Report: Varitek to have surgery on injured knee  —  BOSTON — Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek will have arthroscopic surgery for cartilage damage in the left knee he injured in Monday night's game, The Boston Globe reported.  —  The club gave no indication Monday how long Varitek …

Familiar Faces Lift Nationals Past S.F.  —  After Deadline, Team Makes Do: Nationals 4, Giants 1  —  Livan Hernandez used to do this all the time.  He pitched seven innings every time out, baffled batters with his ridiculously slow curveball, shrugged his shoulders as he walked off the mound, as if to say, "Hit that!"

Getting shortstop a huge steal  —  Greg Maddux?  I hate to see him go.  More to the point, so does everyone in the Cubs organization and anyone in Chicago lucky enough to have encountered him.  —  The man's not an aging right-hander; he's a national treasure.

Liriano scratched from start with pain  —  Left-hander taking precautionary measures  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins are scratching pitcher Francisco Liriano from Wednesday's start against the Rangers because of discomfort in his left forearm.  The decision was made after Liriano threw …

Coach: Derby didn't hurt Cabrera  —  MIAMI GARDENS - Marlins hitting coach Jim Presley said that he has mixed feelings about the All-Star Home Run Derby because hitters can mess up the mechanics of their swing.  —  But Presley said he doesn't think third baseman Miguel Cabrera's participation …

Irked to still be an Oriole, J. Lopez asks for release … While the Orioles' biggest star was excited about not being dealt at yesterday's non-waiver trade deadline, another one of the club's most expensive players was far from thrilled.  —  Designated hitter Javy Lopez said he was hoping …

Under The Knife  —  Baseball's Billion-Dollar Question  —  The baseball season gives us some signposts along the way.  Opening Day.  The All-Star Break.  The Trading Deadline.  Times to assess the team and figure out how to get from here to there.  "Here" may be the same …

Duaner Sanchez's night of terror  —  Police say taxi was broadsided and bounced off a concrete barrier  —  Shortly after checking into his team's Florida hotel late Sunday night, Mets setup man Duaner Sanchez showered and told his younger brother that he was hungry.

Sheffield willing to shift to first  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Sheffield embraced Bobby Abreu's arrival with the New York Yankees, saying he would shift to first base if needed.  —  "I gave him a hug.  I wanted him to feel welcome," Sheffield said Tuesday after Abreu reported to the Yankees …

McClatchy: Savings from trades will go back into team  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  The Pirates' ownership will take the money saved by the four trades Monday and reallocate it to general manager Dave Littlefield's budget for 2007, managing general partner Kevin McClatchy said last night.

Jones: Reported racism not incorrect  —  Wearing the smile that has identified him as much as his No. 11 jersey, right fielder Jacque Jones stayed in his happy-go-lucky mode Tuesday night when asked about racist mail and phone calls he reportedly has received as a Cub.

Phillies strike out in Abreu deal … Would the Yankees have been able to trade for Abreu without their unparalleled five-tool check-writing talents?  Of course not.  But the people who think they're only about money are the same people who think everything in life is about money.