Sources: Mariners nixed three-way Felix Hernandez trade sending Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Seattle  —  Lots of stuff has been leaking out in recent days about discussions between the Mariners and Boston Red Sox about a potential Felix Hernandez trade.

This is Shelley Duncan  —  Shelley Duncan was a kid surrounded by other kids' heroes when Tony La Russa told him to grab a bat.  —  The Oakland Athletics were playing an exhibition game against a college team at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.  Shelley's dad, Dave Duncan, was the A's pitching coach.

Morales homers twice as Angels sweep three-game series with Twins  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Take away Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero, and the Los Angeles Angels still have one potent offense.  —  Kendry Morales hit two three-run homers to finish with a career-high six RBIs and the Angels beat …

Chad Billingsley, Matt Kemp spark Dodgers' romp  —  Center fielder has three-run homer and two-run single.  Starter leaves after five innings because of a cramp.  —  Reporting from Atlanta — From the view behind the catcher's mask, Chad Billingsley looked like an All-Star again.

Waiver-wire trade bait, deadline winners and losers and more notes … Several baseball executives are calling this the “softest deadline ever” because they anticipate many more players than ever going unclaimed on waivers and thus remaining eligible to be dealt.

The Padres' decision to trade Peavy is an example of what's ailing baseball  —  I make July 2009 one of the worst baseball months of my lifetime - especially the end of it, when the trading deadline, the annual call for self-inflicted wounding, approached.  It was disgraceful.

Nats to remain active past Deadline  —  Interim GM Rizzo: ‘We know the targets we have to fill’  —  PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH — Before the Trade Deadline passed on Friday, the Nationals were able to acquire center fielder Nyjer Morgan and left-hander Sean Burnett from the Pirates …

Bard untouchable for Red Sox  —  Righty has allowed four hits over past 13 innings with 23 K's  —  BALTIMORE — Untouchable.  —  That word sums up Daniel Bard in a couple of different ways.  For that is essentially what the Red Sox made him when teams came calling prior to the July 31 Trade Deadline.

Hart to miss month after appendectomy  —  Outfielder leaves PETCO Park prior to Sunday's series finale  —  SAN DIEGO — Corey Hart thought he had a stomach ache from some bad seafood.  A day later, he found himself under a surgeon's knife.  —  The Brewers' starting right fielder was scheduled …

Volquez has ‘TJ’ surgery  —  Reds starting pitcher Edinson Volquez had “Tommy John” surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and torn flexor mass in his right elbow.  Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek performed the 90-minute procedure on Monday morning

No Casual Fans at World Series of Baseball Trivia  —  WASHINGTON — As he relaxed on a chair afterward, Michael Caragliano concluded that this was, in fact, his finest baseball moment.  Even better than the afternoon in the schoolyard when he finally outlasted Mark Black flipping baseball cards in the fifth grade.

3 UP: PELFREY, RED SOX PITCHING, WHO TO ROOT FOR  —  Yes, I am on Twitter.  —  1. My column in today's Post is about how important Mike Pelfrey is to the Mets' future.  Right now you have to imagine the Mets' rotation is not going to change all that much between now and the start of next season.

Francoeur lifts lineup & clubhouse  —  Jeff Francoeur widely has been credited with providing much-needed life to a downcast clubhouse mostly devoid of a spark through a trying first half for the Mets.  —  It certainly hasn't hurt that the Atlanta castoff also consistently has provided production …

Struggling Berken may lose rotation spot  —  'I think he's stuck,' Trembley says, but club lacks clear candidate to replace rookie  —  While pitching prospect Brian Matusz is expected to join the Orioles in Detroit and make his major league debut Tuesday, it appears that manager Dave Trembley …

Angels' Kendry Morales is AL player of the week  —  The Angels' Kendry Morales was honored today as the American League player of the week.  —  Morales batted .423 in six games last week, with three home runs and 13 runs batted in.  He ranks third in the league in slugging percentage (.581) …