These performances difficult to watch  —  You've heard of the twi-night doubleheader and the day-night doubleheader?  Say hello to the day-night-morning doubleheader.  —  Make that day-night-mourning doubleheader.  —  In one of the ugliest and most painful twin bills in the long history …

Twins confound logic in a buckle-up-and-hang-on run to contention  —  Can someone, anyone, explain how this hurting, haggard and hard-luck team is so relentless in its overachievement?  —  This comes to you from a guy who was in attendance as a fan when the Twins played their first game at Met Stadium on April 21, 1961.

Diamondbacks-Padres Preview  —  The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres are locked up in races for the NL West and the wild card, but neither team seems to playing as if they want to go to the postseason.  —  The rivals continue a three-game series at Petco Park on Saturday.

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 …

A-Rod needs to lighten up in Big Apple  —  The solution for Alex Rodriguez isn't that complicated.  —  Play great.  —  Play great, and everything else will go away.  —  Rodriguez alone can silence his critics and restore his reputation as the best player in the game.

Rodriguez recalled; Backe sent to DL  —  Left-hander returns to Astros to make start against Brewers  —  MILWAUKEE — Wandy Rodriguez, not Dave Borkowski, will start for the Houston Astros on Saturday against the Brewers at Miller Park.  —  Rodriguez was recalled when right-hander Brandon Backe …

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 …

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 …

Soriano and Zimmerman Are Driving Force for Nats  —  Ryan Zimmerman was in the dugout preparing for his first at-bat Friday night when Alfonso Soriano blasted a gargantuan home run on to the concourse in center field at Citizens Bank Park.  "He's an amazing player," Zimmerman said hours later.

Police: L.I. teen posed as journalist to get into stadium  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Leli loves the Mets.  —  The Suffolk County teenager loved the Mets so much that authorities say he posed as a reporter to get into Shea Stadium and talk with players.  —  Police arrested the 18-year-old …

Frandsen placed on disabled list with broken jaw  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Backup Giants infielder Kevin Frandsen had his broken jaw wired shut Saturday and went on the 15-day disabled list only five days after being called up from Triple-A Fresno.  —  San Francisco was counting on giving …

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.