Top News:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Ortiz returning for tests — He cites heart problem again; Red Sox get routed by Oakland — OAKLAND, Calif. — A season slipping away took another crushing turn last night, even before a ragtag team of Red Sox was beaten, 9-0, by the Oakland Athletics. — About 20 minutes before the first pitch …
Discussion:
Surviving Grady, Keep Your Sox On In Brooklyn, The Sports Frog, Bronx Banter and The Soxaholix
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Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Boston slugger Ortiz sent home for more heart tests — OAKLAND, Calif. - Slightly more than a week after being admitted to Mass. General Hospital with an irregular heartbeat, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz suffered a recurrence of the problem last night and will return to Boston today for additional testing.
Associated Press:
Ortiz leaves BoSox, returns to Boston with irregular heartbeat — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — OAKLAND, Calif. — Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was scheduled to leave the team Tuesday and return to Boston to be examined again for an irregular heartbeat.
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Ramirez, Ortiz sit against Athletics — Manny unlikely to play until Thursday at the earliest — OAKLAND — The short-handed Red Sox were hit with the ultimate double whammy at the outset of this three-game series against the red-hot Oakland Athletics on Monday.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yankees Fume After Pavano Fails To Disclose Most Recent Injury — Carl Pavano continues to find new ways to let down the Yankees. The difference now is that the team is more than disappointed. It's angry. — Just as he was closing in on returning to the Yankees after a 14-month absence …
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Buster Olney / ESPN:Pavano suffers possible rib fracture in car accident
Discussion:
Bronx Banter, 3,079 Miles to Fenway …, The Sporting Brews, BBTF's Baseball Primer … and Pinstripe Alley
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Mailbag: Zimmerman for Gold Glove — Beat writer Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … Comparing Ryan Zimmerman to Brooks Robinson needs to stop immediately. How on earth can you compare 16 Gold Gloves to a rookie year in the bigs? You can't, I can't and even as much as I respect manager Frank Robinson, he can't.
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals' Escobar out for season — Outfielder expected to be ready for start of Spring Training — WASHINGTON — Nationals center fielder Alex Escobar had an MRI on his right shoulder on Monday and it revealed that he has a tear in his right labrum and will have surgery within the next seven to 10 days.
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Rangers: from so close to so long — Season of opportunity dashed by intangibles and inconsistency — ANALYSIS: Sunday afternoon showers sent the Rangers scrambling for cover. They went deep, deep, deep under cover. — Less than 24 hours after falling nine games behind Oakland in the AL West …
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Texas heat factors into team's dry spell — Summer is always hot in Texas. That's part of the package when playing for the Rangers. — That doesn't mean the recent string of 19 straight 100-degree days, and the particularly hot summer overall, does not adversely affect players.
NY Daily News:
Jax sees A-Rod upside — There figures to be plenty of boos waiting for Alex Rodriguez at the Stadium tonight. That is what happens to players who struggle the way A-Rod has, going 2-for-20 with 14 strikeouts during the Yankees' six games against Seattle and Anaheim last week.
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
A Whiff of Futility, and Rodriguez Can't Breathe Easy — Alex Rodriguez went 10 years without striking out four times in a game. Then he did it last month in Toronto, and again Friday night in Anaheim. Naturally, Rodriguez's inner competitor did not take this well.
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Tired Arms Are Better Than Injured Ones — THEY'RE throwing a playoff party at Yankee Stadium this week, and only legitimate contenders are welcome. The Boston Red Sox weren't invited. If they had been, they would have probably stumbled and fallen on their faces en route to the festivities.
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
Teacher Crowley a hit with O's pupils … When Orioles rookie Nick Markakis popped out of the dugout for a curtain call after his third home run of the night last Tuesday, Terry Crowley remained in the background, exactly where he wanted to be. — Leaning against a partition a couple of yards away …
