Notes: Escobar scratched from lineup  —  Injury-riddled outfielder hurt his left hamstring on Sunday  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals outfielder Alex Escobar was scheduled to bat sixth against the Astros on Monday night, but he was scratched around 5:00 p.m. CT after he informed the team's trainers …

Efficiency expert on the mound  —  Yeah, well, that was Curt (Top Of The Rotation) Schilling, all right.  —  Eight innings.  Five hits.  One run.  Six K's.  No walks.  Walks?  How about two three-ball counts?  Ninety-nine (99) pitches (I see an endorsement coming).

Sheff: I'm Boston-bound  —  NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - Gary Sheffield's wagging, violent swing may be back in the battered Yankee lineup as soon as tonight at Fenway Park.  —  "I feel great.  I'm headed to Boston," Sheffield said through a Yankee spokesman after going 1-for-3 with an RBI …

Olsen, Marlins refuse to address fight  —  When Scott Olsen takes the mound for the Marlins tonight, he'll do so sporting an impressive shiner around his left eye, though Olsen and the Marlins were mum on how the bruise got there.  —  Olsen declined to discuss the injury Monday …

Angels lead early, fall late to Rangers  —  Rangers tag Escobar, Shields in seventh  —  ARLINGTON — The Angels are edging into territory they'd rather avoid.  —  By dropping the series opener to the Rangers, 3-2, on Monday night, the Angels wasted a solid start by Kelvim Escobar and extended …

Elbow problem not serious for Rangers' Danks  —  Left-hander expected to return to rotation for Frisco next week  —  ARLINGTON - The Rangers were relieved Monday that an MRI revealed that left-handed starter John Danks has a strained left forearm.  He has no structural damage or torn ligaments.

Angry?  No, they're radio active  —  Dempster, Guillen make peace after 'misquotes' lead to heated rhetoric  —  MIAMI — After a long-distance war of words, Cubs reliever Ryan Dempster and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen apologized to each other, but neither was happy about how the misunderstanding occurred.

Notes: Sheets gets good news  —  MRI shows no structural damage to right shoulder  —  thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com  —  Cincinnati - Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets was looking for some peace of mind, and he got it Monday.  —  A magnetic resonance imaging test on Sheets' ailing right shoulder showed …

Cubs in no hurry to get Baker deal done  —  There might be a simple explanation for the Cubs' delay in signing manager Dusty Baker to a contract extension: The Cubs hold significant leverage over Baker, and don't need to rush.  —  Baker, 56, is one of the game's best-paid managers …

Mid-Season Blockbusters: May (Part Two: 1960-2003)  —  Picking up where we left off last week ...  May 13, 1960: The Philadelphia Phillies traded first baseman Ed Bouchee and pitcher Don Cardwell to the Chicago Cubs for second baseman Tony Taylor and catcher Cal Neeman.  —  Two struggling teams decided to shake it up.

Peavy Misses Bats, Padres Miss Winning  —  Yes, the Padres lost again Monday night, but in the process, right-hander Jake Peavy established a new franchise record for strikeouts in a game by fanning 16 Atlanta Braves.  Yes, we'd all rather have the win, but no dice, so let's take a look at Peavy's record-setting night instead.

...And a Veteran Pitcher, Glavine, Reinvents His Game  —  JIM DUQUETTE, who was a Mets executive when they signed pitcher Tom Glavine as a free agent, was talking about Glavine one day last week and remarked, with awe and appreciation, "How often do you see a guy remake himself in the middle of the season?"