A-Rod offers a powerful case  —  Blasts Bosox and then critics  —  BOSTON - Be fair, Yankee fans.  —  If you're going to hammer Alex Rodriguez every time he fails to deliver in the clutch, or even when he hits too-late-to-matter home runs, you have to give him his due for taking Tim Wakefield out of the ballpark last night.

Shoulder pain forces Hamels to miss start  —  NEW YORK - Cole Hamels never sweats the small stuff.  —  Unless it has to do with his injury-plagued body.  —  Hamels, the Phillies' 22-year-old lefty phenom, felt a pop in his left shoulder while throwing in the outfield before last night's game.

Gaining new appreciation for Young  —  Spent my night off watching the Mavericks.  Somehow, I came away with a better appreciation for Michael Young.  —  Flipping back and forth between the Mavericks and Rangers, two juxtaposed images were seemingly freeze-framed.

Beltran shot is sweet in 16  —  Carlos' HR sparks Mets in marathon  —  So many times it could've ended earlier, but the longest game in the majors this season - both in innings and time - was only just beginning at Shea.  —  Carlos Beltran over-slid second base in the 11th.

Soler to realize dream on Wednesday  —  Right-hander left Cuba to pursue passion for baseball  —  NEW YORK — For 10 minutes after batting practice on Tuesday, only the short wall along the right-field line separated Mets starter Alay Soler from his new adoring fans.  —  He smiled.  They smiled back.

It's wild time on O's runway … With a staff of starters who all pitched fairly well last season and the game's most successful pitching coach on hand, the Orioles spoke of the mound as an area of strength, or at least reliability, this spring.  —  Seven weeks later, it seems more like a disaster zone.

Girardi offers tips on facing Maddux  —  MIAMI GARDENS — Marlins hitters didn't need to go very far for an in-depth scouting report on Greg Maddux, who starts tonight for the Cubs.  —  Marlins manager Joe Girardi said he caught Maddux at least 15 times while playing with the Cubs.

Patterson's Injury Is Taking a Toll  —  Had Washington Nationals right-hander John Patterson been healthy for the past month, last night could have been his 10th start of the season.  As it is, he has appeared just four times, and though he and General Manager Jim Bowden anticipate that Patterson …

Notes: Hunter develops patience  —  Twins get two off-days; team faces heavy dose of left-handers  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Aggressiveness is something that Torii Hunter has always embraced when he comes up to the plate.  —  That is until recently.  —  Known for his free-swinging style …

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 …

Clubhouse confidential: Breaking down a major league locker room  —  There are no Realtors, no escrow and no monthly mortgage, but tips are appreciated.  —  When it comes to real estate, lockers in major league clubhouses are no different from the outside world.  —  It's location, location, location.

Daily Graphing - Brad Penny  —  Brad Penny and Hee Seop Choi for Guillermo Mota, Paul LoDuca, and Juan Encarnacion.  That trade made two years ago was most likely Paul DePodesta's defining transaction as GM of the Dodgers.  Nobody seemed to like it, arguing LoDuca's leadership couldn't be replaced …

Jim Bowden: Inside the Nationals' draft 'War Room'  —  WASHINGTON - When the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft begins at 1 p.m. June 6, we'll hold our portion of the draft via telephone conference call in our "War Room" on the fourth floor of RFK Stadium.

Going Deep: Bright side of Castro injury  —  Rangers use Rule 5 to advantage, sending reliever to Minors  —  The primary downside in utilizing the Rule 5 Draft is certainly not the $50,000 investment ($377,000 if the player makes the team), or even the likelihood that the player will be limited …