rock Express, Houston's triple-A affiliate ?

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan A look at how locals Mark Loretta, Jim Parque and Gregg Zaun are doing in the major leagues. Brighter days: Escaping the lowly Milwaukee Brewers might have been the best thing to happen to Mark Loretta, who was traded to the playoff-contending Houston Astros on Saturday for two players to be named later. The Brewers have the third-worst record in the league, behind the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In his first game for the Astros on Sunday, Loretta, a 1989 St. Francis High graduate, was hitless in three at-bats and walked once against the Dodgers.

Darleene Barrientos After driving through four of the hottest states in America, including Parker, Ariz. where the mercury hit 122 degrees, the temperature at Jet Propulsion Laboratory Saturday was refreshing for 17-year-old Rod Wiley -- a balmy, breezy 85 degrees. "It was fun, amazing and very cool -- temperature-wise," Rod said, of driving his team's solar-powered vehicle, Sundancer, through California on the last leg of the 1,000-mile race. Rod and his team, the Houston Solar Race Team of the Houston Vocational Center in Houston, Miss.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- A month away from the retirement of Glendale Water & Power's wholesale electricity trader, Tommy Wu, the city has brought in a partner to help with its marketing. Houston-based Coral Power, an affiliate of Shell Oil Co., has been selected as an energy marketing alliance partner. Through Wu's effort, Glendale has made about $5 million a year in marketing wholesale electricity it has on supply. The city is trying to maintain that profit level without taking on too much risk, said Bernie Palk, executive director of Glendale Water & Power.

Charles Rich Mark Loretta will be returning to Southern California to resume his career. The San Diego Padres signed Loretta, a 1989 St. Francis High graduate, to a one-year contract Monday. Terms of the contract were not revealed by team officials at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tenn. Loretta began his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, who then shipped the 31-year-old infielder to the Houston Astros during the trade deadline in July.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on the area's Major League Baseball players. Jason Hirsh (St. Francis High, 2000) starting pitcher, Colorado Rockies: Hirsh, a right-hander, allowed three runs (two earned) and three hits Tuesday night to help Colorado post an 11-4 home win against the Milwaukee Brewers. He went six innings and struck out one to cool off the Brewers. Milwaukee built a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings before the Rockies mounted their comeback with a five-run sixth.

GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene: AREA TEAMS GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS Two local teams are represented in this week's CIF Southern Section rankings, which were released Monday. The squads, however, are headed in different directions, with one falling and the other climbing in the newest rankings. The St. Francis High baseball team is ranked No. 10 in Division III, falling seven spots from last week. The Golden Knights dropped two Mission League contests to Chaminade last week, 8-1 on Tuesday and 4-3 in eight innings on Friday.

The following is how area players are doing in Major League baseball. Freddy Sanchez (Glendale Community College, 1998) infielder, Pittsburg Pirates — Sanchez continues to have a hot bat, leading the National League in hitting and showing no signs of slowing down.   Through Wednesday, the former Vaquero was batting .346. With four games left in the regular season, he leads the Florida Marlins' Miguel Cabrera by seven points in the race for the batting crown.

A car that once sped around raceways made a stop at the Glendale Galleria on Saturday and Sunday, as part of a nationwide tour. The show car of Dale Earnhardt Jr., featuring official logos, race-car features and an intact engine, attracted about 3,000 people as of Sunday afternoon, a spokesman said. The car was retired in 1996, after been used to race for three years. It has been featured in a Drakkar Noir and Budweiser beer commercial. The car is on a 30-city, nationwide tour, and left Glendale on Sunday night for its next stop in Houston.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Name: Mark Loretta Team: San Diego Padres Local Ties: St. Francis, class of 1989 This Season: Entering Tuesday's game against the visiting Colorado Rockies, Loretta was batting .313 with six home runs and 28 runs batted in. Loretta, an infielder who previously played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros, has scored 32 runs and recorded 80 hits. He's recorded 15 doubles and two triples. Latest News: Loretta, who recorded an 11-game hitting streak earlier this month, continues to play a large role for the struggling Padres.