Red Sox make big catch, acquire Orioles' Lopez  —  BALTIMORE — Javy Lopez was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to Boston on Friday, a deal that gives the former All-Star another chance to play and provides the Red Sox a replacement for injured catcher Jason Varitek.

Andruw Jones claimed on waivers; 10-5 rights loom … With Andruw Jones only days away from gaining trade veto power, the All-Star center fielder was claimed on waivers by an unnamed team, leaving the Braves until 1 p.m. ET Saturday to decide whether to take their last opportunity to deal Jones unfettered.

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.

Tex messaging: Teixeira lifts Rangers, 7-6, in 12  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - Hello, AL West, it's Mark Teixeira calling.  —  Long distance.  —  As the race began in earnest Thursday, Teixeira continued to dial things up a bit.  His ringing homer off Kevin Gregg in the 12th inning pushed …

J. Lopez catches on with Boston … After listening to Javy Lopez say publicly for several months that a trade would be the best thing for both sides, the Orioles finally granted him his wish, agreeing to send the disgruntled catcher and cash considerations to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Life Of The Party  —  A sweep in St. Louis!  —  Last year the Phillies began their push for the Wild Card with an impressive road trip to the West Coast.  Could their short hop to the Midwest portend another late season dash?  With much of the National League treading water …

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.

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.

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 …

He'll Take Rain Check  —  Maddux pitches six no-hit innings but is denied shot at history  —  CINCINNATI — Greg Maddux fooled Ken Griffey Jr. He fooled Adam Dunn.  He fooled every Cincinnati Reds batter for six brilliant innings in his first Dodgers start, yielding no hits and facing one over the minimum.