Homers spark Sox in 6-5 win over Orioles  —  BALTIMORE — And on the 21st day, the Red Sox [team stats] will rest.  —  At last.  —  First, though, there was one more game to play.  Three weeks since they were last idle, the Red Sox concluded a run of 20 games in 20 days …

M's Liddi first Italian to hit grand slam in half-century  —  SEATTLE (AP) - Alex Liddi hit the first major league grand slam by an Italian-born player in half-century, Kevin Millwood threw six shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners took two of three from division-leading Texas with a 5-3 win over the Rangers on Wednesday.

Jonathon Niese leads Mets over Pirates 3-1  —  PITTSBURGH — Jonathon Niese allowed one run in 7 2-3 innings, helping the New York Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 Wednesday for their third win in four games.  —  Niese (3-2) gave up five hits, struck out five and walked two …

Phillies lose fourth game in a row  —  PHILADELPHIA — You could almost see the heavy weight of expectation in their swings, and you certainly could hear it in Roy Halladay's voice as he stood in the center of the clubhouse after the latest Phillies loss.  —  Professional athletes try …

Rays score 5-4 walkoff win over Jays in 11  —  he Rays rallied in the 11th inning to beat the Jays 5-4 Wednesday as B.J. Upton doubled in Rich Thompson with one out.  —  Thompson started the rally when he was hit on the right arm by a pitch from Darren Oliver, the last Toronto reliever.

Brewers Claim Cody Ransom  —  The Brewers have claimed infielder Cody Ransom off of waivers from the Diamondbacks, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.  Ransom has played 100 MLB games at shortstop, so he provides the Brewers with depth alongside Cesar Izturis.

Source: Juan Carlos Oviedo pardoned  —  Dominican pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nunez, received a pardon from the U.S. State Department, a mandatory requirement for eligibility for a visa to travel to the United States and continue his career with the Miami Marlins …

Selig: No need for additional replay for now  —  DE PERE, Wis. — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says he doesn't think more video review of umpires' calls is needed, at least not right now.  —  Selig spoke to a small group Wednesday at a sport and society conference at St. Norbert College.

Lucroy Homers in Brewers 8-5 Win Over Giants  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run double in a six-run first inning, Jonathan Lucroy added a two-run homer in the second and the Milwaukee Brewers rocked Barry Zito again at Miller Park in an 8-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Torii away from team at least through weekend  —  OAKLAND — Veteran outfielder Torii Hunter, on the restricted list since May 14 to deal with a personal matter, won't be joining the Angels on their current road trip, after all.  Instead, manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday, Hunter will …

Final Score: Mets 3 Pirates 1  —  The Mets (24-20) defeated the Pirates (20-24) by the score of 3-1 today at PNC Park.  —  For a full recap and box score, check out SNY.TV.  —  The Least You Should Know:  — Jon Niese started for the Mets and he was great into the eighth inning …

Estrada injures right leg on two-run double  —  MILWAUKEE — Starter Marco Estrada left Wednesday's game against the Giants with a strained right hip flexor in the bottom of the first inning.  —  The right-hander began limping as he rounded first after hitting a two-run double and grabbed at the leg upon reaching second base.

With all due respect, why would Ortiz be so upset?  —  BALTIMORE - Let's give David Ortiz a mulligan.  —  He had a bad day.  —  After hitting a towering home run to help his team win for the ninth time in 11 games Monday night against the Orioles, Ortiz had an awkward, strange response on the topic of leadership and respect.

Marlins Park becomes 50th venue for Moyer  —  MIAMI — Jamie Moyer knows a thing or two about Major League ballparks, after all, he has pitched in 50 of them during his career.  —  On Monday, Marlins Park became the 50th Major League venue that Moyer has pitched in, which is the most among pitchers since 1921.