Soriano says he won't re-sign with Nationals if they trade him  —  Nationals left fielder Alfonso Soriano understands he could be the key chip for Washington to rebuild its depleted farm system, but he said he can't see himself back in the nation's capital next year if he is dealt this season.

Willie is heard 'round mound & Atlanta  —  The rest of the regular season for the Mets began with John Maine throwing more shutout innings and then a terrific bullpen picking up Maine until Jose Valentin knocked in Carlos Beltran in the bottom of the 10th and the Mets walked off at Shea with another one.

Mariners acquire Broussard from Tribe  —  Club sends Minor League outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to Indians  —  SEATTLE — In a move to add offensive punch from the left side of the plate, the Mariners on Wednesday acquired left-handed-hitting first baseman Ben Broussard and cash considerations …

Giambi Ends Seesaw Battle, and Yankees Gain Ground  —  ARLINGTON, Tex., July 26 — When it was over — after five Yankees relievers, four lead changes, two booming homers and one pivotal missed bunt — one fact stood out about the Yankees' wild 8-7 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

A's put hurting on Sox  —  Thomas belts two homers as Oakland salvages series finale  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — They are 100 games into the schedule, four days from the trading deadline, and nine weeks from the end of the season.  —  A good day to take the temperature of your Boston Red Sox?

Notes: Mays designated for assignment  —  Pitcher's departure leaves Saturday's starter undetermined  —  HOUSTON — The Reds' attempted reclamation project of pitcher Joe Mays came to an end on Wednesday.  —  Mays was designated for assignment when the club needed roster space for the activation …

Idea Is to Get Kendrick's Bat in Lineup  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's hard to think of your best position-playing prospect as a utility player, but if that's what it takes to get Howie Kendrick's potent bat in the lineup, the Angels will do it.  —  Kendrick, who came up through …

Brewers still considering trading Lee  —  The Brewers are still trying to decide whether to trade left fielder Carlos Lee, still weighing all the variables as the countdown to Monday's non-waiver deadline continues.  —  Lee, 30, is a free agent after this season, and the Brewers plan to make one last push to sign him.

Older players make final bids for Hall of Fame  —  At age 39, shortstop Omar Vizquel has a .276 average, 2,408 career hits and 10 Gold Gloves for defensive excellence, but because he plays in a power-hitting age, he's not sure his resume will be impressive enough to make the Hall of Fame.

Royals pick up arms; Yankees could surprise  —  No general manager wins Executive of the Year for stockpiling pitching prospects, but what else is new Royals GM Dayton Moore supposed to do?  —  Moore obtained five young pitchers this week in deals for right-handed reliever Mike MacDougal …

A's hit jackpot with Thomas  —  A'S GENERAL MANAGER Billy Beane knew about designated hitter Frank Thomas' medical woes.  He realized Thomas had fractured his left ankle twice and missed most of the past two seasons with the Chicago White Sox.  —  So when the possibility of signing Thomas …

Deal or no deal?  —  Since trade talk changes at the press of a cell phone's send button and names get tossed about like lawn darts at a kegger, we'll allow others to guess what will happen between now and the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline.  —  Instead, we offer five deals that should happen …

Rangers GM: Show me something  —  GM keeping eye on market but wants help to come from within  —  ARLINGTON - Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, while still exploring all trade options, is starting to sound a little like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire.  You can almost see him pleading with his team: "Help me help you."

Tales of Torre Tales  —  This is perhaps the only baseball story you will ever read that starts out with a snake.  —  Texas left-hander Kameron Loe has a pet boa constrictor named Angel.  It's seven feet long and he brings it to Ameriquest Field on occasion and lets it slither around the infield grass.