Rodriguez Misreads Pivotal Hit  —  BOSTON, May 23 — Alex Rodriguez did not see the ball.  Every other pair of eyes at Fenway Park watched Rodriguez smash one of Tim Wakefield's knuckleballs into the Green Monster seats in left field.  Not Rodriguez.  He was confused.  —  "I thought I popped it up," Rodriguez said.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Randolph's eager for Soler cycle to start  —  Willie Randolph watched Orlando Hernandez thrive from the moment he joined the Yankees after arriving from Cuba in 1998.  He also watched Jose Contreras crumble under the weight of pinstriped expectations, only to develop into a dominant starter after a trade to the White Sox.

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.

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.

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.

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 …

Notes: Pitching staff is under scrutiny  —  Ash, Yost said they could make more moves to strengthen 'pen  —  CINCINNATI — When the Brewers designated Justin Lehr for assignment on Tuesday, it did not necessarily mean the club was finished "shuffling the deck," as one top official put it.

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 …