Pedro's 200th aces Atlanta  —  Milestone puts magic in Met numbers  —  Don't worry, Braves, there's always the wild card.  —  Pedro Martinez notched career win No. 200 and the Mets continued to make history by beating nemesis Atlanta, 4-3, last night at Shea in the first of nine meetings between …

Atlanta doesn't feel things going south yet  —  The Braves finally got a first-hand look at the Mets last night and were impressed by what they saw in their chief rival in the NL East.  —  All the Atlanta players knew to expect strong pitching from Pedro Martinez.

Drese's MRI reveals flexor tendon strain  —  Righty will avoid surgery, could return in four to six weeks  —  Nationals right-hander Ryan Drese had an MRI on his right elbow and it was revealed on Monday that he has a flexor tendon strain and surgery is not needed.  Drese is expected to miss four to six weeks of action.

Leg injury puts Griffey back on DL  —  CINCINNATI —Ken Griffey Jr. asked reporters who they thought would be cleared off the active roster to open a spot when Jason LaRue returned later in the week.  —  He got his answer a few hours later, and it wasn't the one he expected.

Pujols puts on a show  —  His third HR lifts Cardinals in ninth  —  Albert Pujols gets a hug after blasting a walkoff homer in the ninth against the Reds.  (AP Photo)  —  ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols hit three home runs, including a winning drive that erased a ninth-inning deficit and put …

Phils hope home will be sweeter this time  —  The Phillies left Citizens Bank Park last week in desperate need of finding their mojo, and maybe a few wins, too.  —  They opened the season 1-5 at home but rebounded with a 4-2 road trip.  —  "If we were 1-5 on that homestand …

Owner, GM tell ChiSox to cut slip-and-slides, long hair  —  CHICAGO — Mark Buehrle was told to stop doing belly flops and slides on the tarp during rain delays.  A.J. Pierzynski and Joe Crede were ordered to get a trim.  —  Are those fun-loving World Series winning White Sox cracking down?

With one swing, holiday experience becomes a blast for Dad  —  This was all new to him, the visitor from Southern California said, this quirky regional holiday known as Patriots Day (''Got to have something to do with the Revolution, right?"), a ballgame that started before lunchtime …

Backstop's backside an issue  —  When Jason Varitek grounded a ball to second baseman Jose Lopez in the second inning yesterday and Lopez bobbled it, Varitek had a chance to beat it out.  But one look at the Sox catcher — limping up the line — indicated he not only would be out on the play but could be out for some time.

Kent Diagnosed With Concussion  —  A CT scan on Jeff Kent's head taken at Good Samaritan Hospital after he was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning was normal and the Dodger second baseman was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a bruise on the left side of his head.

Shoulder rehab weighs on Wood  —  Says elbow surgery was easier to handle  —  LOS ANGELES — Kerry Wood said Monday that rehabbing from his shoulder surgery has been much more difficult, both physically and mentally, than coming back from elbow reconstruction surgery in 2000.

Kubel's fears realized with ticket to minors  —  Jason Kubel knew the news was coming, but that didn't make him feel better when he got it.  —  Twins general manager Terry Ryan told the reserve outfielder he was being sent to Class AAA Rochester.  —  Ryan broke the news to Kubel …

Marlins place two on disabled list  —  CINCINNATI — When Jeremy Hermida decided to test his sore right hip the past couple of days, he knew he would not be ready to play soon.  So Hermida, the Marlins' touted rookie right fielder, on Monday was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday.

Mailbag: What lies ahead for Nationals?  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nats fans' questions … Do you believe that general manager Jim Bowden has destroyed team chemistry by giving up outfielders Terrmel Sledge and Brad Wilkinson for left fielder Alfonso Soriano?