Wells may go to Dodgers  —  OAKLAND, Calif. - Left-hander David Wells, who is scheduled to start the first game of the homestand tomorrow against the Blue Jays, flew back to Boston yesterday to rest up for the outing.  —  General manager Theo Epstein refused to discuss a report that he is prepared …

Pavano's New Injury Bemuses the Yanks  —  Technically, Johnny Damon has never been teammates with Carl Pavano.  They have occupied the same Yankees clubhouse, but Damon has never played behind Pavano, who has had more disabled-list adventures than any pitcher in memory.

Offense is absent in 5th straight loss  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — The margin of error is so tiny that Josh Beckett was actually chiding himself for throwing a fastball high and away to Eric Chavez in the fourth inning that resulted in the A's first run.  —  ``That was a dumb pitch to Chavez," …

Oswalt, Astros agree to 5-year, $73 million extension  —  HOUSTON — Roy Oswalt got a $73 million birthday present from the Houston Astros.  —  The two-time 20-game winner agreed to a five-year, $73 million contract extension on his 29th birthday Tuesday, the biggest multiyear deal ever given to an Astros pitcher.

Mulder endures another rough outing  —  Lefty headed back to doctor after lasting 1 2/3 frames vs. Fish  —  ST. LOUIS — Mystified by a left arm that still refuses to go where it needs to go, Mark Mulder is heading back not only to the drawing board, but to the doctor's office.

Kaz: Mets failure 'all my fault'  —  DENVER - Kaz Matsui doesn't offer any alibis for his unfulfilled expectations in Flushing.  But the infielder, whose three-year, $20.1million contract is set to expire after the season, said he intends to remain in the majors in 2007.

Mets talking to Rockies about Ardoin  —  The Mets, seeking to upgrade their backup catcher and add infield depth, are talking to the Rockies about acquiring catcher Danny Ardoin and infielder Luis Gonzalez for a minor-league pitcher, FOXSports.com has learned.  —  Ardoin, 32, was designated for assignment by the Rockies last Friday.

Caution urged in diagnosing Ortiz: MDs wait for tests  —  Doctors say it's unlikely that David Ortiz' irregular heartbeat, which sidelined him this week and left Red Sox nation stunned, would end his career or stymie the star slugger for too long, but they cautioned that it's just too early to know for sure.

Liner hits Mariners' Soriano in the head  —  Reliever stays conscious; M's hold on for sixth win in row  —  There was no joy in victory, no agony in defeat.  —  There were just athletes concerned for one of their own.  —  Mariners reliever Rafael Soriano had to be wheeled off …

Like an old car, Orioles need more than recycled parts  —  I've got some sad news.  My '92 Celica, which carried me to countless local sporting events over the past 15 years and provided regular fodder for the Kickoff page, announced its retirement yesterday on a lonely stretch of Highway 10 in Anne Arundel County.

Skipper Hurdle pulls plug on Barmes  —  Character is admirable.  But as the Rockies have proved the past few weeks, even the best of men can be on the worst of teams.  Once on the verge of being a postseason threat, Colorado has plunged into the National League West basement, falling 10-5 to the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Sox lumbering on into wild-card lead  —  Dye's 39th homer helps Sox hold off the running Rays  —  Regaining the American League wild-card lead behind a 13-hit attack hardly calmed manager Ozzie Guillen's nerves Tuesday night.  —  Beneath the White Sox's 12-9 victory over Tampa Bay …

Tigers need to learn patience is a virtue  —  Most players sympathized with the Yankees and Red Sox for having to play that five-games-in-four-days series.  No way MLB should have allowed TV to dictate that kind of schedule: day-night doubleheader on Friday, day game Saturday, night game Sunday …

Records detail Steussie's steroid use  —  WHAT HAPPENED A newspaper reports that medical records show several instances in which the Rams' Todd Steussie obtained illegal steroids while with Carolina and Tampa Bay.  —  Medical records made public in court documents showed …