Cruz has Buck on his side  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Buck Showalter believes that Nelson Cruz can be a regular in the major leagues, and perhaps as early as next year.  Right now, however, Showalter plans to start the right-handed hitting Cruz only against left-handed pitchers.

G127: Red Sox 2, Angels 1  —  Sox win 2-1, Yanks lose 4-2 (Slappy K vs Putz to end it).  —  Papi gave the Sox a 1-0 lead with his 46th HR leading off the fourth.  Boston got a second run with a bases-loaded grounder from Doug Mirabelli in the seventh.  Orlando Cabrera thought he could get a DP …

Mets Raise Questions by Resting Hernández  —  Brian Bannister spent the past four months rehabilitating a hamstring he injured in late April.  Now he returns to a Mets pitching staff that is limping toward October, with Orlando Hernández becoming the third prominent starter to be temporarily pulled from the rotation.

Notes: Branyan and more possible waiver deals  —  Several contenders continue to explore possible waiver deals in advance of Thursday's deadline for setting postseason rosters.  — The Padres acquired third baseman Russell Branyan from the Devil Rays on Thursday for Class A right-hander Evan Meek.

Baseball players covet opponents' memorabilia  —  MIAMI GARDENS — It's not quite the same as exchanging sweat-soaked jerseys with an opponent after a 90-minute soccer game.  In many cases the premise behind it is the same.  —  Respect.  —  Some baseball players are among the game's biggest fans …

Thome out vs. Twins, but no DL  —  Leg injury not serious; no timetable for return  —  DETROIT — Designated hitter Jim Thome is unlikely to return to the White Sox's starting lineup against American League Central rival Minnesota this weekend, but his strained left hamstring isn't serious enough …

Schroder's Getting an Opportunity  —  His ERA is a hefty 5.73, and he is baby-faced for someone who just turned 28.  But don't let rookie reliever Chris Schroder of the Washington Nationals fool you.  —  "I like him," pitching coach Randy St. Claire said.

Underachieving?  —  NEW YORK — Cardinals executives said the club's current roster, regardless of cost, should be performing better than it is.  But rather than pay for short-term fixes and complicate future finances, they have taken a long-term and in-house approach to improving.

Zimmerman turning heads with his bat  —  Talented third baseman posting impressive offensive numbers  —  ATLANTA — For a 21-year-old rookie just over a year out of college, with 67 Minor League games on his resume and a first full season in the Major Leagues winding down …

O's goal: lock up Bedard, Roberts … The plan started earlier this year with the signing of outfielder Jay Gibbons and Melvin Mora to multi-year extensions and Orioles vice president Jim Duquette hopes it continues this offseason when the club is looking to lock up two more significant parts of its nucleus.

Frank Thomas, once written off, enjoying renaissance in Oakland  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -Frank Thomas can run from first to third with relative ease and is crushing home runs into the upper deck again.  That spat with his former general manager earlier this year is a thing of the past.