Cubs' Wood opts against surgery to repair shoulder  —  CHICAGO — Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood has decided against having surgery to repair his injured right shoulder.  —  Wood made just four starts this season following shoulder surgery on Aug. 31 and will miss the rest of the year with a partially torn rotator cuff.

Kim shuts down Brewers as Rockies roll  —  Box score  —  Byung-Hyun Kim allowed one run in eight innings and Todd Helton homered and drove in three runs to lead the Colorado Rockies over the Milwaukee Brewers 8-2 Wednesday night.  —  Kim (7-6) yielded seven hits, struck out five and didn't walk …

Dunn nominated for Hank Aaron Award  —  Left fielder has been the Reds' most productive hitter  —  CINCINNATI — It hasn't mattered where Adam Dunn has hit in the batting order this season.  —  The Reds left fielder has batted second, fourth, fifth and sixth in the lineup …

Bonser knocked out early in finale  —  Twins suffer first losing homestand of the season  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Boof Bonser's return lasted one game and four innings.  —  His defense didn't help him, but Bonser is still on his way back to Triple-A Rochester after giving up seven runs …

Notes: Maine gets the nod over Pelfrey  —  Ring called up from Triple-A to take rookie's spot on roster  —  MIAMI — It's not a decision that any manager likes to make, but with six men in his rotation, Mets skipper Willie Randolph was forced to make a move.

Notes: Park's prognosis looks good  —  Right-hander will receive blood transfusion on Thursday  —  SAN DIEGO — Chan Ho Park is on his way to feeling better, and he shouldn't miss much time in the process.  —  Although Padres trainer Todd Hutcheson said Park will likely undergo …

Notes: Sele no longer a starter  —  Righty to pitch in relief with Maddux joining Dodgers' rotation  —  CINCINNATI — The acquisition of 40-year-old Greg Maddux, who makes his Dodgers debut Thursday night, has meant the demotion to the bullpen of 36-year-old Aaron Sele.

Sowers hungry for another gem vs. Sox  —  Cleveland (46-59) at Boston (63-42), 7:05 p.m. ET  —  Jeremy Sowers already showed what he can do for an encore.  So how about the encore of the encore?  —  Six days after tossing a complete-game shutout at home against the Twins …

Loretta clutch as Red Sox edge Indians  —  BOSTON —Mark Loretta doubled with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and the Boston Red Sox took advantage of a meltdown by reliever Fausto Carmona to beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 on Wednesday night.

Ramirez denies he wants out  —  Infielder may try to renegotiate deal  —  Aramis Ramirez disputed an Internet report that said he was considering opting out of his contract at the end of the season to become a free agent.  —  "I've never said I want to leave," Ramirez said before Wednesday night's game …

Quick Take: Rangers miss out on young arms bonanza  —  Rangers owner Tom Hicks cited an inability to develop pitching as a reason for firing Doug Melvin, the most successful general manager in club history.  —  This is the Rangers' fifth season after Melvin.

Toronto's road woes continue in loss  —  Glaus' two-run ninth inning homer provides only runs  —  NEW YORK — It's been a long, frustrating road trip for the Blue Jays, and there's still one game left before they can catch a flight back to the comforts of the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

McGwire holds Hall fate in his own hands  —  There is a real irony in this.  The Baseball Hall of Fame no sooner completes one of its golden days by inducting 17 players and executives from the Negro Leagues this past Sunday than the talk turns to next year and the case of Mark McGwire.

THE RING'S THE THING FOR GARY  —  Injured right fielder Gary Sheffield embraced the arrival of Bobby Abreu both literally and figuratively, first with a welcoming hug for his replacement then by publicly backing the move and saying he'd DH, move to first base, or do anything he could to earn a ring wearing pinstripes.

MASN Takes On Comcast With New 24-Hour Programming  —  The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, a joint venture between the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals, began 24-hour sports programming on Monday morning, creating a new round-the-clock rival to Comcast SportsNet.