Yankees have tentative deal for Abreu, Lidle  —  The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees have a tentative deal to send Phillies right fiedler Bobby Abreu and pitcher Cory Lidle to New York ESPN.com's Jayson Stark and ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Sunday.

Tejada deal faces major roadblock  —  Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada would have little choice but to move to third base if the Angels or Rangers acquired him to play that position.  However, he possesses the leverage to discourage such a deal.  —  If Tejada were traded in the middle …

Momentum shift  —  Ortiz's single in 11th caps Red Sox' rally  —  Like Josh Beckett, yesterday's starting pitcher, said after the Red Sox' 7-6, 11-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels before 35,621 at Fenway Park, it has become the team joke.  —  He can't do it again, can he?

Padres-Rockies Preview  —  It's been a long and grueling road trip for the San Diego Padres .  —  The Padres hope to finish the 11-game trek with a winning record Sunday when they play the finale of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies .  —  San Diego (55-49) has had mixed results on its longest road trip of the season.

Time running out for Mets to move on Zito  —  Maybe the New York Mets strike gold and add Barry Zito to their rotation for a World Series push, but the odds remain far more likely that they'll be leaning on a recovering Brian Bannister and rookies like John Maine down the stretch.

They'd be double trouble  —  Santana and Liriano make Twins tough  —  We asked five major league baseball experts (three general managers, one special assignment scout, and one manager) to list the teams they wouldn't want to face in the playoffs in each league, in order of toughness.

Devil Rays Find Weaknesses in Yanks' Pitching  —  Jonny Gomes and Damon Hollins celebrating the Devil Rays' victory.  Hollins, who hit his 11th homer, drove in five runs.  —  When a team as bad as Tampa Bay trounces a team as good as the Yankees — as the Devil Rays did by 19-6 yesterday …

Cubs wait for calls on Maddux  —  Greg Maddux never has changed teams unless it was his choice.  That will be the case again should the starting pitcher leave the Cubs by Monday.  —  Maddux, who never has been traded, might be the most attractive commodity the Cubs have as the non-waiver …

NOW, DIFFERENCE MAKER'S A MET  —  There was always the One Guy lurking, lying in the Georgia weeds to kneecap the Mets, loitering just long enough to deliver the inevitable slaughtering blow.  —  The Braves always had that One Guy.  Some years it was Chipper Jones.  Some years it was Andruw Jones.

Pirates Notebook: Team's leadership, personality could change soon  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  In the next day and a half, it is likely — if not certain — that the Pirates will ship out several veterans.  —  Such an exodus could leave a roster as young …

Towers might wait for 3B deal until after deadline  —  Kevin Towers said a few weeks ago that obtaining a third baseman was his team's top priority on the trade market.  It still is, the Padres general manager said yesterday, but Towers described the market as "very weak" and said he won't force a fit onto his first-place club.

The bell of the ballpark  —  The New York Mets were down seven runs by the seventh-inning stretch to the worst team in the National League one recent night, and it seemed the only thing keeping fans inside steamy-hot Shea Stadium was the promise of post-game pyrotechnics.