Robinson pulls Soriano from game  —  Nationals manager upset about left fielder's lack of hustle  —  NEW YORK — The Alfonso Soriano saga continued Wednesday night, as Nationals manager Frank Robinson's patience with the left fielder ran out against the Mets.

Mets unveil architectural and design plans for new ballpark  —  Innovative state-of-the-art facility designed specifically for baseball brings fans closer to action; Ballpark ushers in new era of superior sightlines, amenities, and comfort to provide superior fan experience throughout venue

Baker hopes home remedy cures the starters' woes  —  CINCINNATI — In two games, Cubs manager Dusty Baker already has had to call on dependable left-hander Scott Eyre to pitch 2-2/3 innings.  Eyre has done well, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks, but Baker knows the pattern can't continue.

Papelbon slams the door  —  Francona goes to rookie instead of Foulke in ninth inning  —  ARLINGTON — Just three games into the season, Red Sox manager Terry Francona was by no means attempting to create a closer controversy Wednesday night at Ameriquest Field.  All he was trying to do was win a game.

Under The Knife  —  Depth  —  It's clear that something happened in the game of baseball, either in the late sixties or early seventies.  It was a subtle change, but as it got around the league after starting in football, players on every team were known to use this substance openly.

Notes: Turnbow fuels Brewers' sweep  —  Reliever's three straight saves pump up his teammates  —  MILWAUKEE — Every day at Miller Park begins with the national anthem and ends with Metallica.  —  At least that was true this week, as Metallica's hit song "Fuel" pumped through the sound system …

Daughter of Yankees' Proctor is okay  —  MIAMI (AP) — The infant daughter of New York Yankees reliever Scott Proctor was released from a hospital Thursday after she underwent successful surgery to fix a serious heart ailment.  —  One-month-old Mary Elizabeth had surgery to fix a narrowing …

Mariners acquire RHP Jose De La Cruz from Tampa Bay in exchange for RHP Marcos Carvajal  —  Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Bill Bavasi announced today that the Mariners have acquired right-handed pitcher Jose De La Cruz from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays …

TICKET PRICES UP:  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Cardinals have given new meaning to their Golden Age.  —  A combination of significantly higher ticket and concession prices along with a static payroll leaves the defending National League Central champions in an enviable financial position …

About Last Night...  Not content to merely enjoy the win, the Diaspora is compelled to deconstruct the the last nine innings.  After all, it's what keeps us baseball bloggers in business.  Ah, but we're also responsible for keeping the content fresh and timely - the true challenge of any good blog, but especially a baseball one.

Fuentes asking "Y" his entry botched  —  The sun broke through Monday as if ordered by the city's chamber of commerce.  The snazzy new scoreboard displayed colors sharper than real life.  —  The sellout crowd was ready to erupt in the eighth inning.  Closer Brian Fuentes jogged …

Which Bullpens Won the Close Ones?  —  How do teams consistently win close games?  Well, the first answer is that they usually don't.  Close games are fickle.  There is no better example in baseball history than last year's Nationals, who won 12 consecutive one-run games, then lost 13 of them in a row.