Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Dustin Pedroia out with thumb injury — OAKLAND — Dustin Pedroia jammed his right thumb trying to make a diving catch in the outfield on Tuesday night and is out of the lineup today. — He will be checked out in Boston on Thursday. — “After the game I was sore and then today I'm pretty sore,” Pedroia said.
Discussion:
NESN.com and Union-News
RELATED:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Big Papi notches 400th career homer — OAKLAND — Red Sox slugger David Ortiz reached a key milestone Wednesday afternoon, belting career home run No. 400 in the top of the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics. — His shot down the right-field line, which came against A's right-hander A.J. Griffin, tied the game at 1.
Discussion:
Boston Globe
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Valentine shuffles rotation leading into All-Star break
Discussion:
Boston Globe, the joy of sox and Over the Monster
Jimmy Durkin / ESPN:
Red Sox place Matsuzaka (neck) on 15-day DL
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Over the Monster, Athletics Nation, Yahoo! Sports, MLB Daily Dish and baseballmusings.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Marlins Acquire Carlos Lee — The Marlins have played to a 38-42 record since changing their name and logo, moving to a new stadium and spending aggressively on free agents, but the slow start will not stop them from adding midseason reinforcements before this year's trade deadline.
Discussion:
Fish Stripes, Amazin' Avenue, Yahoo! Sports, Marlin Maniac, The Crawfish Boxes, Minor League Ball, MLB Daily Dish and Bucs Dugout
RELATED:
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Yankees End Nine-Game Slump at Tropicana Field — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It had been about 50 weeks since the Yankees last won a game at Tropicana Field. Their last victory came on July 20, 2011 after nine consecutive losses, some of them coming in unusual fashion.
Discussion:
DRaysBay
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Associated Press:
Cano's 2-Run Single Lifts Yankees Over Rays 4-3 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Robinson Cano hit a two-run single during a three-run eighth and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Wednesday. — Cano has driven in at least one run in a career-best eight consecutive games …
Discussion:
CBSSports.com, Pinstripe Alley and Associated Press
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Hamels meets with Amaro Jr., mum on conversation — NEW YORK — Cole Hamels had changed out of his Phillies uniform and back into his street clothes when he headed toward the visitors' clubhouse doors late Tuesday night at Citi Field. — A clubhouse attendant stopped him before he reached the exit.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and The Zo Zone
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Lee Finally Wins, Phillies Erupt Late to Beat Mets — NEW YORK (AP) — Cliff Lee finally posted his first win of the season and the Philadelphia Phillies hit three late homers, breaking past the New York Mets 9-2 Wednesday and stopping a six-game losing streak.
Discussion:
Associated Press and ESPN
Mperri / MetsBlog.com:
Final Score: Mets 11 Phillies 1
Discussion:
The Good Phight, Amazin' Avenue and Yahoo! Sports
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Ailing Haren makes Halos vulnerable with depth — CLEVELAND — One back ailment to Dan Haren, and suddenly the Angels — a team that has led the American League in staff ERA for most of the year — don't appear to have much starting pitching depth. — With Haren likely missing …
Discussion:
Halos Heaven
RELATED:
Kevin Baxter / Los Angeles Times:
Dan Haren roughed up, owns up to pain as Angels lose to Indians, 9-5
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Chris Jenkins / Associated Press:
Ramirez, Marlins beat Brewers 7-6 in 10 — MILWAUKEE (AP) Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI single off reliever Manny Parra in the 10th inning, and the Miami Marlins went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-6 Wednesday. — Ramirez's big hit came after the Marlins rallied from a one-run deficit in the ninth …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
RELATED:
Ramona Shelburne / ESPN:
Dodgers' Todd Coffey out for season — LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Todd Coffey will miss the rest of the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that will require Tommy John surgery. — Coffey — Coffey was roughed up for two runs in the eighth inning …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, True Blue LA, HardballTalk and ESPN
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Nats Have a Hot 4th, Beat Bumgarner, Giants 9-4 — WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Zimmerman's line drive to right-center kept going — and going and going — until it landed in the first row, highlighting another big Fourth of July for the resurgent third baseman as the NL East-leading Washington Nationals beat …
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Claim McDonald, Designate Schwinden — The Yankees acquired Darnell McDonald from the Red Sox, the outfielder announced on his personal Twitter account. The Yankees claimed McDonald off of waivers, Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger tweets. The team designated Chris Schwinden …
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Pinstripe Alley, Baseball Nation, River Avenue Blues and Boston Globe
Fox Sports:
Giants must address Lincecum's woes — WASHINGTON, DC — The San Francisco Giants are the new National League West frontrunner. They are in first place. They have the division's most balanced roster. As Pablo Sandoval fan club president Sandy Alderson could tell you, they boast the most All-Star starters of any NL team.
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Never underestimate Cardinals GM — A few weeks back, a high-ranking Cardinals official said that the team's strategy at the July 31 non-waiver deadline would hinge largely on the health of right-hander Chris Carpenter. — Well, that strategy is now defined.
Discussion:
True Blue LA, MLB Daily Dish, Getting Blanked, Bluebird Banter and The Crawfish Boxes
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Mets option Hefner to Buffalo, recall Beato — The Mets optioned RHP Jeremy Hefner to Triple-A Buffalo, the team announced. — Hefner allowed three runs and five hits in today's 9-2 loss to the Phillies. — Overall, Hefner has a 5.64 ERA in ten games and three starts for the Mets this season.
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
