Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Should winless BoSox, Rays be worried? … For many teams, the major league season is just five games old, yet three of those teams — the Red Sox, Rays and Astros — are still searching for their first victory. To suggest that any team has reason to worry after such a small dry spell …
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible …, Pinstripe Alley, Red Sox Monster, YFSF and Nationals Baseball
RELATED:
John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Horror in full force — How scared are you, Nation? — CLEVELAND — There's a scene in pretty much every horror movie when a hot chick alone in the woods yells it's not funny anymore and says she's scared. Her boyfriend doesn't answer. Things will not end well for her.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Associated Press:
Red Sox fall to Indians, remain winless — CLEVELAND — Asdrubal Cabrera had four RBIs, Shin-Soo Choo hit a two-run homer and the Cleveland Indians kept the built-to-win Boston Red Sox winless on Wednesday night with an 8-4 victory that dropped one of baseball's big spenders to 0-5.
Discussion:
Over the Monster, Boston Globe, Associated Press, Boston Herald and Let's Go Tribe
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
RED SOX IN SEARCH OF THEIR SWAGGER (AND A WIN)
RED SOX IN SEARCH OF THEIR SWAGGER (AND A WIN)
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Over the Monster, baseballmusings.com, Baseball Nation and HardballTalk
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Joey Looseleafs wound tight ... in April? — Girardi's agitation level in late-season form after his Soriano decision is questioned … It's only April 6, and already, the veins in Joe Girardi's neck are bulging like Alex Rodriguez's biceps. — The teeth are already gritted, the eyes flashing, the answers short.
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Subway Squawkers, Pinstriped Bible …, Baseball Nation and Baseball Prospectus
RELATED:
Brian Heyman / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Soriano says sorry — Brian Heyman here again today at Yankee Stadium.
Soriano says sorry — Brian Heyman here again today at Yankee Stadium.
Discussion:
Confessions of a She-Fan, BronxBanterBlog.com and Respect Jeter's Gangster
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
So he's your eighth-inning guy, Joe?
So he's your eighth-inning guy, Joe?
Discussion:
HardballTalk, rlyw.net, It's About The Money, LADY AT THE BAT and New York Post
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Desmond remains Riggleman's leading man — MIAMI — On Wednesday, a day after saying that shortstop Ian Desmond would move down in the batting order and that second baseman Danny Espinosa would be the new leadoff hitter, manager Jim Riggleman had a change of heart.
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals ready if LaRoche misses action
Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays: quote of day Manny on what he needs to prove; quote of day 2 Maddon on road trip; turn back the clock — The dish — When/where: 2:10 today; U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago — TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish) — Starting pitchers — WHITE SOX: RHP Edwin Jackson (1-0, 3.00)
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Rob Maaddi / Associated Press:
Howard, Polanco lead Phillies past Mets — PHILADELPHIA—Ryan Howard tied a career high with four hits and fell a triple short of the cycle, Ben Francisco also homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 10-7 Wednesday night after wasting a 7-0 lead.
RELATED:
Brian Costa / Wall Street Journal:
Mets' Pelfrey Tries to Stick to Mental ABCs of Pitching
Mets' Pelfrey Tries to Stick to Mental ABCs of Pitching
Discussion:
New York Times, MetsBlog.com, Tedquarters and Kranepool Society
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs starters Wells, Cashner headed to DL — Veteran has forearm strain; rookie has strained rotator cuff — CHICAGO — The Cubs rotation took a double hit on Wednesday, when both Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner were sidelined with strains in their forearm and shoulder, respectively, and both are headed for the disabled list.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
RELATED:
Nelson Wyatt / Global Toronto:
Blue Jays could play a game in Montreal — MONTREAL - Toronto Blue Jays president Paul Beeston says he's open to the idea of realizing the dreams of some Quebec fans and bringing his team to Montreal's Olympic Stadium for a visit. — “Certainly we would like to play a game in Montreal …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Dan Steinberg / Washington Post:
Rob Dibble says e-mail from Strasburg's dad ended his MASN tenure — (Jonathan Newton - WASHINGTON POST) Late last August, MASN color analyst Rob Dibble told Stephen Strasburg to “suck it up,” before the extent of Strasburg's elbow injury had become public.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Cash Kruth / MLB.com:
Manuel: Lidge likely out until near All-Star break — Phillies closer on 15-day disabled list with right rotator cuff strain — Phillies closer Brad Lidge likely will be out until around the All-Star break, manager Charlie Manuel said during an appearance Wednesday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
David Ginsburg / Associated Press:
Tigers, Verlander hand Orioles their 1st loss, 7-3 — BALTIMORE—Alex Avila homered and had a career-high five RBIs to back an effective pitching performance by Justin Verlander, and the Detroit Tigers ended the Baltimore Orioles' unbeaten run with a 7-3 victory Wednesday night.
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Bless You Boys, Camden Chat and Yahoo! Sports
Brian Kotloff / Philly.com:
Manuel understands Phillies fans booing Hamels — Charlie Manuel said he understood why fans at Citizens Bank Park chose to boo Cole Hamels after one of the worst starts of his career Tuesday night. “It's part of baseball,” the manager said in the dugout before Wednesday's game.
Jeremy Greenhouse / Baseball Prospectus:
Trading Places — In an offseason packed with turmoil and turnover but bereft of big-money acquisitions, the Mets made one high-profile on-field move by swapping Carlos Beltran and Angel Pagan in the outfield. Even though Beltran still feels that he could play center …
Bernie Wilson / Associated Press:
The Freak fans 13 as Giants beat Padres 8-4 — SAN DIEGO—Tim Lincecum struck out 13 and held the San Diego Padres to one run and three hits in seven innings to lead the San Francisco Giants to an 8-4 win Wednesday night. — Lincecum left with an 8-1 lead after seven.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Matthew Futterman / Wall Street Journal:
LeBron James in Deal With Fenway Sports — Basketball star LeBron James is joining forces with renowned hedge-fund manager John Henry and veteran Hollywood producer Tom Werner in a deal that brings together one of the biggest stars in sports and two of the world's most renowned teams.
Discussion:
NESN.com, The Big Lead, Boston Sports Media Watch, Bleacher Report, ESPN and The Business Insider
Mike Petriello / Baseball Prospectus:
Value Picks in the Bullpen — Late Monday night, when I started thinking about who I might want to write about this week, the first name that came to mind was young Angels' reliever Jordan Walden, who I've been touting in these pages since late last season.
Discussion:
Minor League Ball