Padres-Nationals Preview  —  Washington's bullpen could use a break after a couple of long days.  —  Ramon Ortiz looks to give the Nationals a quality and lengthy start Friday when they open a three-game series with the San Diego Padres at RFK Stadium.  —  Livan Hernandez lasted …

Pelfrey's day comes at Shea  —  Prospect gets call; Pedro on DL  —  One Met ace is headed to the DL.  A possible future ace is headed to Shea.  —  A few hours before another win over the Pirates last night, the Mets provided some pregame intrigue by announcing - as expected …

Introspective Unit  —  Despite dominating early, Johnson upset after getting hit late  —  CLEVELAND — For six innings, Randy Johnson looked like The Big Unit circa 1999.  He breezed past the Indians, allowing only a fifth-inning single to Travis Hafner.  —  But by the eighth he quickly morphed …

Contreras promoted to top of Sox rotation  —  It's virtually certain Jose Contreras will be limited to one inning, at most, at Tuesday's All-Star Game.  —  That became clearer Thursday after White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen set his rotation for the second half so Contreras will open July 14 …

Mascot charged with fondling fan  —  GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A man who played the mascot for a minor league baseball team was arrested after a woman said she was fondled at a game in April.  —  Cecil McLaurin Amick III, 37, of Boiling Springs, portrays Reedy Rip'It, a giant frog …

Inner workings revealed  —  The breach in trust between Theo Epstein and Larry Lucchino that led to Epstein's departure from the Red Sox, and how principal owner John W. Henry was able to persuade Epstein to return as general manager less than three months later, is explored in a new book by Seth Mnookin …

Who's drinkin' a beer, BEER!!  —  As everyone knows, Shea Stadium doesn't have that many traditions, save for the ratty-ass apple coming out of the hat.  Roll call?  Nope.  YMCA or Cotton-Eyed Joe?  Nope.  Bob Sheppard?  Nope.  But today I dedicate a post to a true Shea Stadium institution.

Williams gets ball as Padres visit Nats  —  San Diego (45-40) at Washington (38-49), 4:05 p.m. PT  —  With the All-Star break right around the corner, the Padres launch a three-game series against the Nationals at RFK Stadium on Friday night.  Woody Williams will get the call against Ramon Ortiz.

NBA trade value index  —  Come on, I couldn't have allowed the summer to pass without another edition of America's favorite running column gimmick, "Which NBA player has the highest trade value?"  Besides, the demand for this year's edition was off the charts — a whopping eight readers e-mailed …

Klap: Minor sensations  —  If it's possible for two teams to be at a crossroads in early July, the Mets and Yankees have officially arrived.  One is cruising to the playoffs (but worried enough to add a Class AA rookie to the rotation), the other is hunkered down in an all-or-nothing pursuit of the Red Sox …

"Pittsburgh Just Sits There"  —  Those words were spoken a couple months ago by Peter Gammons on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.  Gammons was contrasting the Pirates to the Reds and Brewers, each of which, he thought, had been successful in making moves to improve themselves.

Mayor's Stadium Proposal Advances  —  The D.C. Zoning Commission approved the mayor's plan for the new Nationals stadium in Southeast yesterday, including his proposal to wrap four levels of parking inside two condominium towers, a first for Washington architecture.

Cubs' silence speaks volumes  —  Players quietly go about their business as manager Dusty Baker is left twisting in wind  —  MILWAUKEE — It is a quiet place, with no music blaring and no one being overly raucous.  Televisions are tuned to the Western Open, players have a card game going …

Team Responds to Lawsuit  —  OAKLAND — In a legal filing that cites the Old Testament and Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Angels asked the Orange County Superior Court on Thursday to throw out a lawsuit alleging the team discriminated against men by not including them in a Mother's Day tote bag giveaway.

Guardado was a true teacher with true grit  —  Baseball Wisdom 101 holds that it's better to trade a player one year too early than one year too late.  —  The Seattle Mariners sent Eddie Guardado to the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, and given what they got in return - Double-A relief pitcher Travis Chick …

Prospects Chat: Chris Kline  —  Q: … A:  —  Chris Kline: Hey everyone . . . and sorry for the delay.  Former BA intern Josh Cooper is in the house.  —  Chris Kline: Dewayne, I see Votto as a top 100 guy, certainly.  He's crushing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing a show in BP at the Futures Game on Sunday.