Notes: Wright stays in lineup  —  Third baseman starts despite ailing groin; Reyes gets day off  —  SAN DIEGO — David Wright was in the lineup Sunday when the Mets completed their four-game series with the Padres.  Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes were not.  —  Beltran said his right hamstring still was too tender to play.

D-Backs unable to catch Dodgers  —  Clark, Estrada collect eighth-inning RBIs; Hudson 2-for-5  —  LOS ANGELES — A crimp in his style, not a cramp in his calf, kept Diamondbacks right-hander Russ Ortiz winless this season on Sunday afternoon.  —  The veteran right-hander threw 63 pitches and only 29 of them were strikes.

Notes: Delcarmen no stranger to Sox  —  Righty with Massachusetts roots back with big-league club  —  TORONTO — Their bullpen a bit taxed after a Friday marathon and a Saturday blowout, the Red Sox got a fresh arm Sunday with the arrival of hard-throwing Manny Delcarmen, who was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Shoes make Mench worth mentioning  —  Outfielder has driven in 12 since change of footwear to larger size  —  ARLINGTON - It's gotta be the shoes.  —  At least that's what hitting coach Brook Jacoby said is the main reason outfielder Kevin Mench is starting to pound the ball and collect RBIs in bunches.

Braves edge Nats in finale  —  Betemit's long ball lifts Atlanta to come-from-behind win  —  WASHINGTON — Atlanta didn't do much offensively for most of Sunday's series finale with Washington.  The Nationals, on the other hand, kept getting hits off Braves pitchers, who repeatedly found themselves trying to get out of trouble.

Helton close to leaving hospital  —  Rockies cautiously optimistic about results  —  Rockies first baseman Todd Helton is expected to be released from a hospital today, with team officials hoping to learn a diagnosis of his severe abdominal pain tonight or Tuesday.

Amid 'kitchen' heat, Keith sorry  —  Keith Hernandez apologized yesterday for inappropriate comments he made Saturday night about San Diego's massage therapist Kelly Calabrese.  —  After Mike Piazza's second-inning home run Saturday, SportsNet New York's camera focused on Calabrese …

City Officials Leery of Nats Bidder's Silence  —  During a luncheon address before more than 200 business leaders last week, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams noted that he had never met the Theodore N. Lerner family of Bethesda, which is seeking to buy the Washington Nationals.

Pieces with a bit of an edge  —  Picked-up pieces while working on my mock draft . . .  - At what point, precisely, did the 2005-06 Celtics season become a success story?  The Celtics went 33-49 and they've been applauded madly all around town.  The Bruins went 29-37-8-8 and their name is mud.

Another awful April: Tigers sweep, send M's to 9th home loss of month  —  The Mariners are 7-13 and looking for answers.  —  Eddie Guardado might be as close as any of his teammates to getting to the heart of Seattle's horrid start.  —  "It's like we're cursed," Guardado said.

Phillies move Hamels to Class AAA  —  Team promotes left-hander, gets him closer to majors  —  PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels' path to the majors has been accelerated.  —  The Phillies today promote Hamels, their prized but fragile left-handed pitching prospect, to Class AAA Scranton-Wilkes/Barre from Class A Clearwater.