Notes: Heilman working through issues  —  Righty looking for touch that led to great second half in '05  —  NEW YORK — Aaron Heilman says his confidence isn't shaken, and that he feels close to making the adjustments that will help him return to the form he enjoyed last season.

Gagne to undergo back surgery  —  LOS ANGELES — Eric Gagne will have season-ending surgery Saturday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, the latest injury to sideline the Los Angeles Dodgers' All-Star closer.  —  The announcement was made about 3½ hours before Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants.

Johnson's last shot?  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Exactly 375 major league pitchers have tossed at least 1,000 innings in the last 32 years.  Guess where Jason Johnson ranks among them in career winning percentage?  —  If you guessed dead last, you win a prize.

Ortiz Can't Help Himself  —  Nationals' Pitcher, Offense Fall Short Against Padres : Padres 3, Nationals 2  —  For a few tantalizing seconds last night, as the ball hung in the air, hooking down the left field line, it appeared something of a minor miracle had occurred in favor of the Washington Nationals.

Oswalt, Ordonez added to All-Star squads  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Houston pitcher Roy Oswalt and Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez were added to the All-Star rosters Friday, taking the place of injured Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez.  —  Ordonez will join Detroit teammates Ivan Rodriguez …

Notes: Livan labors through first half  —  Veteran right-hander hopes to put knee problems behind him  —  WASHINGTON — From 2003-05, Nationals right-hander Livan Hernandez was the least of manager Frank Robinson's worries.  It was almost a given that Hernandez would pitch deep into a ballgame and give the club a chance to win.

Willis' exploits are a huge hit  —  Dontrelle Willis hit his first career grand slam and struck out nine in 7 1/3 innings to lead Florida past the first-place New York Mets.  'It was fun,' Willis said.  —  cspencer@MiamiHerald.com  —  NEW YORK - Dontrelle Willis was pitching so miserably …

Indians sign Taiwanese right-handed pitcher Sung-Wei Tseng  —  Pitched for Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic and currently the No. 1 starter for the Chinese Taipei National Team touring the U.S.  —  CLEVELAND — Tseng, 21, pitched for Chinese Taipei in the 2006 World Baseball Classic …

Power Rankings: Tigers still looking up at White Sox  —  ESPN.com  —  We understand how important the ESPN.com Power Rankings are this week.  It's the last one before the All-Star break, a significant marking point in the regular season.  OK, if you want to get technical …

NL teams look to move as deadline nears  —  Every National League contender has multiple flaws — even the Mets, who probably could use two starting pitchers, not just one.  —  The challenge for each team will be to rank its needs, then address them.  A thin trade market only increases the degree of difficulty.

Baker denies contract offer  —  Internet report says manager turned down deal  —  MILWAUKEE — Dusty Baker denied an Internet report Friday that said he had turned down a contract extension from the Cubs within the last two months.  —  The alleged offer to Baker was for between $4 million …

Cardinals designate RHP Ponson for assignment  —  HOUSTON (Ticker) - What began as a nice season for Sidney Ponson has evolved into a disappointing one.  —  Ponson, who began his first campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals with a 4-0 record, was designated for assignment by the team Friday.

Reyes receives seven stitches in finger  —  All-Star shortstop will miss final three games before break  —  NEW YORK — Mets shortstop Jose Reyes received seven stitches in his left pinky on Friday night after being spiked by Florida first baseman Mike Jacobs on a head-first slide in the sixth inning.

Notes: DaVanon in leadoff spot  —  Counsell dropped to No. 8 spot as he tries to regain form  —  DENVER — As Arizona tries to build some momentum in its final series before the All-Star break, the team will bring a new look to the plate, with leadoff hitter Craig Counsell dropping …

Are we there yet?  —  Road Warriors give new meaning to journeymen ballplayers; next stop: L.I.  —  BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — For first baseman Mike Huggins, the worst of it is packing every three days.  —  "Everybody gets to know what clothes you have," he said.  "You get on a schedule: blue Monday, red Tuesday ... "