In Boston the V is for villain as Bobby Valentine managing for a short stay with Red Sox  —  Valetine must be wondering what he got himself into  —  It didn't take long for Bobby Valentine to walk right into controversy as the skipper of the Red Sox.  —  A week ago in this space …

How “Perfect” Was Philip Humber's Perfect Game?  —  You got a guy who is 29 years old and making a comeback from Tommy John surgery - and, to top it off, hasn't won a game this year.  He throws a perfect game and nobody - and I mean nobody, including me - wants to put a damper on it.

The 10 greatest games in Tiger Stadium history  —  Last week, as I'm sure many of you know, Fenway Park celebrated its centennial anniversary.  It had a big celebration and media attention.  That's appropriate, as the park has lasted all this time.  However, while it's the only baseball stadium …

Texas Rangers' hero admits winning squeeze bunt was foul ball  —  DETROIT — Alberto Gonzalez had never attempted a suicide squeeze before Sunday afternoon, even though Ron Washington said that the utility infielder is the kind of player who must execute the do-or-die play.

Schedule creates opportunity for Red Sox  —  Here is the Red Sox schedule for the next 22 games:  —  April 23-25: At Minnesota (3)  —  April 26-29: At Chicago (4)  —  April 30-May 2: Oakland (3)  —  May 4-6: Baltimore (3)  —  May 7-9: at Kansas City (3)  —  May 10-13: Cleveland (4)

Ivan Rodriguez career highlights  —  It was recently announced that veteran catcher and current unsigned free agent Ivan Rodriguez intends to officially retire in Texas on Monday.  —  When a great player like Rodriguez retires, it's nice to look back over his career, what his highs and lows were …

NY Mets, not Yankees, have best starting pitching rotation in New York City, surprisingly  —  So far, Amazin's proving to have better starters than in the Bronx  —  Jon Niese is just part of a pretty deep New York Mets pitching rotation.  —  The contrasting climactic events at Fenway Park …

Astros avoid sweep with 12-0 win over Dodgers  —  HOUSTON—Jordan Schafer hit his first career grand slam on a shot that bounced off the glove of Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, Wandy Rodriguez pitched three-hit ball through seven innings Sunday and the Houston Astros romped past Los Angeles 12-0.

Cuddyer Leads Rockies to 4-1 Win Over Brewers  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Michael Cuddyer lined a two-run double in the eighth and Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven strong innings Sunday, leading the Colorado Rockies to a 4-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.  —  The win put a damper on the celebration …

Cueto helps Reds beat Cubs 4-3  —  CHICAGO—Johnny Cueto threw 6 1-3 strong innings to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.  —  Cueto (2-0) allowed one earned run, scattering five hits.  He struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 1.78 for the season.

Dontrelle Willis moved to the restricted list at Triple-A  —  The Orioles have placed left-hander Dontrelle Willis on the restricted list at Triple-A Norfolk.  He had been on the minor league seven-day disabled list with a left forearm strain, but was moved to the restricted list Friday.

Parra's Grand Slam Helps Arizona End 5-Game Skid  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Gerardo Parra hit his first career grand slam to cap a five-run second inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 Sunday, snapping a five-game losing streak.  —  Atlanta had won five in a row.