A Broken Wrist Ends Matsui's Streak  —  On one gruesome play in the first inning at Yankee Stadium last night, a streak ended and a problem intensified.  —  Hideki Matsui, the Yankees' left fielder who had played in 1,768 consecutive games, fractured his left wrist while trying to catch …

Rowand to have surgery on Friday  —  Phillies unsure of how long center fielder will be sidelined  —  PHILADELPHIA — Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand left Thursday's game with a broken nose and lacerations to the face after crashing into the center field fence to make an over-the-shoulder catch …

Nats rally, but bullpen can't hold lead  —  Johnson homers in the 11th, but Reds rally for win  —  CINCINNATI — The Nationals couldn't possibly forget the first time this season that they faced Reds right-hander Bronson Arroyo, and they aren't likely to forget the second time they faced Arroyo either.

Rangers replace Triple-A manager  —  Texas also swaps minor-leaguers with San Diego  —  It was quiet on the major league front for the Rangers on Thursday, but they sent tremors through their struggling Triple-A Oklahoma club.  —  Manager Tim Ireland, still serving a 10-game suspension …

Koronka deal pays big dividends  —  ARLINGTON — John Koronka's wife, Ashlee, had things figured out long before he did.  She kept telling him that he was going to wind up in Texas with the Rangers.  —  Ashlee had been predicting that Koronka would play for the Rangers since he was a Rule 5 pick of theirs in December 2002.

Live Arm Puts Pelfrey on Mets' Fast Track  —  BINGHAMTON, N.Y., May 9 — Deep in the heart of the bushes, in upstate New York, a tall, lean young man in a Mets uniform stood on a pitcher's mound.  —  The ballpark was cozy, a third full with about 2,000 fans present on a pleasant Tuesday evening.

Infection sends Chavez to hospital  —  A's notebook  —  TORONTO — A's third baseman Eric Chavez missed his third straight game with what the team is calling a bacterial infection.  —  He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital on Thursday morning, receiving IV fluids and undergoing a blood test …

Williams is dejected by ejection  —  At the start of the season, Bernie Williams jokingly mentioned a few things that he'd like to do before his career was over.  One of them was to get thrown out of a game.  —  While Williams finally achieved that dubious feat in the seventh inning …

Column: Well, at least Bonds can still hit  —  SAN FRANCISCO —Barry Bonds still uncoils at the plate like a striking cobra.  Unfortunately, he plays left field like a hippopotamus looking for a good mud bath.  —  For one day, or even one historic homestand, it hardly matters.

Umps miffed?  You make the call  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Mets have beaten up the Nationals, thrashed the Marlins and shown they are capable of dethroning the Braves.  But in the pursuit of their first National League East title since 1988, are the Mets good enough to be infuriating the umpires, too?

Yard Sticks: Will 2006 be bigger bang for Pujols?  —  In 1998:  —  Mark McGwire hit his 18th home run of the year in the 43rd game.  He finished 1998 with 70 home runs.  —  In 2001:  —  Barry Bonds hit his 18th home run of the year in the 42nd game.  He finished 2001 with 73 home runs.