Strained hip to sideline Delgado  —  Mets first baseman likely to miss seven to 10 days of action  —  CINCINNATI — Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado will miss a week to 10 days with a strained right hip flexor, New York vice president of player development Tony Bernazard said Wednesday after the Mets' 7-0 loss to the Reds.

Lo Duca touches lives young and old  —  Clemente Award nominee helps sick kids, women with cancer  —  NEW YORK — Far removed from the sterile world of hospital beds and heart monitors — the world where Paul Lo Duca usually gives back — the Mets catcher was caught off guard last month …

Bonderman: Elbow OK; team is not  —  DETROIT — It's getting bad for the Detroit Tigers, so bad that maybe the best piece of news they could offer Tuesday was that Jeremy Bonderman says his right elbow doesn't hurt.  —  "I'm fine," Bonderman said with some conviction, after he was told that some teammates suspected he is not.

Save the date?:  Wedding for Yanks' rookie in peril  —  NEW YORK — If Ian Kennedy has to postpone his own wedding, it will be for a really good reason.  —  Scheduled to be at Westborough Country Club in Kirkwood, Mo., for his wedding on Oct. 6, the rookie pitcher might have to be on the mound …

Sox Beat: Schilling tries to reinvent his game  —  BOSTON - To whom does this 2007 vintage of Curt Schilling compare?  —  "Roger Clemens," one scout said yesterday.  "Exact same stuff."  —  For Schilling, the comparisons to the future Hall of Famer once represented the highest form of praise.

Granderson having a remarkable statistical season … We knew that Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson had the potential for statistical greatness when, in 2005, his second big league season, he went 5-for-5, didn't score a run and didn't drive in a run in a 5-3 loss to the Angels.

WANG THE GUY AT RIGHT TIME  —  CHIEN'S BACK STIFFENS AS YANKS BLAST M'S  —  Send it in on Chien.  —  There are very few locks in life, yet when Chien-Ming Wang is on the hill for the Yankees, wagering on the Bombers is a wise investment.  Even on nights when his back barks and he is removed from the game.

Peavy set to go on three days' rest  —  PHOENIX - Aligning his ace against the Padres' closest rival, manager Bud Black will start Jake Peavy on short rest tonight against the Diamondbacks, a move that Peavy not only welcomed but suggested.  —  Black said that Peavy, coming off a 99-pitch scoreless performance, told him: "I feel good.

Minors.Baseball-Reference.com has launched  —  I'm very pleased to announce that Sports Reference has launched a minor league subsite for Baseball-Reference.com.  This site includes 16 years of data back to 1992 and contains all of the 2007 regular season data (we'll get the NYP …

Indians Sweep Twins Again  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The surging Cleveland Indians completed another sweep of Minnesota and left the Twins barely clinging to their playoff hopes.  Victor Martinez had two hits and two RBIs to back a quality start from Fausto Carmona, and Cleveland beat Minnesota 6-2 …

Patterson brother is sent home  —  The Patterson family name took another hit in Chicago sports lore Tuesday when Eric, the brother of Corey, was replaced on the Cubs' roster after showing up late to the ballpark Monday.  —  Eric Patterson, an All-Pacific Coast League second baseman …

Crawford sees pattern of 'bad calls'  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Carl Crawford's Monday outburst at umpire Paul Nauert is officially "under review" by MLB officials, who will determine in the next few days if the Rays All-Star should be fined or suspended, and for how long.

Pirates Notebook: Tracy wants young starters to go distance  —  ST. LOUIS — The Pirates' rotation is awash in uncertainty, even after the additions of Bryan Bullington and John Van Benschoten.  —  Paul Maholm's stiff back is preventing him from throwing, although he and manager Jim Tracy yesterday described it as improving.

Notes: Detwiler and Maxwell reach bigs  —  Two prospects will likely sit and learn for most of September  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals left-hander Ross Detwiler and center fielder Justin Maxwell reported to the big league team on Tuesday afternoon.  —  Manager Manny Acta reiterated …