Top News:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
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.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Yanks faked Crawford interest to cost Red Sox
Yanks faked Crawford interest to cost Red Sox
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Rays Index, Seattle Times, Baseball Nation, NESN.com, HardballTalk, Surviving Grady, MLB Rumors and Deadspin
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Game postponed; doubleheader on Sunday
Game postponed; doubleheader on Sunday
Discussion:
Over the Monster, baseballmusings.com and NESN.com
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
They're not worthy — With nowhere else to turn …
They're not worthy — With nowhere else to turn …
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Ken Belson / New York Times:
Wild-Card Races in Boston and Atlanta Slow to Excruciating Crawls
Wild-Card Races in Boston and Atlanta Slow to Excruciating Crawls
Discussion:
Talking Chop, Deadspin, New York Yankees Fan Blog and ESPN
Associated Press:
Rangers clinch AL West title with win over Mariners — ARLINGTON, Texas — 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.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Yahoo! Sports and Athletics Nation
RELATED:
Tom Withers / Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
Let's Go Tribe and HardballTalk
RELATED:
New York Post:
MLB will add wild-card teams, hold one-game playoff: sources — Negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for Major League Baseball are moving at a fast pace and one issue the sides have all but agreed upon is adding two wild-card teams and holding one-game playoffs in each league …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and baseballmusings.com
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
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.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
D-backs take NL West with 3-1 win over Giants — PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks completed an improbable run to their first NL West crown in four years, beating San Francisco 3-1 Friday night when rookie Paul Goldschmidt lined a two-run triple off Sergio Romo in the eighth inning.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Associated Press, Yahoo! Sports, McCovey Chronicles and AZ Snake Pit
Colin Fly / Globe and Mail:
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.
Discussion:
JSOnline, MLB.com, Brew Crew Ball, baseballmusings.com and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys and Camden Chat
R.B. Fallstrom / Globe and Mail:
Cubs dent Cards' postseason hopes — Alfonso Soriano dealt the St. Louis' wild-card hopes another serious blow with his first home run of the month, a tiebreaking three-run shot in the eighth inning that sent the Chicago Cubs over the Cardinals 5-1 Friday night.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue, Viva El Birdos, Associated Press and Yahoo! Sports
MLB.com:
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.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
Boston Herald, DRaysBay, Canadian Press and TSN.ca
Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
True Blue LA
Howard Fendrich / Associated Press:
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) …
Discussion:
Talking Chop
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
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.
Discussion:
Dodgers Blog and HardballTalk
