Lester escapes with win in Chicago  —  Rookie left-hander improves to 4-0; Ortiz homers again  —  CHICAGO — One thing that is sticking out in these early days of rookie Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester is that he's every bit as capable of getting out of a jam as he is of creating one.

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.

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 …

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.

Anderson to Play Despite Struggles  —  OAKLAND — Although Garret Anderson is batting .198 against left-handed pitching, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said Friday he had no plans to platoon his left fielder.  —  "We need him to hit lefties the way he can," Scioscia said.

Lee gets night off as he waits for power to go on  —  MILWAUKEE — Whenever Derrek Lee isn't in the starting lineup, it's news.  Lee usually misses just a handful of starts each year.  —  But after starting 12 straight games since returning from the disabled list, where he was sidelined …

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.

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 …

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 …

Scout's honor  —  The sound of twisting metal woke up the whole neighborhood.  There had been a nasty accident.  A 16-year-old fussing with the radio lost control of his car, crashed into a parked one and thrust it into the next driveway.  The kid was OK, just nervous that the guy whose car he destroyed might kill him.

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 …

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 …

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.