Mets clubbed as sparks fly  —  Feliciano blasts Willie after rout  —  The Mets limped home from a difficult trip to Toronto, Boston and Yankee Stadium with Pedro Martinez nursing an inflamed right hip, and with their status as the NL's top team not carrying quite the same clout.

Petit to get first major-league start Wednesday  —  Rookie right-handed pitcher Yusmeiro Petit never received a chance to do what he does best — start — when he spent two months with the Marlins earlier this season.  —  But that will change Wednesday.  —  Petit, who made seven relief appearances …

Even in His Finest Moments, Yankees' Rodriguez Brings Out Detractors  —  CLEVELAND, July 3 — There is a poster of Alex Rodriguez on a pillar next to Derek Jeter's locker in the visiting clubhouse at Jacobs Field.  "The Natural," it proclaims, with Rodriguez's cherubic face smiling beneath a Seattle Mariners cap.

Looking Ahead, Yankees Sign 16-Year-Old Catcher  —  CLEVELAND, July 3 — It may be years before the Yankees find out if they spent wisely Sunday, when they agreed to pay $2 million to a 16-year-old catcher from Venezuela.  But for now, the Yankees are excited to have Jesús Montero …

Rangers really are boys of summer  —  Been thinking.  Head hurts.  —  I know.  I know.  I should do that less often.  But inside the old cranium, the voices are arguing:  —  Talk about something significant," the one little man says. "  This team is going nowhere.''

Piazza may link his future to Padres  —  PHILADELPHIA - Halfway through the 14th season of a Hall of Fame career, Mike Piazza laughs when asked about his future.  —  "In or out of the game?" joked the 37-year-old catcher.  —  But as he thought about the future, Piazza spoke about some options.

The life of Brien  —  Bricks, back roads & broken dreams of a former phenom  —  BEAUFORT, N.C. - A few times a week, often on his way home from work, the greatest pitching prospect the New York Yankees ever had pulls into a little roadside convenience store called In & Out Food Mart.

Canseco: Major League Baseball is the 'mafia'  —  Canseco: Major League Baseball is the 'mafia'  —  CHICO, Calif. (AP) — Jose Canseco wrote the book that helped persuade baseball to toughen its steroids policy, and he insists there's much more damaging information to come.

Baseball's worst of the worst  —  I can't understand why people get so worked up about Major League Baseball's All-Star selections.  When home park attendance and how often a team appears on TV are the two most important selection criteria, you're bound to get plenty of horrendous snubs and shaky selections.

Cards notebook: Dream weaving  —  Dream weaving  —  The Cardinals are having internal discussions about Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jeff Weaver, who was designated for assignment Friday and must either be traded or released by the All-Star break.  —  Weaver apparently …

Ex-nemesis Wallace accelerates Bulls' rebound  —  For years, Ben Wallace has made life tough on the Bulls in the Eastern Conference.  —  He's about to make it better.  —  Wallace agreed Monday night to a four-year deal worth $60 million with the Bulls, sources said.

Notes: Little shakes up the lineup  —  Lofton moved to leadoff spot; slumping Furcal bumped to No. 7  —  LOS ANGELES — After watching the Dodgers lose their fifth in the last six games Sunday, manager Grady Little held a meeting and told his team he wasn't waiting until the All-Star break to shake things up.

What's going on in San Diego's front office?  —  At present, the San Diego Padres hold a slim lead in the NL West and are on pace to post a third consecutive winning season for the first time in franchise history.  —  The architect of the Padres since late 1995 has been general manager Kevin Towers.