Ortiz Provides a Good Start  —  Nats Right-Hander Gives Up Just One Run in Seven Innings : Nationals 4, Astros 1  —  He was the guy they turned to after all the prominent names — from Kevin Millwood to A.J. Burnett to Matt Morris — looked at the Washington Nationals, considered their ownerless status and went elsewhere.

Peavy strikes out 16 in loss to Braves, sets Padres record  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  SAN DIEGO — Jake Peavy needed only seven innings to set a Padres record with 16 strikeouts Monday night but lost because the only ball the Atlanta Braves hit out of the infield against him also happened to leave the yard.

Grounder past Doumit keys Pirates' 7-3 loss to Arizona  —  But Tracy, some players differ on play by inexperienced first baseman  —  PHOENIX — It would be easy to blame Ryan Doumit.  —  A ball was sliced right at him, it slipped under his glove, and it set the stage for three Arizona runs …

Orioles clobber Mariners 14-4  —  SEATTLE —Ramon Hernandez is paying off handsomely for the Baltimore Orioles.  —  Hernandez, signed to a $27.5 million, four-year contract last winter, hit a three-run homer and a grand slam Tuesday night — the latter in a nine-run ninth inning that finished off …

Crisp expected back in the lineup Monday  —  Coco Crisp, provided he suffers no setbacks, will return to the Red Sox lineup Monday at Toronto, having missed exactly seven weeks and 42 games, manager Terry Francona said last night.  —  Crisp, recovering from a fractured left index finger and kidney stones …

Sore wrist forces red-hot Pena out of starting lineup  —  Wily Mo Pena was a late scratch from the starting lineup last night with a sore left wrist, but the Red Sox' surging slugger hopes to return to center field as early as tonight.  —  Pena, who has hit .371 with two home runs and 15 RBI …

Notes: Halladay to get extra day  —  Right-handed ace to switch starts with Taubenheim  —  TORONTO — Roy Halladay was on the mound for Toronto on Tuesday, but when exactly he'd be making his next start was still up in the air until he picked up his sixth win of the season.

Maddux perfect example  —  School will be in session for the Marlins' young pitching staff this afternoon when future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux takes the mound for the Cubs.  —  ''When it comes to pitching, he really knows what he's doing,'' Marlins manager Joe Girardi said of Maddux …

Scout who signed Pujols looks back, now stocks shelves at Wal-Mart  —  Dave Karaff misses the nomadic life of a baseball scout.  Instead of sitting behind home plate at dusty ball fields across the Midwest, aiming his stopwatch and speed gun at hot prospects, Karaff spends his days stocking …

Legacy of lies  —  Even by Bonds' standards, latest about-face shameful  —  There will come a day when Barry Bonds leaves baseball, and everything about the game will be the better for it.  —  In the meantime, the more the man reveals himself, the more we know him to be the absolute fraud for which his name has become synonymous.

Morales comes out swinging  —  Homers, goes 3-for-5 in MLB debut as Angels rally to end skid  —  ARLINGTON — The mere appearance of Kendry Morales was enough to push the Angels back into the win column.  —  In his first game as a big leaguer, Morales singled in his first at-bat and drilled …

Phillies Prospect Has Stuff Dreams Are Made of...  Two games in the big leagues, and Cole Hamels already goes by multiple nicknames, dates a Playboy cover model and has a Web site in his honor.  —  Two games, and much of the Northeast already knows that Hamels went to a high school in San Diego …