Rangers crowned AL West champs  —  The Texas Rangers are AL West champions again.  —  Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hit long home runs and Craig Gentry had an inside-the-park homer in a 5-3 victory over Seattle on Friday night.  About two hours later, the Rangers had their second consecutive …

Yanks faked Crawford interest to cost Red Sox  —  They really will do whatever it takes to win in this epic rivalry.  —  New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted on Thursday that he feigned interest in Carl Crawford this offseason to drive up the price for the Boston Red Sox to sign the free agent.

Rain sets up Sox-Yanks twin bill on Sunday  —  Series opener moved to 6:30 p.m. as part of doubleheader  —  NEW YORK — The weather has dealt yet another blow to the Yankees' regular-season schedule, forcing the postponement of Friday's game against the Red Sox.

Jocketty re-ups to be Reds GM through 2014  —  PITTSBURGH — The Reds announced Friday that general manager Walt Jocketty has been given a three-year contract extension through the 2014 season.  Jocketty's original four-year contract was to expire at the end of this season.  —  Terms were not revealed by the club.

THOME HONORED BY INDIANS, WHO PLAN STATUE FOR HIM  —  CLEVELAND - All the memories, some fresh and some forgotten, have been chasing Jim Thome around this season — maybe his final season.  —  And as it nears the end, Thome knows his career may be ending, too.  —  “You can't play forever,” he said.

Kemp Homers to Lead Dodgers Over Padres  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Matt Kemp moved a step closer to the NL Triple Crown with a solo homer and Ted Lilly combined with three relievers on a four-hitter, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

MLB asks judge to order sale of Dodgers  —  Major League Baseball does not intend to approve any sale of television rights that would help Frank McCourt maintain ownership of the Dodgers, according to the request filed with a bankruptcy judge.  McCourt's plan to emerge from bankruptcy is ‘dead on arrival,’ MLB says.

Brewers win NL Central title  —  Ryan Braun snapped a tie with a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers clinched the National League Central title - their first division championship in 29 years - about 30 minutes after their 4-1 victory over the visiting Florida Marlins on Friday.

Martinez's Double in 11th Gives Tigers Win  —  DETROIT (AP) — Victor Martinez's run-scoring double in the 11th inning gave the Detroit Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.  —  Brandon Inge started the inning with a walk off Willie Eyre (2-2), and Miguel Cabrera …

Melvin won't let contract be a distraction  —  MILWAUKEE — One of Brewers general manager Doug Melvin's best friends earned some job security on Friday, when the Reds signed GM Walt Jocketty to a three-year contract extension through 2014.  If Melvin gets a similar vote of confidence, it would not come until after the season.

Morrow, Blue Jays Deal Blow to Rays' Playoff Hopes  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Morrow pitched seven scoreless innings and the Toronto Blue Jays further dampened Tampa Bay's playoff hopes, beating David Price and the Rays 5-1 Friday night.  —  The Rays have lost four of five …

Uggla, Braves beat Strasburg, Nationals 7-4  —  WASHINGTON—Dan Uggla and the Braves knocked around Stephen Strasburg a bit in a three-run first inning, and Atlanta helped its bid for a playoff berth by beating the Washington Nationals 7-4 Friday night.  —  Tim Hudson (16-10) …

The Moneyball revolution from someone who helped it happen … Today, the movie version of the book Moneyball will be released.  I've seen the movie, and I enjoyed it.  You can read a thousand reviews by sportswriters on the movie itself, and I encourage you to not do that and just go see the darn thing for yourself.

Danny Litwhiler dies at 95  —  CLEARWATER, Fla. — Danny Litwhiler, who followed an 11-year major league career in the 1940s with a lifetime of coaching college players and work on inventions intended to improve the game he loved, died Friday at the age of 95.

Theo: 'There's no disconnect between me and Tito'  —  NEW YORK — Theo Epstein strongly refuted comments made yesterday on the radio by MLB Network and NESN analyst Peter Gammons that there is a “disconnect” between the Red Sox' GM and manager Terry Francona.

2002 ‘Moneyball’ draft class in review  —  A's had some success stories, but they also had an unwitting victim — Jeremy Brown  —  If Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane is the engine that drives “Moneyball” — the book and movie versions — Jeremy Brown plays the role of the caboose.