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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Heilman Is Exactly Where Mets Want Him  —  WILLIE RANDOLPH's visitor mentioned that he had just talked with Aaron Heilman and had told him that every time he pitched well he reduced his chances of becoming a starting pitcher.  —  "Don't tell him that," Randolph, the Mets' manager, said in mock horror.

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.

Red-hot Dodgers take sixth straight  —  Penny and bullpen solid as LA vanquishes Rockies  —  LOS ANGELES — If Brad Penny keeps this up, pitchers all around baseball will be trying to hurt their backs.  —  Fighting through lower back stiffness for the third consecutive start …

Morales Enjoys Grand Stage  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Kendry Morales batted cleanup for the storied Cuban National Team when he was 19.  How much more pressure could it be batting fifth for the Angels in his major league debut Tuesday night?  —  "It's kind of hard to explain …