Kendrick Falters in Starting Role  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Just when it seemed Kyle Kendrick had found a home in the bullpen, he is back in the Phillies' rotation.  —  Results weren't the same.  —  Justin Upton hit his 100th career homer, Ian Kennedy threw six effective innings …

Sabathia Dominates Mariners Again as Yanks Win 6-3  —  NEW YORK (AP) — CC Sabathia pitched a three-hitter and struck out 10, dominating the Mariners as usual while leading the New York Yankees to a 6-3 victory Friday night that stopped Seattle's seven-game winning streak.

Latos Pitches and Hits Reds Past Pirates 3-0  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Mat Latos pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and hit a two-run homer Friday night as the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds opened a three-game series against their closest pursuers with a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Indians Designate Johnny Damon For Assignment  —  The Indians announced that they designated Johnny Damon for assignment.  The move creates 25-man roster space for outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, who has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus.  —  Damon signed a minor league deal with the Indians …

Nationals Acquire Kurt Suzuki  —  The Athletics traded catcher Kurt Suzuki and cash considerations to the Nationals for catcher David Freitas, the teams announced.  It sounds like the A's are picking up most of Suzuki's 2012 salary and a bit of next year's salary, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

How to get Hunter Pence production for a third of the price  —  There was a lot of head-scratching on Tuesday afternoon when the Phillies traded away Hunter Pence for a package of players headlined by Giants catching prospect Tommy Joseph.  In a recent column, esteemed baseball scribe Jayson Stark relays …

Upton hits 100th homer, Rays beat Orioles  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—B.J. Upton joined elite company by hitting his 100th career homer and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-0 on Friday night.  —  Upton put the Rays ahead 1-0 on a fourth-inning homer to center off Tommy Hunter (4-7).

LaRoche leads Nationals over Marlins 7-4  —  WASHINGTON—Adam LaRoche homered and drove in three runs, Mark DeRosa added three RBIS, and John Lannan pitched into the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday.

JOSE CANSECO SIGNS WITH RIO GRANDE VALLEY  —  HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - Jose Canseco has signed with the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings of the North American Baseball League on Friday, and is expected to play Saturday night against McAllen.  —  The 48-year-old Canseco hit 462 home runs in 18 seasons in the majors and was the 1988 AL MVP.

Tigers Designate Don Kelly For Assignment  —  The Tigers announced that they have designated utility player Don Kelly for assignment.  The move creates 25-man roster space for Andy Dirks, who has been recalled from his rehab assignment and reinstated from the disabled list.

Joe Maddon Says “Sabermetrics Rule”  —  Rays manager Joe Maddon has long been known as one of baseball's most statistically savvy skippers, but extensive Googling suggests that despite doing a two-part interview at BP, he has never stated explicitly and on the record that sabermetrics rule.  Until now.

Rockies stop skid with win over Cardinals  —  DENVER — Tyler Colvin hit a tiebreaking double and rookie Josh Rutledge homered in his fourth straight game, lifting the Colorado Rockies over the St. Louis Cardinals 8-2 Thursday night to avert a three-game sweep.