Top News:
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Swept, but hardly cleaned out — If a team struggles alone, in the forest of ineptitude that is the National League, does anyone hear it? — The Mets, after all, saw their National League East lead drop to 11 games last night, as a 4-2 loss to the Red Sox sent them to the Subway Series as victims of a Fenway Park sweep.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
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Sports Illustrated:
Running in place? — Suddenly, the Twins can't lose. They also can't win, either, at least when it comes to making up ground in the American League playoff race. — After losing to Seattle on June 7, they dropped to 25-33, 11.5 games out in the AL Central.
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
You Can't Go Home Again — BOSTON, June 28 — At 7:14 p.m. Wednesday, Pedro Martínez marched out of the visiting dugout to bask in yet another familiar standing ovation at Fenway Park. When the sellout crowd offered its next one, at 7:31, Martínez wanted no part of it.
David Picker / New York Times:
Deaf to Boos, Rodriguez Finally Hears the Cheers — Alex Rodriguez must have heard the boos when he failed to reach base in the 1st and 10th innings, and again in the 11th when he made an error. Or did he? After yesterday's game, Rodriguez said his hearing was going bad, likening himself to a swimmer with clogged ears.
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Alan Robinson / Associated Press:
Pirates demote Perez to minors — Pirates demote Perez to minors — PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates opening-day starter Oliver Perez was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, the club's latest move to try to turn around the hard-throwing pitcher once viewed as their staff ace.
Discussion:
Where have you gone …
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Todd Zolecki / Philly.com:
Hamels unable to halt Phils' slide — BALTIMORE - Cole Hamels uttered three words yesterday at Camden Yards, three words that almost certainly had never left his lips for as long as he has been able to throw a baseball: — "Seriously, I [stink]." — He certainly has struggled …
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Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times:
They've Rebuilt the Farm — Dodgers' minor league system has gone from one of baseball's worst to among the best — In the batting cages at Dodgertown, wrapped in catcher's gear, staring through horizontal bars, pelted by hard and undeveloped sliders, Russell Martin still knew.
Jim Moore / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Go 2 Guy: Mariners destined to win AL West — The 2006 American League West champions should forget the preseason predictions written here, those that said the Mariners would finish 73-89 and Ichiro Suzuki would not hit .300. — Steve Pool gets to revise his forecast, so I will too …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Contreras still out of kilter — Sox ace can't rekindle hot start after DL stint — PITTSBURGH — As far as the White Sox were concerned Thursday, it's time to move on after their 7-6 interleague loss enabled Pittsburgh to snap a franchise record 13-game losing streak.
Discussion:
Exile in Wrigleyville
Dan Connolly / Baltimore Sun:
Palmeiro speaks … The man whose finger-wagging image may forever be the lasting snapshot of baseball's so-called steroid era hasn't paid much attention to the sport's most recent drug scandal. — Rafael Palmeiro spends his mornings working out, his days playing baseball with his two sons …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Notes: Rangers waiting on contract talks — GM Daniels doesn't want distractions during the season — SAN FRANCISCO — The Rangers have at least six players who can become free agents after the season, but general manager Jon Daniels said this week he is reluctant to begin any talks on contract extensions.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Guillen Says He's Really Stressed Out — TORONTO, June 28 — Jose Guillen considers himself one of the key offensive performers on the Washington Nationals, but his current production — a .207 average with 27 RBI after going 0 for 4 Wednesday against Toronto — isn't close to what the club needs.
Bernie Wilson / Associated Press:
Canseco back in baseball — with independent Surf Dawgs — Canseco back in baseball — with independent Surf Dawgs — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jose Canseco returned to baseball Thursday when he agreed to a contract with the independent San Diego Surf Dawgs, planning to be their designated hitter and — get this — pitch.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
San Francisco Chronicle:
Weight trainer refuses to testify in Bonds perjury investigation — (06-29) 16:37 PDT — Greg Anderson, the Peninsula steroid dealer who was Barry Bonds' personal weight trainer, refused to testify Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating the baseball star for perjury.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Analysis: Pirates' failure far-reaching at season's midpoint — Maybe this explains why members of the Pirates' upper management never cite specific goals for the team going into a season. — Even the most modest objectives can come back to bite them. — In the spring, owner Kevin …
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Barrett, Baker looking for peaceful series vs. Sox — Saying he hopes "everyone will be more mindful of controlling ourselves," Cubs catcher Michael Barrett is excited about playing again, starting Friday against the White Sox, after serving a 10-day suspension.
