Johnson to face Beckett  —  Boston (69-52) vs. New York (72-48), Saturday, 1:20 p.m. ET  —  After winning the longest nine-inning game in Major League history, the Yankees hope to be a little more economical on Saturday.  But as long as the bottom line results in a win, no one in pinstripes will complain.

Opportunity awaits Tejeda  —  DETROIT - Robinson Tejeda is aware the Rangers did not trade David Dellucci for 19 1/3 innings, a 1-3 record and a 9.78 ERA.  —  But he also believes the adversity he has encountered this year and the time he has spent at Triple A Oklahoma will help him rediscover …

Zimmerman drives in five to spark Nats  —  Soriano smashes ninth leadoff home run of season  —  PHILADELPHIA — Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman continued to show why he is a strong candidate for the National League Rookie of the Year award.  He drove in a career-high five runs and helped …

Rookie Young gets call to spell Byrnes  —  SAN DIEGO - When Chris Young got called into his manager's office Thursday afternoon in Tacoma, Wash., he wasn't sure what to expect.  Then the blood rushed from his face when Triple-A Tucson manager Chip Hale said he wouldn't be in the lineup because he hadn't paid a past fine that was due.

Williams takes Pedro start  —  Dave Williams will make his Mets' debut tonight, taking Pedro Martinez's spot in the rotation.  The lefthander was acquired May 25 from the Reds, along with $500,000 to cover half of his remaining salary, for minor-league pitcher Robert Manuel.

Jeter's Secret?  It's Simple: Play to Win  —  Derek Jeter was the host of "Saturday Night Live" in 2001, and he was nervous about it all week.  He had no acting or comic background, and certainly had never performed on live television at Rockefeller Center.

Eckstein will be out indefinitely  —  Shortstop David Eckstein will be lost for at least the rest of this weekend's series after suffering a strained muscle in his left side in a third-inning collision at the plate with Cubs catcher Michael Barrett.  —  The injury occurred …

9 and oh: Weaver's a perfect match  —  Rookie ties Ford's AL record for wins to start a career  —  ANAHEIM — Is there anything this kid can't do?  —  Jered Weaver won his ninth straight decision, becoming only the second American League rookie in history accomplish such a feat.

Pierzynski, Alomar KO rift over story  —  MINNEAPOLIS — White Sox catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Sandy Alomar quickly settled their differences Friday over a recent story they firmly blamed on ESPN the Magazine.  —  "I wasn't happy with the article," Pierzynski said Friday night …

Sanders might be tradable  —  If he indeed cleared waivers, outfielder might draw interest from contenders.  —  The word around baseball is that outfielder Reggie Sanders cleared waivers earlier this month but pitcher Mark Redman did not.  Teams are prohibited from openly discussing the matter.

Jacobs doesn't let injured ankle stop him  —  · First baseman Mike Jacobs has played the majority of the season with a borderline stress fracture in his right ankle, and it won't completely heal until the season is over.  —  "They told me it was a stress reaction," Jacobs said, "and it was very close to being a fracture.

Commentary: Girardi unable to speak above Loria's silence  —  MIAMI GARDENS — Joe Girardi is twisting in the South Florida breeze.  —  It's no fun to watch, and almost certainly going to get worse.  —  That it has come to this ridiculousness in Girardi's first season as a baseball manager at any level …

Tigers don't bite on trade  —  Loretta offered for pitching help  —  The Red Sox, seeking to take advantage of Detroit's need for a second baseman after Placido Polanco separated his left shoulder here Tuesday night, offered Mark Loretta to the Tigers for pitching help, according to industry sources, but could not strike a deal.

Ricciardi blogged down by Wells rumour  —  GM says ex-aide is `officially an idiot'  —  Aug. 19, 2006.  —  BALTIMORE—Clearly it is not as easy as it looks, leaving the employ of a major-league ballclub to become a baseball columnist.  Ask Keith Law.  —  In last night's blog posting on ESPN.com …