Wrist of fate  —  2 broken bones likely to bench Lee at least 2 months; Cubs sift options  —  Derrek Lee could miss at least two months with a broken right wrist, putting the injury-plagued Cubs in the same boat in which they capsized last summer.  —  Lee will be in a cast for up to six weeks …

Wells may retire: Knee woes worry lefty  —  David Wells said he will abruptly pull the plug on his 20th and final major league season if his knee problems do not start to improve or if he discovers that he is risking his future health by continuing to pitch.

Oldie is still a goodie  —  Franco's pinch HR sparks six-run rally as trip begins with a win  —  SAN DIEGO — The Mets approached last night's game against the Padres with an all-hands-on-deck mentality.  They emptied the trainer's room and even the forgotten Kaz Matsui …

Johnson, Nationals Pound the Phillies  —  Traber Also Contributes as Robinson Wins 1,000th: Nationals 10, Phillies 4  —  PHILADELPHIA, April 20 — Nick Johnson's manager knows something about hitting, and that means he knows something about the feeling Johnson must have right now.

Go 2 Guy: Where have all the M's fans gone?  —  For the third consecutive game, there were more empty seats than fans at Safeco Field Thursday night.  —  Tuesday's game set a record low for attendance at Safeco Field until Wednesday's game went even lower, down to 17,613 fans.

Piazza sends greeting across the miles to fans  —  SAN DIEGO — Eternally sunny skies, a laid-back vibe, beautiful PETCO Park to call home.  Life seems good for Mike Piazza with the Padres.  But after Piazza spoke to the media yesterday during an impromptu dugout news conference …

He's no talk, all action  —  "George Hendrick is probably one of the best clubhouse coaches I've ever been around.  He is universally liked by every baseball player or person who's ever been affiliated with him.  He's very introspective and bright.  He's very straightforward and honest.

Cards-Cubs: Not another series for fans  —  The Chicago Cubs and their fond faithful will make their first visit to the newest of the Busch stadiums tonight.  And other than an aberration last year when they won the season series here five games to three, the Cubs have found wins difficult …

Pedro forced to get more crafty  —  SAN DIEGO — Pedro Martinez has taken on a mythical quality with the Mets, and not just on the days that he's pitching.  When principal owner Fred Wilpon stopped by the Shea clubhouse this week to congratulate him on his 200th victory, Martinez shook his hand and mentioned, "Donald Trump says hello."

Developments in the Baseball Blogosphere  —  Toward the end of the 2004 season, I wrote about a key late-season Dodgers/Giants game, and I graphed the Win Expectancy of the game, play by play.  As far as I know, this was the first time it had been done, and I was pretty proud of myself.

David continues to show Wright stuff  —  Teenage girls screech when he comes to the plate.  Gossip columnists notice where he eats.  People in baseball, including his own teammates, say he is blossoming into the new face of the Mets, perhaps the way Tom Seaver once was.

BERARDINO: Tough to say it, but Uggla a beauty  —  Blending into the major leagues as a rookie second baseman hasn't been the hardest part for Dan Uggla.  —  Getting people to pronounce his last name properly has been the larger challenge.  —  Fans.  Teammates.  Visiting broadcasters.

Kazmir, Rays put clamps on Sox  —  It was 2 and 2 to Mike Lowell with two outs in the sixth inning last night, Mark Loretta on second, Manny Ramírez on first, and the Sox behind, 2-1.  Scott Kazmir — undaunted by the Sox lineup, Curt Schilling's attempt at intimidation on WEEI …