Attendence, Cubs hit rock bottom  —  Smallest crowd of '06 sees Cubs fumble their way to cellar  —  Wrigley Field looked like a time warp Tuesday night as the Cubs fell into the basement of the National League Central with a 6-5 loss to Pittsburgh.  —  The announced crowd of 31,494 …

Maris clan: Howard would be worthy of record  —  When Ryan Howard's picture flashed across the television screen, Randy Maris turned to his younger brother Rich with a puzzled look.  —  "Who's he?"  Randy asked.  —  Rich had a quick answer: He might be the guy who breaks their father's home run record.

Trio of White Sox battling discomfort  —  Buehrle and Jenks sent to Chicago for exams; Dye sits  —  BOSTON — Even with the addition of five callups from Triple-A Charlotte since Friday, the White Sox found themselves a bit short-handed for the second game of a three-game series at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

Teahen out to have surgery  —  Third baseman is done for year because of torn labrum in shoulder.  German, Keppinger to take his spot.  —  Before Mark Teahen took the field Tuesday night, he knew it was going to be his last game of the season.  —  Teahen will undergo season-ending surgery Friday …

Papelbon has fatigued shoulder  —  After rest, closer will begin strengthening program  —  BOSTON — The worst fears of the Red Sox and their passionate fans were put to rest on Tuesday night, when it was announced that there is nothing structurally wrong with the prized right shoulder of star rookie closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Pads look to build on dramatic win  —  Colorado (63-74) at San Diego (71-66), 7:05 p.m. PT  —  The Padres have had trouble with Colorado all season, posting a 7-10 record against it.  Tuesday's starter, Chris Young, however, has had no such trouble against the Rockies.

Jays must spend wisely after bumping payroll  —  Blue Jays owner Ted Rogers agrees with his general manager, J.P. Ricciardi, who doesn't think the team can make the post-season out of the American League East with a payroll of $70 million.  —  Rogers, the president of Canadian media titan …

A's claim Williams; no call-up angers Pie  —  One of the major miscalculations the Cubs made last winter was depending on Jerome Williams to make the rotation.  —  After a poor start in April and an inconsistent four months at Triple-A Iowa, the Williams saga ended Tuesday when Oakland claimed him on waivers.

Angels walk off with win in 10th  —  Kennedy comes through with a three-run homer  —  ANAHEIM — As Juan Rivera was temporarily placed on the shelf Tuesday afternoon, the Angels were once again sent on a search for an extra bat.  —  Though Rivera's strained left hand should heal within …

7 shutouts on 1 night for first time in 3 decades  —  NEW YORK (AP) — In an era of offense, batters came up blank for a night.  —  Tuesday marked the first time in 34 years that there were seven shutouts in the major leagues on a single day.  —  Take that, home-run hitters!

The case for Jeter  —  In 1950, the last time a New York Yankees shortstop won the most valuable player award, Phil Rizzuto edged a deep and talented field despite lacking gaudy statistics.  —  Rizzuto got the nod because writers recognized his contributions that went beyond the box score.

Hicks: Rangers lack leadership, mental toughness  —  OAKLAND - Taking a page from the George Steinbrenner School of Management, in which any time is a good time to challenge players, Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Tuesday that his team has lacked mental toughness and leadership this season.

Rainout washes away Tuesday's game  —  Teams will play traditional doubleheader on Wednesday  —  NEW YORK — A steady rain throughout the day forced the Mets to postpone Tuesday's game against the Braves.  The Mets will make up the game with a traditional doubleheader scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Best deadline deal?  Maddux to Dodgers  —  Was there really a time when we debated whether Greg Maddux could be an asset for a contender?  Why didn't we just ask if the earth was round, if poker was on television and if Will Ferrell had a movie in production?