Pedroia headed to disabled list  —  This time, Dustin Pedroia is going on the disabled list.  —  The second baseman resisted the idea in May when he tore the adductor muscle at the base of his right thumb.  He missed six games and hasn't been the same since, hitting .210 with a .282 on-base percentage and one home run in 105 at-bats.

Kevin Youkilis leads White Sox to sweep of Rangers  —  CHICAGO — After they improved to eight games over .500 with a three-game sweep of the two-time defending American League champions, manager Robin Ventura carefully answered whether his White Sox are a very good team or a great team.

In Japan, Yankees' Kuroda Was Molded by Pain  —  As a boy, he sneaked away from an abusive high school coach to gulp water from a polluted river.  He saw some of his teammates, desperate with thirst, drink from a puddle, and he heard of others who would do so from a toilet.

Cardinals pound Rockies' Christian Friedrich in fifth inning  —  ST. LOUIS — The knee-jerk reaction is always to blame the pitching.  At this point, it seems linked to everything from global warming to potholes in the local cul-du-sac.  —  But to pin the Rockies' 6-2 deficit after seven innings on Christian Friedrich is misleading.

Red Sox could deal, if healthy  —  The Red Sox have waited all season to get healthy.  They placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list on Thursday, and could do the same with third baseman Will Middlebrooks on Friday.  So, imagining this team as healthy probably is unrealistic, not to mention premature.

Red Sox OF Crawford hears racial slur in rehab  —  MANCHESTER, N.H. — Before many of the 18 pitches he saw in his third rehab start for Double-A Portland on Thursday night, Boston Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford was forced to tune out a heckler behind home plate.

Mills, Astros players react to Lee trade  —  PITTSBURGH — While the Astros were killing time in the clubhouse before taking batting practice on Thursday, some of the players were watching former teammate Carlos Lee go 2-for-4 in his debut with the Marlins, who traded for him on Wednesday.

Dodgers Get to Miley, Beat D-Backs 4-1  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Scott Van Slyke and Elian Herrera hit solo home runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Arizona to its sixth straight loss with a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Thursday night.  —  Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley allowed four runs …

PADRES NOTES: Owings shifts from the mound to the plate  —  SAN DIEGO — Throughout his big-league career, Micah Owings has earned a reputation as a pitcher who could hit.  —  Now he's looking to turn the tables and become a hitter who can pitch.  —  After four-plus seasons as a pitcher …

Shift in NY Mets' attitude brings change to NL East rivalry against Phillies  —  The Mets used this week's two-of-three series win, bookended by an 11-1 blowout and the ninth-inning thriller, to finally get all Rage Against the Machine: (—  ) you, I won't do what ya tell me.

Storen pleased after first rehab outing  —  Tracy plays third base, reports improvement in groin  —  WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Nationals pitcher Drew Storen's first live game action of the season passed briefly but effectively Thursday, as the right-hander began a rehabilitation assignment with the High Class A Potomac Nationals.