Ump touches Ordonez; Leyland angered  —  Schrieber puts hand on Tiger's back during third-strike dispute  —  Tigers manager Jim Leyland was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Twins after home plate umpire Paul Schrieber put his hand on Magglio Ordonez's back in a seeming attempt …

Rumblings and Grumblings — Disabled-list shenanigans?  —  Are teams bending the rules?  Some DL transactions appear suspicious  —  ESPN.com  —  Dontrelle Willis made his dramatic return from the disabled list Wednesday night.  And who among us wasn't happy to see him back in the big leagues?

Rose: A-Rod shouldn't get cheated out of Hall  —  Disgraced hit king Pete Rose said Wednesday that he believes steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez should be voted into the Hall of Fame.  —  “I'm willing to give a guy a second chance,” said Rose, who has been waiting for one of his own since …

Ex-Phillie Wolf's terrific outing lifts LA  —  Loney, Blake homer as Dodgers end Philadelphia skid  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers received a template for what it will take to win without the suspended Manny Ramirez, and it couldn't have come more perfectly wrapped than Wednesday night's 9-2 victory over the Phillies.

Gritty Palmer goes distance for Angels  —  Rookie delivers first complete game; Napoli, Hunter homer  —  ANAHEIM — Darren Oliver emerged from the showers to find the guy at the next locker surrounded by the media again.  —  “Matty Palmer — you're the man!”  Oliver bellowed.

While the Yanks were up in Toronto...  The New Stadium played host to my sister's (and many others') NYU graduation.  As you can see from the above photos, when Yankees' COO Lonn Trost equated the Legends seats to homes early this week by asking, rhetorically, “If you purchased a house …

The World's Best Illusion: The Secret of the Curve Ball  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. (ISNS) — The three best visual illusions in the world were chosen at a gathering last weekend of neuroscientists and psychologists at the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Florida.

Ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz hospitalized after suicide threat: police  —  Relative called Davie police for help; retired baseballer awaiting trial on DUI manslaughter charges  —  DAVIE - Jim Leyritz, the beleaguered ex- New York Yankee, was in Memorial Hospital West in Pembroke Pines on Thursday …

Ex-Oriole Bedard likely to miss next start  —  Mariners say LHP is probable scratch due to tight right hamstring  —  ARLINGTON, Texas - Mariners left-hander and former Oriole Erik Bedard will likely miss his next scheduled start Saturday night in Boston.  —  Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu …

Figgy returns, Niese optioned  —  Jon Niese lasted two turns in the rotation.  The rookie lefthander was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo after Wednesday's start, and Nelson Figueroa has been summoned after the excessive bullpen work.  It may not be a leap to suggest that Tim Redding will be activated and start Monday in Los Angeles.

Astros pound out 24 hits in 15-11 win over Rockies  —  As the fury and punishment mounted Wednesday, the grumbling grew louder.  Fans mocked manager Clint Hurdle during pitching changes at Coors Field.  It was hard to tell if they were genuinely disappointed with the leadership, the effort …

There's No Fooling Brett Gardner  —  The ball from a player's first hit or home run is a cherished memento, which means that, in baseball, it's ripe for a prank.  Someone retrieves the ball, keeps it in a safe place, then presents the rookie with a fake ball, often with a bunch of swear words scrawled on it.

Gardner's first homer lifts Pettitte, Yankees past Blue Jays  —  TORONTO — With Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui sidelined by nagging injuries, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi figured his team would need to scratch out some runs Wednesday night.  —  The three rookies at the bottom of the lineup proved him wrong.

Soriano ties Biggio for 2nd in leadoff HRs as Cubs win  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Alfonso Soriano hit his 53rd career leadoff homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 in a rain-shortened game on Wednesday night.  —  Soriano moved into a tie for second place on the all-time list with Craig Biggio.

PostGame: Braves 8, Mets 7  —  The Braves beat the Mets today, 8-7, in a 12-inning game at Citi Field.  The Mets fell to 18-15 on the season with the loss.  —  For a full recap and boxscore, go here.  —  The least you should know:  — Jonathon Niese did not look good …