Shaky fielding dooms Nats in opener  —  Defensive miscues lead to a five-run Rockies eighth inning  —  DENVER — This time, the Washington Nationals have nobody to blame but themselves.  —  Back in mid-June, when the Nationals were on a nice roll and within four games of .500 …

Timlin gives it back  —  Ortiz hands Sox lead, Royals answer in ninth  —  No need to watch the out-of-town scoreboard anymore.  What the Yankees and White Sox and Twins and everybody else in sanitary hose are doing will be irrelevant if the town team keeps losing life-and-death games with last-place ball clubs.

Buehrle can't find handle against Tribe  —  Starter leaves in fifth inning; White Sox bats largely silent  —  CHICAGO — In watching Ozzie Guillen walk from the U.S. Cellular Field Conference and Learning Center back to the White Sox clubhouse following Thursday's 9-1 loss to Cleveland …

Padres-Giants Preview  —  The San Diego Padres continue their pursuit of first place in the NL West by trying to fend off a couple of teams pursuing them.  —  Boasting a five-game winning streak, the Padres begin perhaps their most important stretch of the regular season's final month Friday …

Royals head to Fenway  —  Kansas City (52-89) at Boston (75-65), Friday, 6:05 p.m. CT  —  It's back to Fenway Park on Friday for the Royals.  Things didn't go very well there in July when the Royals lost three one-run decisions, 5-4, 1-0, 1-0.  —  Matter of fact, in the last four years …

Halos stifle Jays, win sixth straight  —  Rookie hurler Saunders tosses gem as Angels roll  —  ANAHEIM — Joe Saunders started the Angels' current winning streak and on Friday he gave the Angels exactly what they're going to need to catch the A's.  —  The left-hander tossed …

Tom's terrific at Shea  —  Even 20 seasons into his Hall of Fame career, Tom Glavine stills has his anxious moments.  —  His latest one came last night.  —  When Glavine took the mound to kick off what would eventually be a 7- Mets victory over the Dodgers, it was the first time the veteran lefthander …

Cards' Isringhausen could be done for year  —  If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to seal the deal in the tight NL Central they may have to do it without their closer.  —  According to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jason Isringhausen will not pitch this weekend and could be done …

Rangers recall reliever who once threw chair  —  SEATTLE (AP) — The Texas Rangers on Friday recalled right-hander Frank Francisco, who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault for throwing a chair that broke the nose of an Oakland Athletics female fan two years ago.

Cards absorb a drubbing in desert  —  PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks felt the weather pleasant enough Friday to open the roof for Friday night's game, which then featured some of the reeking flaws the Cardinals had done well to keep a lid on for several weeks.

Padres try to sneak into hunt for Zito  —  Imagine a 2007 Padres' rotation featuring twin aces, right-hander Jake Peavy and left-hander Barry Zito.  —  The Padres can.  —  The consensus around baseball is that Zito will land with either one of the New York teams or the Dodgers as a free agent.

There's plenty to play for  —  Brewers out of race, have goals to chase  —  thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com  —  As a result of their recent 10-game losing streak, the Milwaukee Brewers no longer are in the National League playoff picture.  Any real shot at their first winning season since 1992 …

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DAN LEBATARD ON JOE GIRARDI  —  With the end of the season fast approaching and the Dusty Era (hopefully) coming to a close, Cub fans far and wide have been looking toward next season.  One big question on everyone's mind is, "who will the Cubs' manager be in 2007"?