Top News:
David Lennon / Newsday:
Mulder masters meek Mets — With help from Izzy in 9th, Cards lefthander wins duel with Trachsel — ST. LOUIS — For eight innings, Mark Mulder toyed with the Mets as if he were controlling them by puppet strings. They fished for his floating changeup, bounced into double plays …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding, Amazin' Avenue, the metropolitans, Archie Bunker's Army and Get Up, Baby!
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Associated Press:
Pujols on Bonds: 'He's probably made some mistakes' — ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols defended Barry Bonds on Wednesday, saying he respects the accomplishments of the San Francisco Giants' slugger. — Pujols was in the St. Louis lineup after a nasty slip and fall and felt good enough to discuss …
Ann Killion / Mercury News:
Oakland is hoping to spoil Bonds' party — HOUSTON - The Giants might claim territorial rights to San Jose. But, this weekend, the A's could grab territorial rights to Barry Bonds and his little slice of baseball history. — And that, friends, is the Giants' worst nightmare.
Discussion:
obsessivegiantscompulsive
Jack Curry / New York Times:Pitcher's Suspension Is Expected for Using Bonds as a Bull's-Eye
Discussion:
Mike's Mets
David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Closure For The Cowboy — Millar Homers, Sox Streak Ends — BALTIMORE — The cord has been finally cut, perhaps. ... OK, maybe. — Sooner or later, the Orioles were going to beat the Red Sox and Kevin Millar would contribute - which is what he did Wednesday night in a 4-3 victory …
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Childs Walker / Baltimore Sun:
Perlozzo weighs pitching moves … Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said his team's pitching struggles can't continue without ramifications to the makeup of his staff. — "I think eventually you'll come to a time where you're going to have to say, 'That's it, guys, jobs are in jeopardy,' " Perlozzo said.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Chris Snow / Boston Globe:
Sign points to the end of streak — Harris fails as Orioles finally win one — BALTIMORE — Willie Harris didn't need a Harvard symbologist in the mold of Robert Langdon standing next to him at first base with two outs in the ninth inning last night to know that the sign relayed to him ordered him not to attempt to steal.
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Sox get Bird-brained: O's win ends 13-game streak — BALTIMORE - As the saying goes, even the blind squirrel will find a nut now and then. — Last night, the Orioles, with former Red Sox nutty professor Kevin Millar leading the way with his go-ahead, two-run home run in the fourth inning …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
O's drop another to streaking Sox — When the Orioles' four-run fifth inning off Boston starter Curt Schilling was finally over last night, the home team's fans, seemingly silenced in their ballpark by the Red Sox for so long, stood and cheered. A lead against Boston here was reason enough to celebrate.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats held to one hit by Cubs pitchers — Washington blanked for the second straight night — CHICAGO — After getting shut out the night before, the Nationals were hoping to avoid a repeat, but after the first two innings, it appeared that Washington was not going to win Wednesday's ball game against the Cubs.
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
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.
Mark Zuckerman / Washington Times:
Cubs blank Nats, again — CHICAGO — Who knows what was going on in Frank Robinson's mind as he leaned against the dugout railing at Wrigley Field last night, watching his Washington Nationals slog their way through yet another feeble defeat? — Few could have faulted the 70-year-old manager …
Discussion:
Washington Post
Ben Valentine / Sportszilla and the Jabber Jocks:
START THE MAN — If people read my baseball posts here at Sportszilla, they will realize at least five things about what I think. — First, John Patterson is the second coming. — Second, Chien Ming Wang isn't. — Third, Barry Bonds might be a cheating louse, but I don't care.
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Will Carroll / Baseball Prospectus:
Under The Knife — Comes a Little Chaos, and a Little Rain — Rain sucks. I've been under clouds here in Indianapolis for what seems like the entire month and in May, that's a problem. We'll try and get 33 cars qualified on Saturday in what should be a mad dash while Joe …
Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
RANGERS NOTES — Blalock swinging hot bat — NEW YORK — Third baseman Hank Blalock continues to have one of the best seasons of any major leaguer. He entered Wednesday batting .345 (seventh in the American League) with 33 RBI (tied for sixth in the AL), and nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (18).
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Matthew Cerrone / Metsblog.com:
News: Bannister Hurt Again — Hope its something minor. We really need him in our rotation now. — Re: News: Bannister Hurt Again — This is unbelievable. I realize that this horse has probably been beaten to death several times over, but still... the presumption during Spring Training …
Discussion:
www.transplantedmetsfan.com
Ryan Quinn / MLB.com:
Notes: Big Hurt returns to action — Oakland lineup beginning to get back to full strength — OAKLAND — The A's have an injury list longer than a grocery list for a soccer mom on her way to Super Wal-Mart. — But slowly the A's are getting, well, a quarter of the way back to full strength.
Discussion:
Catfish Stew
Mike Kiley / Chicago Sun Times:
Don't expect vintage Wood yet — Kerry Wood once was considered the horse in the Cubs' stable. He was Citation, Whirlaway and Secretariat rolled into one, sturdy enough to drag this long-depressed organization out of decades of misery. — But as Wood makes another much-anticipated comeback today …
Discussion:
1060west
Matt Watson / Detroit Bad Boys:
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? — First, a lesson in history: — May 2, 2003 — St. Petersburg Times: Magic adding finishing touches against Pistons … Game 6 final score: Pistons 103, Magic 83 — May 16, 2004 — North Jersey Herald: Nets: Skip the trip
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Yankees' offense leaves Loe low — NEW YORK - The first rule of the sinkerball club: Live by the sinker, die by the sinker. — A week ago, Kameron Loe became the youngest Ranger in more than a decade to pitch a shutout (albeit a rain-shortened one). Wednesday he was searching for explanations …
