Pierzynski's grown tired of controversy  —  Catcher loved by teammates, hated by opponents  —  CHICAGO — There probably never was a time where A.J. Pierzynski enjoyed his somewhat controversial reputation more than when he stepped into the athletic entertainment venue of professional wrestling last December in Orlando.

Strong opinions  —  Wells unimpressed with Bonds' latest achievement  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Count David Wells among those unimpressed by Barry Bonds' move up the all-time home run list.  —  The outspoken Boston pitcher had harsh words for Bonds, who tied Babe Ruth for second all-time with his 714th home run Saturday.

A rare form of futility  —  ST. PETERSBURG - The odds are staggering, but the Marlins are bucking them.  —  The chances of a team losing four consecutive games in which they've taken a lead into the ninth inning — something only the Marlins and 2002 Tampa Bay Devil Rays have managed to accomplish — come out to about one in 160,000.

Wagner's rough ninth leads to Mets loss  —  Closer walks three, hits a batter in allowing four runs  —  NEW YORK — Denials could be heard in every corner of the Mets' clubhouse on Saturday.  Losing as they had lost, the Mets insisted, was no worse, no more horrifying because it had happened …

Soler Is A Better Choice For Now And The Future  —  So the ol' riverboat gambler pushed all the chips to the center of the table holding an off suit 2-6 and what happens?  The boat catches on fire — and somehow, miraculously, Omay Minaya walks away with his future intact, as all bets are off.

Notes: Lawton sent packing  —  Veteran designated for assignment; Morse called up  —  SEATTLE — With playing time becoming increasingly infrequent for Matt Lawton, the Seattle Mariners decided to sever ties with the veteran outfielder by designating him for assignment before Saturday's game against San Diego.

Mixed emotions  —  Fans, players express admiration and trepidation  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Tyler Snyder caught Barry Bonds' 714th homer on the fly Saturday, snagging it cleanly with his glove.  The people around the 19-year-old Athletics fan cheered wildly, with nobody assaulting or gouging him.

Dodgers Flip the Switch on Angels This Season  —  The kid third baseman settled in for the sort of sixth-inning battle that the Angels always won.  —  Only, this kid played for the Dodgers.  —  Willy Aybar fouled off the first pitch.  He fouled off the third pitch.  He sawed off his bat in fouling off the fourth pitch.

Gonzalez retires after 13 seasons  —  Phils' veteran infielder hadn't acclimated to backup role  —  PHILADELPHIA — Alex Gonzalez grounded to third in the eighth inning of Saturday's 8-4 loss to Boston.  —  The next morning, the Phillies infielder grounded his career, retiring after 1,396 games and 13 seasons.

Notes: Soriano working hard for Nats  —  GM Bowden impressed with left fielder's work ethic  —  WASHINGTON — General manager Jim Bowden said he knew that Alfonso Soriano was going to hit home runs and steal bases, but what has impressed the GM the most is Soriano's work ethic.

For the Nationals, Unrivaled Results  —  Team Takes 2 of 3 From O's With Basic Approach: Nationals 3, Orioles 1  —  Remember the images, even if they mean almost nothing to the players on the field.  The "Let's Go O's!" banner along the right field line.  The occasional T-shirt telling …

Royals' skid reaches nine games  —  Elarton remains winless with loss to Cardinals  —  KANSAS CITY — It was sweep and sour for the Royals.  Very sour, in fact.  —  "We're pretty much bad in every facet of the game," pitcher Scott Elarton said, warming to the topic.  "It doesn't look like anybody in here cares.

Wood's next start up in air  —  He says he's ready; bosses aren't so sure  —  Kerry Wood said his sore right shoulder won't prevent him from making his scheduled start on Tuesday in Florida, though his bosses could not confirm he'll be ready.  —  "It's possible, but we don't know yet," manager Dusty Baker said.

Rookie Cain twirls shutout for Giants  —  Bonds raps two singles; Sweeney, Winn drive in two each  —  OAKLAND — There was never a doubt that Giants rookie pitcher Matt Cain could fire a baseball with hypersonic speed, but the trouble was his brain synapses were surging with too much voltage as well.

Glavine takes on Yankees in finale  —  Yankees (24-17) at Mets (25-17), 8:05 p.m. ET  —  Sweeps week is up and running across the television networks.  —  And heading into the ninth inning of Saturday's contest against the Yankees, the Mets were primed to join the race.