Top News:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Notes: Vidro a second baseman first — Manager asks veteran to give Johnson a breather — WASHINGTON — After Saturday's 8-5 victory over the Brewers, manager Frank Robinson approached second baseman Jose Vidro about starting at first base on Sunday afternoon in order to give Nick Johnson the day off.
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Steven Goff / Washington Post:
Soriano Reaches 40-40 Mark — In Win, National Joins 3 Others: Nationals 8, Brewers 5 — When the long-awaited moment arrived, when steal No. 40 and baseball history were secured, Alfonso Soriano dusted himself off, twisted the second base bag loose and raised it to the roaring crowd at RFK Stadium.
Ken Wright / Washington Times:
Nats' bullpen is big relief — All season the Washington Nationals have asked their inexperienced bullpen to rescue the club's suspect starters — a daunting task, to be sure, for a group of young relievers. — More and more, that bullpen has shown signs it can do an effective job.
ESPN:
Cards' Isringhausen done for season with hip injury — ST. LOUIS — Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen will miss the rest of the season because of a bad left hip. — "This certainly is a significant, serious situation at this point," Cardinals team physician George Paletta said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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NY Daily News:
Pete's signs of his sorry times — Boy, is Pete Rose sorry. — Baseball's disgraced all-time hit king may have hit an all-time low by signing balls with this shocking inscription: "I'm sorry I bet on baseball - Pete Rose." — Thanks to a New Jersey auction house, you, too, can share in Rose's sorrow.
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
At-bats are good medicine for LaRoche — First baseman is subject of ESPN report on attention deficit disorder — Adam LaRoche isn't sure how much his improved hitting can be linked to taking medication for attention deficit disorder, but producers of an ESPN program decided to pronounce it the direct cause.
Discussion:
Sabernomics
Jack Curry / New York Times:
With Nothing to Celebrate, the Mets Feel Martínez's Pain — The sheets of plastic that were hung above the Mets' lockers in anticipation of a raucous celebration were removed without being doused. The dozens of bottles of Champagne became extra luggage.
Discussion:
Metsblog.com
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers deny Polanco done for year — GM Dombrowski says second baseman on track for return — DETROIT — President/general manager Dave Dombrowski said on Sunday night that Placido Polanco remains on track for a possible return this season, despite comments from Polanco on Sunday afternoon …
Associated Press:
Chelsea edges Liverpool in Premier League — LONDON (AP) — Didier Drogba spun and scored on a rising 20-yard shot late in the first half Sunday, leading Chelsea past Liverpool 1-0 in an English Premier League game attended by Tiger Woods. — The Ivory Coast striker settled a long ball …
Discussion:
Idiots Write About Sports
Fox Sports:
White Sox need sweep to stay in race — Here's your weekly look forward to what's in store for baseball fans over the next seven days. — Series of the Week (with team's most recent Power Ranking in parentheses): Tigers (3) at White Sox (6) — This is the series that will be getting …
Discussion:
Cutoff Man
Deadspin:
Ozzie Guillen Would Like To Be Drunk, If You Don't Mind — The White Sox lost to the A's on Friday night, but that wasn't what had Ozzie Guilled in a bad mood. John Garland was shelled, the White Sox only managed 3 hits all night, and they lost ground in the AL wild card race.
Discussion:
TwinsGeek.com
Associated Press:
Cubs' Lee likely out for season to tend to daughter — CHICAGO — Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee could be out for the rest of the season because of his 3-year-old daughter's illness. — Lee had missed the last two games before he said Sunday he was taking a leave of absence to be with his wife and child.
Discussion:
The Cub Reporter
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Martinez still upset a day after return — Mets ace eager to put Friday's difficult start behind him — PITTSBURGH — Whatever concern about Pedro Martinez exists within the Mets has not yet taken a defined shape. He says he's fine and prefers to make his next start after four days off.
Discussion:
Metsquire
Philly.com:
Howard homers; Phillies sweep Astros — HOUSTON - Ryan Howard hit his Major League-leading 57th home run today - without any dispute - and Mike Lieberthal connected twice as Randy Wolf and the Phillies kept up their push for a wild-card spot by beating Houston, 6-4.
T.J. Quinn / NY Daily News:
Captain & The Clipper — Jeter may be answer to 'Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?' — Every day the Captain walks into the clubhouse with his grande skim cappuccino from Starbucks, answers questions at his locker, goes off to the training room, takes batting practice …
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
HOLD THE ZITO — YANKS, METS NOT INTERESTED IN A'S LEFTY — DON'T believe the hype, the speculation or the gossip. The Yankees and Mets have almost no interest in pursuing Barry Zito as a free agent. — The buzz all year has been that Zito will gravitate to a coast.
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Young looks to put Padres in first place — San Diego (77-70) at Los Angeles (78-70), 1:10 p.m. PT — Chris Young, who has pitched capably against the Dodgers in four starts without a win to show for it, gets another crack at Los Angeles in the third game of the four-game Dodger Stadium extravaganza.
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Bill Sloat / Plain Dealer:
Fan's insults crude but legal — Cincinnati - Cleveland Indians fans have a right to heckle ballplayers from Jacobs Field's bleachers as long as they are not drunk or too rowdy, a federal appeals court ruled. — The 2-1 ruling Friday was a victory for Lakewood's Jeffrey Swiecicki, 34 …
