Sanders' streak of hitting could make him trade bait

He slugged two homers and drove in five runs in the Bucs' 7-2 win.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- One of the contending clubs in the American League or National League might want to trade for Reggie Sanders before he cools off.
Sanders has long been one of baseball's most renowned streak hitters, and he's on another spurt with three homers in two games and five in six games. He's also available for the right price to a team looking to add an extra bat or a dependable outfielder down the stretch.
With Sanders on a one-year contract and Pittsburgh going nowhere in the NL Central, he could be one of several Pirates players dealt before this afternoon's deadline for trading without waivers.
After rapping two homers and driving in five runs in the Pirates' 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night, Sanders dealt with repeated questions about his possible trade.
The difference
He has switched uniforms each of the last five seasons, so he is accustomed to changing towns. The difference is he has never been dealt at the deadline, or been forced to move his family so late in a season.
"I'll be glad when [it's] over, most definitely, whatever way it goes," Sanders said. "It's always in the back of your mind. There's a lot of uncertainty that goes with it."
Nearly all the Pirates' offense came from two players who might be with them only one more day.
Sanders hit a three-run homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the sixth, both off Brian Lawrence (5-13). Lawrence, taking over the NL lead in losses, also gave up Brian Giles' 200th career homer and 1,000th career hit, a single in the first.
Eye package deal
Giles grew up in San Diego, and there seems no doubt the Padres would like to deal for him. But the Pirates, at least until now, have sought to include him in a package deal with Jason Kendall. The catcher is owed $42 million after this season.
"I've been through this before with Cleveland. Every year, I was supposed to be traded [at the deadline] for Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling, I was supposed to be going somewhere," Giles said. "You deal with it and go out and play."
Kip Wells (5-4) got the victory despite control problems, walking three and throwing 117 pitches in six innings. Wells gave up Lawrence's two-run, two-out single in the second, but still won his second consecutive start at PNC Park after going 13 months without winning at home.
Meadows ends drought
Wells and Brian Meadows combined on a six-hitter, with Meadows pitching the final three innings for his first save in 133 career games. He also never had a save in the minors.
Lawrence had another tough outing, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 51/3 innings -- the sixth time in his last nine starts he has yielded three or more earned runs. Lawrence has won only once in those nine starts.
It was a combination of a hot hitter running into a struggling pitcher, with predictable results.
"I stuck a ball over the plate [in the fourth] and he hit it out of the park," Lawrence said of Sanders. "The same thing happened later."