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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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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Boston Globe:
Ex-Peabody star Allison suffers heroin overdose — The sad saga of former Peabody High ace and Florida Marlins pitching prospect Jeff Allison , whose once-promising baseball career has been derailed by drug problems, took another disappointing turn Monday when, according to a Medford Police report, he suffered a heroin overdose.
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs, Zambrano lose; Baker mulls his future — MILWAUKEE — No matter what he does or says, Dusty Baker can't seem to dodge speculation about his future. — But before the Cubs' 6-3 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Baker hinted for the first time that even if he's asked to return, he's not sure he would say yes.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
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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.
