Criticism Doesn't Worry A-Rod  —  NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez hit another undramatic, ninth-inning home run, a two-out solo job that pulled the Yankees within three runs of the Los Angeles Angels.  —  Told some would probably say it was a meaningless home run, Rodriguez had some fun.

D-Backs' Green Snakes into discussion  —  WASHINGTON - The Mets have spent plenty of green putting this year's NL-East leading team together.  It's possible they could add a little more green to the roster.  —  The East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune reported that the Diamondbacks planned …

Zambrano the big wheel in Cubs' rotation  —  DENVER — Carlos Zambrano was a solitary figure on a stationary bike Sunday in the visitors' clubhouse at Coors Field, pedaling away and going nowhere.  —  The parallel is obvious.  Zambrano (12-5) has been pitching well most of the season …

Going Deep: Going interactive  —  You've got procedural questions, we've got answers … Q: What are the rules regarding roster expansion and subsequent playoff rosters?  Do players on the expanded roster have to be added to the 40-man roster?  Does it burn up their service time?  — B.King and F.Miv

Dave Duncan: Change is on the way  —  PITTSBURGH — Jason Marquis presumably kept his oar in the water Sunday to remain in the Cardinals' rotation, even when lefthander Mark Mulder returns from his shoulder problems, by holding the Pittsburgh Pirates to three hits — two of them second-inning home runs …

Prospectus Today  —  AL MVP  —  The question of who should win the American League Most Valuable Player Award hasn't had an easy answer in a few years, and 2006 will not change that.  There are, once again, multiple viable candidates for the award, and they range from the best hitters …

Cabrera continues hot streak  —  Miguel Cabrera had two hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs to lift Florida.  'To do what he's doing, he's in a different league now.' Wes Helms said.  `He's a special kid.'  —  kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com  —  PHOENIX - Wes Helms has played …

Family dysfunction  —  Personal troubles cause Doc and Darryl to lead list of reunion no-shows  —  This tale, of course, carries more than enough darkness already.  But this past week, while looking through Dwight Gooden's 1999 autobiography "Heat," I stumbled upon another layer of tragic irony.

Martinez 15 strikeouts away from 3,000 … In Major League Baseball annals, 13 pitchers have reached 3,000 strikeouts, more than 100 have won 200 games or more, and countless others have finished their careers with an ERA below 3.00.  —  But among the thousands of pitchers that have toed …

Under The Knife  —  Liriano Watch  —  I spent the last few days being the dumbest guy in the room.  Once a year, BP gets the team together to discuss business, a meeting that occurred over the weekend in Chicago.  In between those discussions, the topic always came back to our shared passion …

The Weekend in Review  —  By sweeping the Detroit Tigers this weekend, the Chicago White Sox have started a new dance in the AL Central.  It's called the Tighten Up.  Without any help from Archie Bell and the Drells, the Pale Hose have closed the gap to 5 1/2 games.

Contact: The Critical Ingredient for Heavy Hitters  —  In David Gassko's recent "Does Size Matter?" article, he shared some evidence that big hitters tend to become good hitters.  This probably has something to do with physical characteristics and a selection bias.

Third baseman a new man since return from Omaha  —  Being sent to minors was a major setback in his career, but Teahen has come back swinging and is enjoying success with the Royals.  —  Mark Teahen broke out of another slump last week, and, be honest, did you even know he was in a slump?

Garcia gets off schneid as ChiSox sweep first-place Tigers  —  CBS SportsLine.com wire reports  —  CHICAGO — The "Sweep!  Sweep!" chant roared through the sold-out stadium, reaching its crescendo as Bobby Jenks caught Curtis Granderson looking at a nasty breaking ball to end the game.