Delayed gratification  —  Mets reign in St. Louis  —  ST. LOUIS - First place still belongs solely to the Mets.  —  Paul Lo Duca's two-out RBI double in the seventh broke a tie and the Mets broke open the game the next inning after a 101-minute rain delay, allowing Tom Glavine to notch career win …

Hot spots, cold spots  —  Where do the best sluggers do the most damage?  —  Since the start of the 2005 season, there have been nearly 900,000 pitches thrown, and Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) has tracked every single one of them.  Whether it be the location, velocity or pitch type …

Sox can't steal a sweep  —  Harris misses sign, thrown out stealing at second to end game  —  BALTIMORE — Willie Harris is the consummate role player.  Perhaps his most important duty for the Red Sox is to utilize his speed when given the call in the late innings.  —  In his mind, this was the ultimate chance.

Twins send struggling righty Lohse to Triple-A  —  DETROIT — The Twins sent right-hander Kyle Lohse to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, the latest move made by Minnesota to shake up a struggling rotation.  —  Lohse, whose salary this season is $3.95 million after beating the team …

Notes: Ramirez has left shoulder strain  —  Shortstop expected to be ready for Interleague set with Rays  —  ATLANTA — An MRI performed on Wednesday confirmed that shortstop Hanley Ramirez has a left shoulder strain that will require a couple days' rest.  —  Ramirez said that he felt …

Pavano forced from rehab start  —  Ailing right-hander cites tightness in right triceps area  —  NEW YORK — Carl Pavano's comeback to the Yankees appears to be on hold once again.  —  Pavano, making his third rehab start on Wednesday, the second for Double-A Trenton …

Trachsel looks to win again vs. Cards  —  New York Mets (24-14) at St. Louis (24-15), 8:10 p.m. ET  —  If Steve Trachsel beats the Cardinals on Wednesday night, he will have a .500 winning percentage in his five-plus seasons with Mets.  A 54-54 record may be no great accomplishment …

Notes: Davies will need surgery  —  Right-hander diagnosed with torn groin muscles  —  ATLANTA — As the Braves feared, Kyle Davies will miss a significant amount of time.  Just how much time the right-handed starter misses will be better understood after he undergoes surgery on his torn right groin.

Weaver Finds Source of Woes  —  Jeff Weaver is like the struggling batter trying to hit a three-run home run with no one on base or go five for four to lift his average.  He gets into a jam — and there have been many in a highly disappointing season, in which the Angel right-hander is 1-6 …

Penny, Dodgers Edge Rockies in Pitchers' Duel, 3-2  —  DENVER — Since the Colorado Rockies began treating baseballs like fine cigars, games at Coors Field are taking on subtle qualities appreciated by connoisseurs of the national pastime.  —  The balls sit in a humidor for months before being used …

Nats Get One Hit In Another Shutout  —  CHICAGO, May 17 — Get out the thesaurus and try to think up some words to describe what these Washington Nationals are going through.  You might find something fancy and poetic, perhaps even tragic.  Jose Vidro, their veteran second baseman, can strip all that down and make it mighty simple.

Notes: Prior to make first rehab start  —  Cubs players hope to get Wrigley fans back on their side  —  CHICAGO — Mark Prior will start for the Cubs' Rookie League team on Friday, as he continues his rehab from a strained muscle in his right shoulder.  —  Prior was expected to throw …

Angels hit roadblock in Jays rookie  —  Offense held to a mere two hits off SoCal native Janssen  —  ANAHEIM — Casey Janssen handcuffed the Angels as they lost a 3-0 decision to the Blue Jays in front of 38,767 on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium to even the series at a game apiece.

Prospectus Notebook  —  Brewers, Padres  —  MILWAUKEE BREWERS  —  When the Mets came to Miller Park for a weekend series, they weren't the only team with rotation problems.  Ben Sheets is on the DL for the second time this year, and despite a bit of good news, Tomo Ohka is still out for at least a month.

Kazmir emerges as Devil Rays ace  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Scott Kazmir might be the first starting pitcher the Tampa Bay Devil Rays can get excited about.  —  Kazmir won a career-best fourth consecutive decision when he beat the Chicago White Sox 10-7 Tuesday night …

Looking at the top outfielder prospects  —  This week, we're continuing our tour of the diamond by ranking the top 10 prospects at each position.  Up this time around are the outfielders.  —  In this list we're excluding those outfield prospects who are certain to exhaust their rookie status …

Notes: Chacon may be pushed back  —  Right-hander has been bothered by sore left leg  —  NEW YORK — Shawn Chacon's next start is scheduled for Sunday against Tom Glavine and the Mets, but Aaron Small will be ready to go if the Yankees decide that Chacon's injured left leg could use an extra day or two of rest.