Top News:
Mike Petraglia / MLB.com:
Sox rally falls short — Clement hit hard in first home start of season — BOSTON — There's never a good time for a bad start. But Matt Clement knows his timing Thursday night wasn't the best, especially considering his counterpart's recent success against the Red Sox.
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Steve Herrick / MLB.com:
Mariners to tangle with Sox at Fenway — Seattle (5-5) at Boston (6-3), 4:05 p.m. PT — The Mariners' first road trip of 2006 won't get any easier, but they go into Boston on a positive note. — Seattle's 9-5 win over the Indians on Thursday capped a series in which the Mariners won …
Mike Petraglia / MLB.com:
Schilling looks to extend hot start — Seattle (5-5) at Boston (6-3), 7:05 p.m. ET — After losing consecutive games for the first time this season, the Red Sox open a four-game weekend series with the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Fenway, continuing a 10-game homestand.
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
Wily Mo gets more help — Wily Mo Pena was standing in front of his locker yesterday, his hands outstretched, clutching an imaginary bat. — Pena lifted his hands a little and pulled them closer to his body. — "David Ortiz told me to do this. And then you do this," said Pena …
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Sox not in rush on Trot: Won't hurry ailing RF — Trot Nixon is not expected to return to the Red Sox' lineup until early next week due to the left groin strain that knocked him out of Tuesday's home opener after three innings. — Manager Terry Francona initially hoped his starting right fielder …
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets open series with Brewers — Milwaukee (6-3) at New York Mets (7-1) 7:10 p.m. ET — The Mets venture outside the thus-far friendly confines of the National League East for the first time Friday night, when they face the Brewers in the opener of a three-game series.
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Joe Lapointe / New York Times:
Boy Who Helped Yankees Is a Hit Again — Jeffrey Maier, a senior at Wesleyan, had two doubles against Bates on Wednesday to reach 170 hits. He hopes for a career in baseball. — MIDDLETOWN, Conn., April 12 — The pitch was a fastball on the outside part of the plate …
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Murray Chass / New York Times:
Low Payroll and High Hopes for Brewers — TOM HICKS and Mark Attanasio have conducted business deals with each other, but it is a deal Hicks did on his own for which Attanasio owes Hicks a large thank-you. Hicks, the Texas Rangers' owner, fired Doug Melvin as his general manager in 2001 …
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Vidro, Tavares Argue About Dimensions at RFK Stadium — Jose Vidro was quite clear. He feels RFK Stadium is unfair to hitters. He thinks the club should have moved in the fences during the offseason. He said so on Wednesday night. And he didn't back down yesterday …
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Thomas Heath / Washington Post:
Bidders For Nats May Join Forces — With Major League Baseball poised to select a new owner for the Washington Nationals within the next week, the family of local real estate patriarch Theodore "Ted" Lerner yesterday was very close to teaming up with former Atlanta sports executive Stan Kasten …
Josh Dubow / Associated Press:
Grand jury investigating Barry Bonds — SAN FRANCISCO —Barry Bonds could be facing bigger problems than baseball's probe into his alleged past steroid use. A federal grand jury is investigating whether Bonds committed perjury when he testified in 2003 that he never used steroids …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Ted Rowlands / CNN:Sources: Grand jury looking at whether Bonds lied about steroid use
Discussion:
Associated Press
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: Willie waits his turn — Utility player hasn't received much game time — CLEVELAND — Ten games into the season, Willie Bloomquist's starting percentage is .200 — His batting average is .200. — The two are not unrelated. Bloomquist isn't a regular starter …
Discussion:
Mariners Morsels
Mike Kiley / Chicago Sun Times:
Wood may be nearing minor-league rehab — Kerry Wood could begin a minor-league rehabilitation assignment in about 10 to 12 days. If Wood's strong comeback from shoulder surgery last August continues in a simulated game Saturday in Mesa, Ariz., the usual routine would be one more simulated game …
Scott / CardNilly:
Brand New Shoes — Ladies, here's a sneak view inside the Guy Code — that unwritten set of rules that govern what American Guys do in social situations, covering everything from the type of drinks which are acceptable to order to the selection of urinals in a public restroom.
Mike Kiley / Chicago Sun Times:
Zambrano loses focus, game — Carlos Zambrano has been the Cubs' biggest disappointment so far this season. Rather than shouts of "Cy Young,'' his performances have elicited sighs of exasperation. — While the Cubs are off to a 5-3 start, Zambrano has fumbled an opportunity to raise …
David Lennon / Newsday:
Same ol' Zambrano — WASHINGTON — Yesterday was a standard outing for Victor Zambrano. Not that great, not terrible. — But with the Mets' intimidating lineup, Zambrano may just be good enough this season — if he proves that his shaky five-inning performance in yesterday's 13-4 thrashing …
