Top News:
David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Players Shrug Off Lack Of Moves — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — More than a week has passed since the July 31 trade deadline and Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is still taking heat for not making a deal. — Gabe Kapler, who made his first start since July 23 in Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to the Royals …
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
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David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
House Of Blues — Papelbon Allows Two Runs In Ninth — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kauffman Stadium was a sweatbox Wednesday night as the temperature reached 102 degrees at game time. — Just when you thought things couldn't get any hotter ... The Red Sox managed to turn the heat up on themselves …
Steve Buckley / Boston Herald:
For starters, Schilling offers a deep solution — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It's no secret that Red Sox relief pitchers have taken a beating lately, what with Sox manager Terry Francona making more and more calls to his beleaguered bullpen. — But right-hander Curt Schilling believes he has a solution …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Marlins Feast On Nats' Relievers — Loss Is Fourth In Past 5 Games: Marlins 9, Nationals 6 — This is supposed to be happening in New Orleans or Harrisburg or some other minor league hamlet where pitchers can implode and it is labeled part of the learning process, not a disaster.
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats drop series finale against Marlins — Right-hander Astacio allows four earned run in six frames — WASHINGTON — The Nationals came back from a four-run deficit to tie the score, but ended up losing the game, 9-6, in front of 21,304 on Thursday night at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Notes: Sanchez sticking with Mets — Reliever will attend home games while rehabbing shoulder — NEW YORK — It hasn't been easy for Duaner Sanchez to watch the Mets move forward without him. Still, the reliever believes being around the team's playoff push will motivate his return.
Discussion:
Hot Foot
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Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today — Summer Drama — It's been a long, hard slog from their 17-24 start, but as of this morning, the Minnesota Twins have the third-best record in the American League and a tenuous grip on the AL's wild-card slot. They won two out of three this week in Detroit …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
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Alex Belth / Baseball Prospectus:A Night at Shea — Piazza's Return to New York
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Todd Jones / New York Times:
Who Needs a Heart When a Heart Can Be Broken? — Like something from Mark Twain's imagination, the big, red paddle wheel on the Mississippi Queen slowly churned through the muddy Ohio River, just beyond the right-field seats of the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
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Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Position Breakdown: Center Fielders — The 2005 draft is looking like it could go down in history as the year of the centerfielder. Half of the 12 players listed here were selected in the first round of last year's pickfest, and two of the five honorable mentions were selected later on.
Derek Zumsteg / ESPN:
Cubs' scheme a bad sign — Proving that there's as much justice in the justice system as jazz in Utah, an appeals court ruled recently that the Chicago Cubs' ticket-scalping scheme did not violate state anti-scalping laws, despite clearly violating the state's anti-trust law.
Andy Friedlander / MLB.com:
Rangers get away from Pineiro — Early duel turns into rout down the stretch in opener — ARLINGTON — It all seemed to be going so well for Joel Pineiro. — The fortunes of the Mariners' up-and-down starter were headed straight up after five innings, as he held the Texas Rangers scoreless on three hits.
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Associated Press:
Liriano's absence indefinite after second MRI — MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins are optimistic, but not totally confident, that injured left-hander Francisco Liriano will return this season. — Liriano, 12-3 with a league-leading 2.19 ERA, had a second, enhanced MRI exam Thursday when a shot …
Jeff Albert / Baseball Analysts:
The Shifting Swings of A-Rod and Andruw: Part 1 — It might be different in New York, but from here in Atlanta, it seems as though the media criticism of Alex Rodriguez has tapered off. Apparently, all is well now that the Yankees have returned to their rightful position at the top of the AL East.
Bob Ryan / Boston Globe:
Handle pitchers with care — To play or not to play. Once again, that was the question. — A lot of people want to blame the Minnesota Twins for allowing Francisco Liriano to pitch against the Tigers Monday night. The prized young lefthander lasted four very ineffective innings.
Los Angeles Times:
A Signature Moment for This Relationship — We almost won, we almost won. — Had the streak continued, we would have been in first place, but that's all right, the guys are still great, and it's like I was telling my bro Jeff Kent before the game, we're one big family around here when the Dodgers are going good.
