Going, going ... gone  —  Indians go deep as Sox fall a game behind Yankees  —  While Craig Hansen warmed up to begin the eighth inning, a trivia question flashed on the JumboTron in center field.  Who was the last Red Sox pitcher to homer in a game?  —  The answer?  Josh Beckett.

Girardi set to turn to Olivo  —  With Matt Treanor going on the disabled list because of a strained left shoulder, Miguel Olivo can expect to handle the bulk of the Marlins' catching duties the next two weeks.  —  ''Olivo is going to catch a lot,'' manager Joe Girardi said.

Big Tex is a big hit again  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - As the All-Star break came and went, people inside and outside of the Rangers' organization wondered where the Mark Teixeira they depended on and were wowed by in 2005 had gone.  —  Teixeira was still playing terrific defense …

Royals agree with top pick Hochevar  —  Former University of Tennessee righty signs Major League deal  —  KANSAS CITY — Pitcher Luke Hochevar has become a Royal.  —  Hochevar, the No. 1 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft this year, agreed to a four-year Major League contract, the Royals announced on Thursday.

Liriano earns second rookie honors  —  Southpaw gets AL Rookie of the Month Award for June, July  —  Twins rookie pitcher Francisco Liriano was scratched from his first August start with soreness in his left forearm, and Minnesota is hoping that its 12-game winner is out just temporarily.

Looking ahead, Giants need fresh face at manager  —  Felipe Alou was always the Giants' post-Dusty Baker stopgap, an admirable man and dignified shop steward for the Barry Bonds status quo.  —  He was hired in 2003 to maintain the paranoid clubhouse culture, not change it.

Back in good graces  —  Cubs, Grace end 6-year feud with a familiar song  —  The six-year cold war between the Cubs and former first baseman Mark Grace ended Thursday when Grace led Cubs fans in the seventh-inning stretch during Game 2 of the doubleheader with Arizona.

Future Shock  —  Not sticking to one league this time, let's go around the country to see what scouts are saying about some of the top prospects in the game... and some not so top prospects as well.  — We start in Oklahoma, where one scout recently caught the Rangers' 1-2 punch …

Contreras talks up young Cuban player  —  The White Sox disdain bidding for marquee amateur free agents, but one international player has caught pitcher Jose Contreras' eye.  —  According to the Bogota Times in Colombia, infielder Yuliesky Gourriel has fled Cuba and could ignite a bidding war for his services.

Sox appeal  —  Nothing like a World Series run to make a team popular.  A poll shows the South Siders are closing in on the Cubs and Bears.  —  A Bear market it remains.  And the Cubs can still lay claim to being the most lovable baseball team in town despite this year's losses.

Wainwright's next stop: The rotation?  —  As the Cardinals' starting rotation has hit skids and had its moments in flux throughout the past two months, a pitcher groomed to be a starter for the Cardinals has hummed along as one of the teams' most reliable relievers.  —  Supply meet demand.

Loe's penned in at Oklahoma  —  Right-hander sent down to Triple-A to get acclimated to relief role  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - Kameron Loe will move to the bullpen.  The Oklahoma bullpen.  —  The Rangers decided to activate and option the right-hander to Triple-A after he struggled in his sixth consecutive rehab start Wednesday.

Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week  —  Some people need to be told that Cesar Izturis isn't really that good.  —  You should have read the Chicago Tribune the day after the Cubs dealt Greg Maddux to the Dodgers for shortstop Cesar Izturis.  Phil Rogers called it a "huge steal," a "major blow for the Cubs' uncertain future."