Top News:
Ben Walker / sports.yahoo.com:
NY Mets 4, San Diego 3 — NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Piazza hit the ball so well, he turned the cheers to boos. He almost turned the game in the San Diego Padres' favor, too. — Piazza hit two more home runs off Pedro Martinez, receiving a rare curtain call on the road after the first shot …
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Associated Press:
Padres-Mets Preview — Mike Piazza has excelled in his return to Shea Stadium. The same can't be said for the San Diego Padres . — The New York Mets (68-44) look to sweep Piazza and the Padres (58-55) when the teams conclude their three-game series on Thursday night.
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Young gets the call in finale at Shea — San Diego (58-55) at New York (68-44), 9:10 a.m. PT — Chris Young makes his Shea Stadium debut on Thursday, engaging the always entertaining Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in a duel of right-handed stylists. — "Being in New York …
Mark Gonzalez / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox rally falls short — The White Sox received no firm reward for spoiling Randy Johnson's no-hit bid Wednesday night and coming within 90 feet of wiping out all of a seven-run deficit. — But despite a furious comeback, the Sox fell into third place in the American League Central …
Discussion:
Exile in Wrigleyville
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Johnson's No-Hitter Becomes Nail-Biter — Bobby Abreu (53) was greeted by Derek Jeter, center, and Alex Rodriguez after a fifth-inning homer. It was Abreu's first homer as a Yankee. — If Randy Johnson opened a pitching record book, he would see his name everywhere.
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Randy Galloway / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Firing Buck or Jon won't solve problem — For those angry enough to still care, your disgust with the Rangers is coming in loud and loaded. — Stop the media coddling of Buck Showalter, you demand. — This man must be fired. Now. And if not now, October for sure. — Four years of nothing is enough.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
RANGERS NOTES — Blalock sits again vs. lefty — OAKLAND, Calif. - Third baseman Hank Blalock wasn't in the lineup Wednesday with lefty Barry Zito starting for the Oakland A's. — At this point, it's not a surprise to Blalock, a left-handed hitter, when he doesn't start against a left-handed pitcher.
Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Rangers need to clean up at home — OAKLAND, Calif. — The playoff outlook was bleak for the Rangers after losing to the Oakland A's 7-6 Tuesday night. — They had dropped four straight games and plummeted from 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 games out in the American League West.
David Picker / New York Times:
Floyd Put on D.L.; Tucker Is Recalled — The Mets placed Cliff Floyd on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with tendinitis in his left Achilles' tendon, and purchased the contract of outfielder Michael Tucker from Class AAA Norfolk. — Floyd did not start in left field against the San Diego Padres …
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
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Julian Garcia / NY Daily News:
Floyd limps out on sore Achilles — Injuries have been the Achilles heel of Cliff Floyd's career. — Floyd was placed on the 15-day disabled list before last night's 4-3 win over the Padres because of tendinitis in his left Achilles that had kept him out of the starting lineup for three straight games.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
No relief as Sox collapse in 9th — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Remember when Red Sox Nation was ready to panic in the streets? It was premature. But maybe now . . . When you can no longer rely on Jonathan Papelbon to close out a one-run game; when you can no longer depend on Manny Ramírez …
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Preston Williams / Washington Post:
Guillen Says He'll Be Back By the Spring — Washington Nationals outfielder Jose Guillen, who is recovering from recent elbow surgery, vows to be healthy by 2007 spring training despite the severity of his injury. — "I'll be hitting in three months," a smiling Guillen said before last night's game.
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Mike Berardino / Sun-Sentinel:
Report: Marlins top pick Allison has second overdose — Marlins pitching prospect Jeff Allison has reportedly suffered his second overdose in just over two years. — According to The Boston Globe, Medford, Mass., police found Allison unconscious Monday in an apartment building.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Baker: Cubs are not out of it yet — Chicago manager won't talk about the future, just this season — MILWAUKEE — The Cubs are playing better, but it has nothing to do with the pressure being off and them conceding the season. There may be 11 teams ahead of them in the National League Wild Card race …
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:Cubs, Zambrano lose; Baker mulls his future
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Calling for reinforcements — Struggles prompt a team meeting — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Red Sox conducted a closed-door meeting prior to last night's game, described by one uniformed member as ``reinforcement" the team can turn around its fortunes. — It didn't help: The Sox lost …
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Duffy upbeat despite drop to No. 8 — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — HOUSTON — There are two ways, it would seem, that Chris Duffy can go from here: — 1. All those sharply hit balls will start finding some holes. — 2. He will dig another deep hole for himself.
