Peavy wants it now  —  PHOENIX - Thirty minutes after Greg Maddux won for the first time in 11 career starts here, after the San Diego Padres moved into the National League West lead by themselves for the first time in two months, after they'd put a 10-2 beating on the Arizona Diamondbacks …

Dodgers rip Zambrano, he rips Cubs fans  —  Carlos Zambrano bit the hand that feeds him Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field, ripping Cubs fans for booing him off the mound after another in a series of erratic outings.  —  As he walked to the dugout after being removed in the fifth inning …

Pirates Notebook: Bullington caps long road back  —  ST. LOUIS — Bryan Bullington already had lost enough time.  —  He and his family were in Louisville, Ky., yesterday afternoon when he received the word he has been awaiting for two years: He was being called up by the Pirates …

Pedro leads Mets to win in season debut  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Working with a fastball that was past its prime, Pedro Martinez made a vintage comeback.  —  Back on the mound for the first time in almost a year, the right-hander got his 3,000th career strikeout Monday and led the resurgent …

Rocket sputters: Clemens to have MRI on elbow  —  NEW YORK — Roger Clemens got banged up by the Seattle Mariners, and then quickly left the clubhouse after the Yankees' 7-1 loss on Monday to get an MRI exam on his balky right elbow.  —  The 45-year-old Clemens, who allowed five runs …

Indians beat Santana for 5th time in '07  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — If the Cleveland Indians avoid a colossal collapse and finish with the AL Central title at the end of this month, they can count their mastery of Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins as one of the reasons for the success.

Alex and Victor Rodriguez Are Worlds Apart  —  Very few people call him V-Rod.  Hardly anyone does, actually.  Those who use that nickname with Lt. Col. Victor M. Rodriguez do so cautiously.  —  "They do it in a very respectful way," Rodriguez said.  "They find the right occasion and the right context."

Stretch Run  —  The dog days are behind us and we enter the stretch run.  The Yanks, as we all suspected, didn't and won't go away.  The kid twirls a no no and the rest of the kids contributed yesterday to another big win.  There are a few questions posed earlier I am planning to answer this week.

Dodgers GM Colletti: Luck and pluck  —  From a garage home in Franklin Park to the Dodgers' front office and a house with an ocean view, Ned Colletti sometimes can't believe his good fortune  —  LOS ANGELES — Outside, a baseball Sunday at Dodger Stadium emerges in a delightful cliché.

WHY CAN'T TORRE'S TEAM BEAT DREGS OF THE AL?  —  IF the Yankees can't beat the Devil Rays and Orioles, how in the world are they going to beat anybody in the playoffs?  —  That is, if they make it to October.  —  Last week's sweep of the Red Sox was an August accomplishment, but these 2007 Yankees are inconsistent.

Rohr of success … Forty years ago, Billy Rohr flirted with history when he came within one out of throwing a no-hitter in his first major league start.  —  And now the onetime Red Sox [team stats] left-hander wants to be among the first Sox veterans to congratulate right-hander Clay Buchholz …