2011 South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects  —  The beginning of this year's low Class A South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects list mirrors the start of the 2010 draft.  Hagerstown outfielder Bryce Harper, West Virginia righthander Jameson Taillon and Delmarva shortstop Manny Machado went 1-2-3 atop …

Ryan Roberts hits winning slam, does Kirk Gibson home run trot  —  Unbelievable!  In a year that has been so improbable, Ryan Roberts(notes) of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit a seemingly impossible game-winning grand slam and paid tribute to his iconic manager as he trotted around the bases.

Rollins looking for five-year deal and isn't afraid to leave Phillies … Star Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, still only 32 and still at the top of his defensive game, presents a very nice alternative to top free agent shortstop Jose Reyes, who's a similar player to Rollins, but more brittle and very likely much more expensive.

Why Joe Biden is rooting for the Red Sox  —  Vice President Joe Biden was in Boston yesterday and talked about why he was rooting for the Red Sox.  —  Here's the anecdote from the Globe's Shira Schoenberg on our Political Intelligence blog: … Biden is from Delaware, so he's probably actually pulling for the Phillies.

Parts of Suit Against Mets' Owners Are Dismissed  —  A federal judge awarded both sides a partial victory Tuesday in the $1 billion lawsuit brought against the owners of the Mets by the trustee for the victims of Bernard L. Madoff — allowing the suit to go forward, but limiting how much money …

Jayson Werth reflects on his first Nationals season: ‘That expectancy of losing is no longer’  —  The first of Jayson Werth's seven seasons in Washington will come to an end later today.  From the start, Werth sought to place his Nationals tenure in the context of the franchise's advancement.

White Sox ‘fire’ interim manager Joey Cora by text  —  White Sox coach Joey Cora, who was told on Monday that he'd be the interim manager for the final two games, was informed by a Ken Williams' text on Tuesday that he's no longer needed.  —  The strange end to the White Sox' 2011 season …

Rays turn triple play  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The Tampa Bay Rays have turned the third triple play in team history.  —  The Rays accomplished the feat in the sixth inning Tuesday night while trailing 3-2 on a grounder by the Yankees' Russell Martin(notes).

Twins defeat Royals to avoid 100th loss, for now  —  MINNEAPOLIS - The Twins' run to 100 losses was halted for one night.  —  Anthony Swarzak pitched into the seventh inning and Rene Tosoni crushed a grand slam in the sixth Tuesday night as the Twins eased to a 7-4 victory over Kansas City.

Bumgarner Wins 13th, Giants Blank Rockies  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Madison Bumgarner and two relievers combined on a three-hitter, Brandon Belt homered into McCovey Cove and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 7-0 on Tuesday night.  —  Conor Gillaspie, making a rare start …

Prince Fielder has 1st 3-HR game, Brewers top Pirates 6-4  —  MILWAUKEE - Prince Fielder hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, including a two-run shot in the seventh inning that lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Totals  —  2B: Bos 2, D. McDonald (6), M. Scutaro (25).  Bal 3, N. Markakis (31), V. Guerrero (30), A. Jones (26).  —  3B: Bos 1, C. Crawford (7).  Bal 1, N. Reimold (3).  —  HR: Bos 4, J. Ellsbury (32), R. Lavarnway 2 (2), M. Scutaro (7).  Bal 2, M. Wieters (22), A. Jones (25).

Fox Sports sues Dodgers, trying to halt TV rights sale  —  Fox Sports filed suit against the Dodgers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court late Tuesday, alleging the team has breached its current television contract in pursuit of a new one.  —  The suit is intended to stop the Dodgers from their proposed sale …

Jose Reyes hits 2 HRs, boosts bid for NL batting title  —  NEW YORK — Jose Reyes hit two solo home runs, putting pop into his bid for the NL batting title, but the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 5-4 on Tuesday night on Drew Stubbs' squeeze bunt in the 13th inning.