Offense dries up in rain  —  Rangers' Loe blanks Red Sox before game is called in the bottom of the sixth  —  Last night, the Red Sox were fighting the weather.  They were fighting Texas starter Kameron Loe's heavy, biting sinkers.  Most of all, they were fighting the pace that the Rangers …

Dreary day on all counts  —  Ernie Banks was at Wrigley Field on Friday, but his trademark "Let's play two today" would have been a bad joke.  —  Lee improving faster than Cubs  —  Walks leave Guzman on the outs  —  Adam Caldarelli: Cubs-Padres  —  Rick Sutcliffe's self-described …

Carmona in, Graves out for Tribe  —  Indians hopeful prospect, Betancourt can help right ship  —  CLEVELAND — First, Danny Graves' hair was cut.  —  Then, Graves himself was cut.  —  The Indians designated the veteran Graves for assignment after Friday's 5-4 loss to the Tigers, giving them 10 days to trade or release him.

Search is on for new left fielder  —  With Matsui sidelined, club will look internally for replacement  —  NEW YORK — Hideki Matsui will not be in left field for approximately three months, possibly longer.  That much the Yankees know.  —  What they don't know is who will be out there on a daily basis.

Good as advertised  —  Prized Phillies prospect Hamels sparkles in debut  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Cole Hamels' numbers in the minor leagues suggested he was ready for big things.  —  His major league debut suggested the same.  —  The 22-year-old left-hander pitched five shutout innings on a raw …

Penny, Lofton lead Dodgers past Giants  —  Starter gets win despite leaving after five innings with stiff back  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Former Giant Kenny Lofton drove in three runs and winning starter Brad Penny battled through five innings despite a stiff lower back Friday night as the Dodgers shut …

Nationals give back game in 11  —  CINCINNATI — The Washington Nationals have seldom lost a game in as excruciating fashion as last night.  —  In a series finale at Cincinnati, the Nationals took a three-run lead in the 11th inning after Chad Cordero pitched two brilliant, scoreless innings.

Notes: Building a DC team the right way  —  Nats' brass are holding a state of the team meeting in Atlanta  —  ATLANTA — New principal owner Mark Lerner and team president Stan Kasten were at Friday night's game between the Nationals and Braves, along with Lerner's two sons.

Tracyblah  —  What happens when humbling experiences fail to humble?  —  I've only been following the mess in Pittsburgh from a distance, not enough to monitor lineups or in-game maneuvers, but enough to see that whatever excuses there might be for the Pirates' losing …

Notes: Sore knee lands Mueller on DL  —  Dodgers start three rookies; Gagne mixes in changeups  —  SAN FRANCISCO — It's looking like last year all over again for the injury-riddled Dodgers.  —  They had to place third baseman Bill Mueller on the 15-day disabled list Friday …

Pavano exits rehab start early  —  Righty departs after 63 pitches with tightness in right biceps  —  NEW YORK — Carl Pavano made his second rehab start on Friday night, leaving after 63 pitches with tightness in his right biceps.  —  Pitching for Double-A Trenton against Bowie …

Think-Pink Week  —  Mother's Day is special to Tomko, after his biggest fan was diagnosed with breast cancer  —  The mother talks to the son before every start.  —  For 10 years, she has talked to him before every start.  —  It's never deep, it's never original, but it's always Mom, and it always matters.

Williams tears calf muscle, out indefinitely  —  CHICAGO - Padres pitcher Woody Williams is out indefinitely after tearing a calf muscle in Friday's 10-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs.  —  Williams suffered the injury while running the basepaths in the second inning at soggy Wrigley Field.

Angels light up Mariners in series opener  —  Twelve runs over first four innings prove too much for Seattle  —  ANAHEIM — The Angels traded the cold, wind and rain of Chicago for a torrid homecoming on Friday night, returning from a 3-5 road trip and pounding the Seattle Mariners, 12-7 …

Notes: McAnulty geared up for sub role  —  Energetic utility man fills in for Bowen; Adkins back, too  —  CHICAGO — One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity.  So it is with Rob Bowen and Paul McAnulty.  —  A foul tip off his catching hand on Thursday afternoon resulted in a trip …

Early Game Heroics  —  In case you are finished collecting two of everything and have time to surf the internet, I will pass on the news that the Phillies won Thursday night's matchup with the Mets and therefore, the series as well, two games to one.  The game was called in the mid-fifth inning due to rain.