Top News:
Chris Needham / Capitol Punishment:
Roll Out The Barrel! — Three games, three wins! Is this June of last year?! — It's tempting to look at the Mets, Phillies and Braves recent struggles and want to look at the standings. Don't! The first step is getting back to .500 ball, so sit down. We're still seven games below .500.
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Notes: Robinson happy with team's mood — Guillen may be close to extended Spring Training — MILWAUKEE — After winning just 14 of their first 41 games, the Nationals are 9-4 in their last 13 games and slowly trying to creep back to the .500 level. — If they take at least two out of three …
Joe Lapointe / New York Times:
Red Sox Are Coming, but Jeter May Miss Out — BALTIMORE, June 4 — There is no good time for a good team like the Yankees to lose a good player like Derek Jeter to a bruised right thumb, as they did Sunday when they fell, 11-4, to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. But the timing was especially bad.
Discussion:
Off the Facade
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Associated Press:
Orioles Avert Sweep — BALTIMORE (AP) — Javy Lopez hit two of Baltimore's four home runs, Rodrigo Lopez won his third straight start, and the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 11-4 Sunday to avert a three-game sweep. — Javy Lopez led off the second inning with a homer and hit a three-run drive in the fifth to make it 10-0.
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Joe Lapointe / New York Times:Replacement Yankees Are Winning Like the Real Thing
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Trade winds blow in Maddux's direction — ST. LOUIS — Greg Maddux has been around long enough to know that with the Cubs far from contention, his name is bound to surface in trade rumors. — The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly are interested in adding Maddux to their rotation by July 31 …
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R.B. Fallstrom / Associated Press:
Pujols out indefinitely with muscle strain — ST. LOUIS (AP) — This is a much larger challenge for the St. Louis Cardinals: Albert Pujols will be out indefinitely with a strained muscle on his right side. — Pujols, last year's NL MVP and this season's major league leader in home runs and RBIs …
Discussion:
The 26th Man
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cardinals lose Pujols — First baseman Albert Pujols will be re-evaluated Sunday, but the Cardinals believe he could miss "significant" time after suffering a strained right oblique muscle in Saturday's second inning against the Chicago Cubs. — Pujols, the NL's reigning Most Valuable Player …
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Freel finishes off Astros — Reds complete first sweep in Houston since 1999 — HOUSTON — If the Reds manage to stay in contention late into the season, this was the kind of day that could be regarded as one of the key reasons. — In a game against the Astros that was tied four times …
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Alyson Footer / MLB.com:
Back injury sidelines Oswalt — Houston right-hander's immediate future unclear — HOUSTON — Roy Oswalt woke up with a sore back last Friday and figured he'd slept on it wrong. Unfortunately for the right-hander and his Astros teammates, the problem will require more than a quick-fix massage …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Laird, Teixeira spark Rangers — Catcher, first baseman combine for eight of Texas' 10 runs — CHICAGO — Gerald Laird, the Rangers' once and future starting catcher, is making a compelling case for getting the job right now. — Manager Buck Showalter knows that the numbers are getting harder …
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Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Sanchez to remain starter says Littlefield — With Joe Randa getting closer to a return from the disabled list, Pirates general manager David Littlefield yesterday reversed course and said Freddy Sanchez would remain the team's starting third baseman.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Jim Salisbury / Kansas City Star:
Former umpire Gregg in critical condition after stroke — PHILADELPHIA - Eric Gregg, the popular former major-league umpire, was in critical condition in intensive care at Lankenau Hospital Sunday night after suffering a stroke at his Ardmore home Sunday morning. — "We need prayers," Gregg's son Kevin said Sunday night.
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers barreled over by Phils — Martin homers after collision; bullpen takes another loss — LOS ANGELES — Russell Martin, who had to peel his face out of the dirt after Chase Utley barreled him over in the decisive eighth inning, said the play wasn't dirty.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
Barmes not part of roster moves — Considering Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes entered Saturday night's game against Florida in a 13-for-104 slump, it would not have been a big surprise to find him apartment shopping in Colorado Springs today. — But instead of getting sent to the Triple-A Sky Sox …
Discussion:
Purple Row
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Matthew Borenstein / MLB.com:
Notes: S. Kim and Smith set free — Coaching staff, front office evaluate needed changes — DENVER — The Rockies recalled right-handed relief pitcher Scott Dohmann and infielder Omar Quintanilla from Triple-A Colorado Springs and designated right-handed pitcher Sun-Woo Kim and infielder Jason Smith …
Jon Heyman / Newsday:
Griffey could be most likely big name for Yanks — Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell are available, Alfonso Soriano can be had and Reggie Sanders probably can be, too. But the Yankees also have their eye on Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, should either become available.
