With Liriano ailing, Twins call up Garza  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With Francisco Liriano's pitching arm still bothering him, the Minnesota Twins purchased the contract of right-hander Matt Garza from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.  —  Garza, the team's first-round draft pick in 2005 …

Mets claim Dodgers OF Ledee on waivers  —  LOS ANGELES — Ricky Ledee is headed back to the Big Apple, this time with the New York Mets.  —  The backup outfielder was placed on waivers Monday night by the Los Angeles Dodgers and quickly claimed by New York.

Reds seek explanation after acquisition goes on DL  —  CINCINNATI — Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky sought an explanation Tuesday for why Cincinnati was unaware that reliever Gary Majewski had a sore shoulder when they got him in a trade with Washington.

Reports: Marlins owner, Girardi had 'heated discussion'  —  Were the Florida Marlins close to changing managers on Sunday?  —  According to media reports in South Florida, a disagreement between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and manager Joe Girardi erupted during and after the Marlins' loss …

Building the Best in Motor City, Part Two  —  Picking up from yesterday...  A month after nabbing their franchise shortstop, the Tigers signed a franchise catcher, Ivan Rodriguez.  On the surface, this made all kinds of sense; it's not often you get the opportunity to sign a surefire Hall of Famer who just turned 32.

Indians sign Lee to three-year, $14M extension  —  CLEVELAND — Cliff Lee signed a three-year, $14 million contract extension with the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, another long-term commitment for a young player the club considers key to winning in the future.

Papi may be a 21st-century Foxx  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. - If you haven't already, now would be a great time to start your David Ortiz home run pool.  —  Anyone can join, and all kinds of twists are involved.  —  A good one to start: Pick the date Ortiz passes Jimmie Foxx for most single-season home runs by a Red Sox player.

Sox staff in throes of a slump  —  Tim Wakefield turned 40 last week, an occasion that received less fanfare than it should have because the knuckleballer is on the disabled list.  —  But if there was a time to make the case that Wakefield remains as valuable as ever to the Red Sox …

Don't count out Wilkerson  —  Two words: Greg Harris.  —  Greg Harris is imprinted on the old brain right now because you've made me realize just how ignorant I am.  When somebody asked about ambidextrous pitchers, I didn't realize Greg Harris had done it.  You reminded me.  Like about 100 of you reminded me.

Meltdown just plain Kay-razy  —  Thinking before one speaks has never been a prerequisite for gaining employment as a sports radio talkie.  In fact, some mouths are encouraged - in the name of ratings or buzz - to flap their yaps with no regard for truth, accuracy, or rationale.

D-Backs hoping trade brings 'the Force'  —  He's been called everything from a "difference maker" to "Darth Vader," a deceptive starting pitcher who gets inside a batter's head while using "the Force."  Come Friday, Diamondbacks fans will get to see for themselves just what Arizona acquired …

Sweeney activated from DL after missing 88 games  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Mike Sweeney was activated from the 60-day disabled list by the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday before they opened a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox.  —  Sweeney, a .302 career hitter, had not played since May 1.

Not Every Trade Worked  —  When the Yankees fell short of a World Series title for the fifth straight season in 2005 — an eternity in the Bronx — most observers expected the team to reload in the offseason.  Given one of the weaker free-agent classes in recent memory …

Plate discipline is secret to October success  —  At first glance, the Yankees' path to the postseason looks as encouraging as it's been in months: They're two games ahead of the Red Sox, Bobby Abreu is 10-for-25 in pinstripes, and with Robinson Cano due to return to the lineup tonight …

Division Roundup, AL West  —  Los Angeles Angels  —  Triple-A Salt Lake (66-48)  —  As conservative as the Angels are when it comes to trading prospects, it was still somewhat surprising to see them not get something for Erick Aybar to help them down the stretch.