Elbow stiffness keeps Lidge out of ninth  —  Phils go with Contreras in final frame of Monday's victory  —  DENVER — Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before Monday night's 9-5 victory over the Rockies that he was ready to turn Brad Lidge loose.  —  He then said after the game he wanted to stay away from him.

Beckett's next start delayed  —  He has spasms in his back after BP  —  Manager Terry Francona announced Josh Beckett would be pushed back from tomorrow's scheduled start to Friday to give him a chance to throw a second side session, and to give Tim Wakefield a start.

Chipper no longer talking about retirement  —  MILWAUKEE - Those wondering what's going through Chipper Jones' head these days vis-à-vis the retirement possibility he mentioned last fall, well, you can stop wondering for the time being.  —  He said he's not thinking about walking away after the 2010 season.

Nats all alone in second place in NL East  —  NEW YORK — Manager Jim Riggleman said before Tuesday's game against the Mets that the Nationals want to make a statement and show they are not a 100-loss team, like they were the previous two years.  —  They did just that, showing once again …

Pregame notes: Aceves out with bulging disc  —  Until yesterday, the Yankees were optimistic about Alfredo Aceves and his sore back.  Aceves said he felt much better, and manager Joe Girardi thought Aceves was a day or two away from returning to the bullpen.  —  Then Aceves tried to throw yesterday and he felt his back pinch.

Hillman is failing  —  Trey Hillman hasn't failed.  Not yet, not final, not past tense.  There is still hope.  —  But Hillman is failing.  Right now, in Kansas City's conversation and the present tense.  Hope is fading, and school's not even out.  —  The calls for Hillman's job …

Citi Field's Garbage Problem  —  At game time Monday night, the wind at Citi Field blew at 19 miles per hour, strong but not as gusty as it was Saturday and Sunday, when it blew trash in swirls across the field.  —  But trash was evident in the first inning, and it forced the grounds crew …

Darryl Strawberry bashes Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden for feud with Yankees star Alex Rodriguez  —  ALBANY - Former Mets and Yankees great Darryl Strawberry brushed back mouthy Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden - and his grandmother - for their cracks on Alex Rodriguez.

Where Could Alex Gordon Go?  —  Let's face it: if the Royals aren't going to give Alex Gordon a chance to play regularly when they are 11-21, 10 games out of first, and weeks shy of Memorial Day, he has fallen out of favor with the club.  After just 38 plate appearances, the Royals sent Gordon …

Bourn suspended two games for ump bump  —  Astros center fielder made contact after out call on close play  —  Astros center fielder Michael Bourn was suspended by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for two games and fined for aggressive actions in Saturday's game against the Padres.

Morales placed on DL, Francis crisp in Tulsa  —  Franklin Morales hasn't shown consistent fastball command for two weeks.  And last night a reason emerged: shoulder inflammation.  Today, the weakness in the left shoulder caused the Rockies to place him on the DL.  Edgmer Escalona replaces him.

Modern pitchers taken to task by legend Jenkins  —  MERRILLVILLE — During his keynote speech at Monday's Meet the RailCats luncheon at the Radisson Hotel, Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins lamented the lack of assertiveness on the part of modern pitchers.  —  “In my era, we knocked people on their butt …

A Steep Climb to Immortality  —  A-Rod as the Ultimate Home-Run King May Not Be a Sure Thing After All  —  Alex Rodriguez's home-run trots have been infrequent so far this season.  Entering Monday's game, he has hit only three round-trippers.  —  Alex Rodriguez is now seventh …

Elena Kagan, Supreme Court nominee, is a Mets fan — will Yankees fan Justice Sotomayor object?  —  Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is Mets fan.  She better watch out for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Yankees fan.  —  With his nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, President Obama may have ignited a firestorm.

Final Pitch  —  It's with a great deal of excitement that I'm announcing today that I've taken a job as a Baseball Analyst in the front office of the Cleveland Indians.  I'm thrilled that I'll be joining the great Keith Woolner and Jason Pare in the Indians front office, and I'm excited to contribute to the club.

Javier Vazquez used break from Yankees rotation to improve mentality, mechanics … DETROIT — Javier Vazquez found a safe haven in the right-field bullpen at Yankee Stadium exactly a week ago today, when the troubled right-hander began a process that the Yankees hope will bring an end to a string of disastrous starts.