Top News:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Bloop hit sends Red Sox to defeat — Pena unable to reach flare as Boston drops second straight — BOSTON — How could such an innocent looking flare off the bat of Craig Monroe cause so much havoc and heartbreak for the Red Sox? — It was just one of those plays that had Wily Mo Pena …
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Associated Press:
Costly victory — Polanco separates shoulder as Tigers edge Red Sox — BOSTON (AP) — Placido Polanco's injury forced Ivan Rodriguez to play an unfamiliar position and left the Detroit Tigers wondering how the loss of their steady second baseman will affect their playoff run.
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:Sox go up in flames — No disrespect to Worcester-raised actor …
Discussion:
Boston Sports Media Watch
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:A case of the drops — Red Sox lose more ground when Tigers get ninth life
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Nationals place Soriano on waivers — The Nationals placed left fielder Alfonso Soriano on waivers Tuesday, a routine step that nonetheless raises the question of whether the team is making one last attempt to trade Soriano before he becomes a free agent, FOXSports.com has learned.
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Steven Goff / Washington Post:
'Superb' Astacio Stymies Atlanta — Nationals' Starter Hurls Two-Hitter : Nationals 5, Braves 0 — The Washington Nationals, losers of three straight and 7 of 10, glanced at the standings yesterday and saw that the only National League teams enduring poorer seasons, the Chicago Cubs …
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Marathon may prompt an early Miller arrival — HOUSTON — Tuesday night's 18-inning game against the Astros might have accelerated Wade Miller's return. — Manager Dusty Baker used all 25 players—including Wednesday's scheduled starter Rich Hill—meaning the Cubs might need to summon …
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Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Cubs' long night turns into happy ending — Murton delivers tying, go-ahead hits; Cubs use 25 players — HOUSTON — Trying to save Juan Mateo's life, Dusty Baker almost cost the Cubs a win on Tuesday night. Instead his decision not to expose Mateo to retaliation from a seemingly angry …
Discussion:
GROTA
Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Stairs' veteran presence a bonus — ARLINGTON — The Rangers' trade deadline addition of outfielder/designated hitter Matt Stairs didn't attract nearly the attention that adding outfielder Carlos Lee did, and that's a fair difference. — At 38 years old, Stairs is no longer the same home run threat he once was.
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Richard Durrett / Dallas Morning News:
Relief is hard to come by for Rangers — Rookie's meltdown illuminates a problem — ARLINGTON - Here's what the Rangers know about their bullpen: Akinori Otsuka is the closer. — What they don't know is who can handle the late-inning, pennant-contending pressure of holding a lead …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yanks Lash Orioles' Bullpen, and Lead in the East Grows — Bobby Abreu sliding into third after his double was misplayed by Nick Markakis in the seventh. Abreu scored to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. — A cheer rumbled though the stands at Yankee Stadium just before the first pitch of the eighth inning last night.
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Matt Eagan / Hartford Courant:
Patiently Pulling Away — Yankees Lead East By 3 — NEW YORK — From his seat in the first base dugout at Yankee Stadium, Joe Torre has no choice but to stare at the out-of-town scoreboard in left field. — And as Erik Bedard was cutting down the Yankees Tuesday night, Torre could see that the Red Sox were beating the Tigers.
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:
Mets take El of a beating — Phillies romp again; Pedro results today — PHILADELPHIA - At least Orlando Hernandez lasted until the second inning before the Phillies got to six runs. — One game after Pedro Martinez was removed with a sore calf after being flogged for a half-dozen in the first inning …
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Slumping Cabrera Gets the Day Off — ARLINGTON, Texas — Every time he hits a fly-ball out — which is far too often lately — Orlando Cabrera returns to the clubhouse, watches the at-bat on tape and sees his evil twin. — "It's like I hate the ball too much," Cabrera said.
Jim Salisbury / Philadelphia Inquirer:
Boiling Manuel scalds Green — The next time Charlie Manuel gets in the face of a Phillies icon, he might want to tip off the team's marketing department. Think of the tickets that could be sold. The T-shirts! — Big Chuck vs. Big D. — What Manuel lacked in promotional flair …
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
White Sox drop the ball — Defensive lapse, baffled bats end Sox's win streak at 5 — The White Sox braced themselves for a sixth-inning drop-off from Javier Vazquez. — But they didn't envision a defensive letdown or a failure to solve Runelvys Hernandez.
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Notes: Pitching staff trimmed to 12 — Thompson optioned, Perez recalled in roster shuffle — ST. LOUIS — The old Earl Weaver pearl, that "10 pitchers are too many," has certainly gone out of fashion. But even in the era of relief-pitcher specialization, there's no doubt that a 13-man pitching staff is too big.
Discussion:
CardNilly
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners Notebook: Lowe's velocity grows — Pitcher's fastball hitting 100 on some radar guns — OAKLAND, Calif. — When rookie right-hander Mark Lowe pitched two innings of shutout relief Monday, two radar guns had him clocked at 100 mph. One clocking registered at 101 mph.
