Top News:
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:
Over the Monster, The House That Dewey Built and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Right now Red Sox are a lousy team — CLEVELAND — Yes, it's early. Yes, the game-time temperature was 39 degrees. Yes, Reggie Dunlop and the Charlestown Chiefs played before larger crowds than the one that gathered at the former Jacobs Field on Wednesday night.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
FINAL: Indians 1, Red Sox 0 — Game over — No words can describe this start except for one: AWFUL. — The game ended today when pinch-runner Darnell McDonald overslid the bag at second base on a ball hit to the infield by J.D. Drew. The ball hit closer Chris Perez and bounded …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Over the Monster and Baseball Nation
Canadian Press:
Cahill solid, A's offence does enough late to beat Blue Jays — TORONTO — The Oakland Athletics salvaged the finale of a three-game series against Toronto on Thursday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. — Connor Jackson knocked in the winning run …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and TSN.ca
RELATED:
Robert Macleod / Globe and Mail:
Jays: Escobar feeling fine, but won't play in series finale — Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar is feeling fine after being kneed in the head during Wednesday night's game against the Oakland A's but it still unclear if he suffered a concussion. — Escobar will held …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and USA Today
National Post:
Escobar diagnosed with ‘mild’ concussion
Escobar diagnosed with ‘mild’ concussion
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bluebird Banter
Nelson Wyatt / Global Toronto:
Blue Jays could play a game in Montreal
Blue Jays could play a game in Montreal
Discussion:
Bluebird Banter and HardballTalk
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:
DRaysBay, South Side Sox, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
MILWAUKEE — Right-hander Marco Estrada will remain with the Brewers after his effective start on Wednesday, and he could pitch again earlier than April 16, the next date the club originally expected to next need a fifth starter. — “We're trying to still figure that out,” manager Ron Roenicke said.
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, Pinstriped Bible …, Subway Squawkers, Baseball Nation and Baseball Prospectus
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, USA Today, Can't Stop The Bleeding and MissChatter
Stephen Hawkins / Associated Press:
Undefeated Texas rolling with best start since '96 — ARLINGTON, Texas—The Texas Rangers are on quite a roll. — After going to their first World Series last year, the Rangers are now the American League's only undefeated team after an impressive opening week at home. They are 6-0 for the first time in 15 years.
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:
Tedquarters, New York Times, Kranepool Society and MetsBlog.com
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
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Today's Game: Mets vs. Phillies at 3 PM — The Mets (3-2) will look for the series victory this afternoon against the Phillies (4-1) at Citizens Bank Park. Game time is 3;05 pm. — Here is today's starting lineup, courtesy of the team's Twitter account: — Jon Niese (0-0, 2.57 ERA) will start for the Mets.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and Real Dirty Mets
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 …
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
The Brandon Phillips Trade Five Years Later — Today, Brandon Phillips may be the Reds' most recognizable player. Five years ago? He was anything but. When then-GM Wayne Krivsky acquired Phillips from the Indians on this date in 2006, he was a 24-year-old unknown who had yet to convert …
Discussion:
Diamond Hoggers