Gammons stricken, undergoes surgery  —  ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, 61, is undergoing surgery this afternoon for an aneurysm in his brain.  —  Gammons was stricken earlier today and was taken to a Boston-area hospital.  He is expected to be in intensive care for the next 10 to 12 days.

Dodgers, Devil Rays swap catchers, pitchers  —  The Dodgers have acquired left-hander Mark Hendrickson and catcher Toby Hall from the Devil Rays for right-hander Jae Seo, catcher Dioner Navarro and a player to be named, FOXSports.com has learned.  —  Hendrickson, 4-8 with a 3.81 ERA …

Womack demoted; Nevin next to go?  —  The Cubs sent second baseman Tony Womack to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, a move that could signal the beginning of a midsummer purge.  —  Manager Dusty Baker said Womack's demotion was made because catcher Henry Blanco had a sore neck …

Notes: Struggling Bucs shuffle staff  —  Perez sent to 'pen; Vogelsong designated for assignment  —  PITTSBURGH — With the Pittsburgh Pirates mired in an 11-game losing streak, everyone from the fans to the players to the Bucs' CEO has been calling for changes.

Sox, Mets meet 20 years after Series  —  Boston (45-28) vs, New York (47-28), 7:05 p.m. ET  —  Twenty years ago, millions of baseball fans were mesmerized by the unimaginable drama of the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the Mets, but rookie sensation Jon Lester was just a 2-year-old infant …

Athletics-Padres Preview  —  Two of the major league's most successful pitchers over the past month look to continue their unbeaten runs when the Oakland Athletics visit the San Diego Padres on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.  —  Barry Zito has won his last six decisions …

Dotel's feeling better  —  It's a rare day when Octavio Dotel isn't smiling, but the relief pitcher was especially ebullient yesterday.  —  "The only thing I can say is that I feel great," Dotel said after coming in from the bullpen before last night's game.  "I threw 30 pitches from 45 feet.

Myers takes personal leave after assault charge  —  PHILADELPHIA — Phillies pitcher Brett Myers will take a leave of absence through the All-Star break, saying he has embarrassed his family and the team with his arrest on charges that he hit his wife in the face.

Mets' Reyes Is Becoming A Superstar  —  Baseball players get hot all the time, and it's usually best not to make too much of it.  Over a week or a month the best hitter in the league can hit .100, and the worst can hit .400.  It's part of the nature of the game; more than in any of the other team sports …

Having that selfless approach … Baseball is a game of intangibles.  It is a game that requires doing "the little things,'' which can mean something as big as barreling over a catcher or as subtle as a whisper in the ear of a teammate after a good or bad at-bat.

It never gets old — Ortiz rescues Sox once again  —  Many members of the 1986 Red Sox undoubtedly remain haunted by the sudden turn of events in the World Series nearly 20 years ago, when a near-certain victory slipped away in extra innings at Shea Stadium.

Scouting Valentin  —  One of the decisions the Mets have coming up is what to do about second base: stick with Jose Valentin or go get an upgrade.  Statistical analysis of the situation is important, but let's not forget that the numbers can only take you up to a point; sometimes …