Crunch time for Hamels, Phillies  —  If you're Cole Hamels, and the Phillies offer you more than $130 million, it doesn't mean you have to say yes.  —  Hamels waited this long for the Phillies to engage him; he might want to wait three more months to satisfy his curiosity about the free-agent market …

Mike Trout's ‘not Willie Mays’ … ANAHEIM, Calif. — Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington thinks it's time to tap the brakes on the comparisons being made of Los Angeles Angels rookie outfielder Mike Trout.  —  “He's not Willie Mays,” Washington said after the Angels beat the Rangers 7-4 on Sunday night.

Quentin Stays in San Diego  —  The Padres aren't going anywhere this season but that doesn't automatically qualify the 41-56 club as deadline sellers.  While Carlos Quentin, Chase Headley and Huston Street have attracted plenty of attention on the trade market, general manager Josh Byrnes …

Blue Jays 15  —  Recap  —  Box Score  —  Play-By-Play  —  Photos  —  Conversation  —  Blue Jays blast Red Sox, keyed by back-to-back homers in second  —  BOSTON — The Toronto Blue Jays more than made up for the loss of slugger Jose Bautista against the Boston Red Sox.

Baseball's Most Valuable Players: Updated  —  At the end of May, I wrote about who had been baseball's most valuable players (economically) up until that point in the season.  The goal behind that post was to discover which players brought the most value (WAR) to their ballclubs for the lowest cost ($, salary).

Two enter Hall of Fame, only one lives to accept honour  —  Barry Larkin, half of the Baseball Hall of Fame's class of 2012, puffed his chest, clenched his fists and held his head high, full of pride.  —  Larkin, a Cincinnati native, had played 19 seasons for the team he grew up adoring …

AL roundup: A's rally past Yankees 5-4 in 12 for 4-game sweep  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Seth Smith hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, Coco Crisp [stats] singled home the winning run in the 12th and the surging Oakland Athletics rallied from four runs down to stun the New York Yankees 5-4 on Sunday and complete a four-game sweep.

Dodgers rally in 12th to sweep fading Mets, 8-3  —  NEW YORK—Pinch-hitter Matt Treanor had a two-run single in a five-run 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the fading New York Mets 8-3 on Sunday to finish a three-game sweep.  —  The Dodgers blew a 3-1 lead after the sixth …

Brewers agree to deal with prospect Leal  —  CINCINNATI — The Brewers reached an agreement earlier this month with 16-year-old pitching prospect Yosmer Leal, a right-hander from Venezuela who still must pass a physical exam and Major League Baseball's age investigation.