Almost a clean getaway  —  NEW YORK - You will believe what you want to believe.  And most Red Sox fans are going to believe David Ortiz has always been clean.  —  Beloved Big Papi, the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history, was contrite and convincing yesterday when he took the national stage in an effort to clear his name.

Hamilton admits to relapse with alcohol  —  Buzz up!  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton  —  once again addressed his troubled history with alcohol abuse, after a Web site published photos of him cavorting with several scantily clad women in a bar last January.

Dodgers' rotation remains in flux  —  Billingsley's status uncertain; Elbert optioned to Triple-A  —  LOS ANGELES — The state of the Dodgers' pitching staff has deteriorated to the point that all manager Joe Tore can do is chuckle when asked about his current crop of starters.

Cubs clip Rockies 6-5  —  Marquis issues five walks in six innings vs. former team  —  This is not meant to diminish their victory.  The Cubs won 6-5 on a night that had a decided Chicago vibe.  Winds swirled like Wrigley, and every Cub achievement was greeted with throaty screams …

CC smokes Sox as Yanks win again  —  It's hard to believe the Yankees ever lost eight in a row to the Red Sox.  —  Roughly 14 hours after Alex Rodriguez belted his 15th-inning game-winner, the Yankees sent CC Sabathia to the mound looking to carry the momentum against Boston.

Pavano shines as Twins whitewash Tigers  —  DETROIT (AP) — Carl Pavano (FSY) allowed only five hits over seven innings in his Minnesota debut, Denard Span went 5-for-5 and Joe Mauer (FSY) homered and drove in three runs to lift the Twins to a 11-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.

Wrapping it up from the Bronx  —  Just a few quick notes.  —  I spoke to Josh Towers after the game and he said he was told his trip to the big leagues will last one day.  —  Towers, who is put of options, will be DFA'd tomorrow to make room for Chad Gaudin.

Rookie Chris Coghlan ties Marlins record with seventh straight multi-hit game  —  In case you haven't noticed - certainly you have — rookie left-fielder Chris Coghlan has been on fire since the All Star break.  Tonight, his bookend RBI sealed Florida's 6-4 win over the Phillies.

Nationals' winning streak hits seven with win over Diamondbacks  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Garrett Mock (FSY) pitched six innings for his first win of the season, Josh Willingham (FSY) hit a two-run homer and the Washington Nationals won their seventh straight, 5-2 over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Williams inducted into Padres HOF  —  Manager piloted team to first World Series in 1984  —  SAN DIEGO — There was never any guarantee that Dick Williams was going to still be around in 1984 to manage the Padres for what was the first magical run in club history, one that would end with a World Series appearance.

Pirates sign Von Rosenberg for $1.2M  —  PITTSBURGH _ The Pirates agreed to terms with right-hander Zach Von Rosenberg, their sixth-round draft pick, late Saturday night on a minor-league contract that includes a $1.2-million signing bonus.  —  Von Rosenberg, a native of Zachary, La. …

AMAZIN'S REVIEWING MED STAFF  —  SAN DIEGO — It's no surprise that the torrent of  —  injuries this season have prompted the Mets to conduct a top-to-bottom review of their medical procedures.  —  The results of that review aren't in yet, though it's believed that trainer Ray Ramirez …

Padilla gone, and Texas Rangers won't miss him  —  Cutting Vicente Padilla loose at last was one of Jon Daniels' options, I suppose.  —  Frankly, if the Rangers had really wanted to punish Padilla for throwing at hitters and endangering his own, it'd have been more fun if Ron Washington …