Top News:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Red Sox show flashes, but go nowhere — Beckett on mark; bullpen falters — NEW YORK — It seems so long ago now. Forever, possibly. — With the Red Sox full of hope and just a notch below the Yankees in the American League East, the ancient rivals crowded into Fenway Park for a five …
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Split With Red Sox Puts Division Title Within the Yankees' Reach — It took more than seven hours of baseball and a well-placed double by Jason Giambi, but the Yankees arrived at an enviable spot late last night. — After splitting a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox …
Discussion:
NY Daily News
Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Damon's a feast for hungry Yankees — NEW YORK - There is a defiance in Johnny Damon's voice, one seldom stirred and then by only one device: the Boston Red Sox. Damon is generally a passive observer or a clown who trolls through the New York Yankees clubhouse quoting "Talladega Nights" …
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
WANG'S THE ONE — RIGHTY SHOULD OPEN PLAYOFFS — IT was raining hard enough in the pregame yesterday for Joe Torre to abandon his familiar perch in the home dugout and instead chat with the media in the corridor outside the Yankees' clubhouse. — For nearly 13 minutes …
Discussion:
Pride of the Yankees
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
No dirt from Dusty...for now — If his tenure here ends when the season does, don't expect the Cubs manager to lash out at anyone. That may come at a later time. — As he enters the final two weeks of the four-year deal that brought him to Chicago, Dusty Baker understands why many view …
Discussion:
The View From The Bleachers
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Ryan Crawford / MLB.com:
Hill tosses two-hit masterpiece — Rookie lefty throws first career shutout; Ramirez drives in two — CHICAGO — Rich Hill tossed a two-hitter for his first Major League shutout in the Cubs' 4-0 win over Cincinnati in front of 40,526 at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Notes: Zambrano to start Sunday — Right-hander left his last start with back spasms on Sept. 4 — CHICAGO — Carlos Zambrano got the go-ahead. Big Z will be starting on Sunday for the Cubs. — Zambrano came out of his Sept. 4 start after 1 1/3 innings with back spasms and has passed all the tests …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Darren Everson / NY Daily News:
Big Unit is burned by Crisp — The Yankees won last night's doubleheader nightcap, but in a sense, Randy Johnson lost. — The Big Unit's shot at a 20-win season slipped away - just as Chien-Ming Wang's did in game one yesterday. The Yankees won the second game, 7-5 …
Discussion:
Bronx Banter
Associated Press:
Cards' Isringhausen done for season with hip injury — ST. LOUIS — Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen likely will miss the rest of the season because of a bad left hip, St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan said Saturday. — "I don't expect that Izzy's going to pitch anymore," Duncan said after a 6-1 victory over San Francisco.
Discussion:
Get Up, Baby!
Micah Cohen / New York Times:
Back-to-Back Titles for Class A Yankees — Kyle Larsen knew what it took to win a New York-Penn League title. Larsen, one of the few returning players from the Staten Island Yankees' 2005 championship team, drove in both runs last night in a 2- victory against the visiting Tri-City ValleyCats …
Associated Press:
Padres-Dodgers Preview — One night after the Los Angeles Dodgers used a four-time Cy Young Award winner to stay atop the NL West, they will turn to a rookie to try and increase that lead. — The Dodgers will send Chad Billingsley to the mound when they continue a four-game series against San Diego Padres on Saturday.
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
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Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Scioscia, Watson Reach 'Understanding' — ARLINGTON, Texas — Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said he and Bob Watson, baseball's vice president for on-field operations, reached an "understanding" Friday, but the two still don't seem to be in agreement on discipline for bean balls and brush-back pitches.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Rich Draper / MLB.com:
Notes: Alou shrugs off critics — Giants manager not concerned with status next year — ST. LOUIS — There have been e-mails and letters and outcries from talk show hosts and baseball critics from the first day manager Felipe Alou was hired by the Giants, telling the world he wasn't and isn't up to the job.
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Ozzie likes Mackowiak in center — OAKLAND, Calif. —Rob Mackowiak started in center field for the third time in the last four games on Friday night, as Guillen obviously has shown which player he is most confident with in crunch time. And it isn't Brian Anderson.
Discussion:
The Bard's Room
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Associated Press:
Ichiro sets two records in one day — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki stole his AL single-season record 33rd consecutive base in the third inning of Seattle's game against Kansas City on Saturday night.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
Johnson Hits His Stride — For five frustrating seasons, everywhere Nick Johnson went, from New York to Montreal to Washington, those who admired his game wondered what kind of season he could produce if he didn't get hurt and could play a full year. Now, everybody knows.
