In the latest Sox soap opera, blame is widespread  —  Bobby Valentine has made plenty of mistakes this season.  —  He is too honest for his own good when it comes to discussing the players with the media, telling the truth about them complaining about playing time (Kelly Shoppach) or their minor injuries (Carl Crawford).

Melky Cabrera Suspended For Failing PED Test  —  MLB's official account just sent out the following message on Twitter. … Melky Cabrera's suspension begins immediately, and since the Giants only have 45 games remaining in their schedule, this effectively knocks him out for the remainder …

David DeJesus homers twice as Cubs walk by Astros  —  CHICAGO — David DeJesus hit two home runs, Justin Germano breezed through six innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 7-2 on Wednesday.  —  Starlin Castro also homered among his three hits for Chicago, which won for just the third time in 15 games.

Padres select LHP Tom Layne from Double-A San Antonio and designate LHP Alex Hinshaw for assignment  —  SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today announced they have selected left-handed pitcher Tom Layne from Double-A San Antonio and designated left-handed pitcher Alex Hinshaw for assignment.

Wednesday's pitching preview: Dickey vs. Leake  —  R.A. Dickey (15-3, 2.72 ERA) will start for the Mets tonight.  —  Dickey has seen a return to brilliance lately, allowing just three earned runs over his last three starts, a span of 23 innings.  He pitched a complete game against the Marlins …

Tucson Padres: Frustrations surface on the field  —  Tucson Padres manager Terry Kennedy is embarrassed.  He's also angry, frustrated and annoyed.  —  For most of the 2012 season, the skipper, his staff and the players have been able to keep any frustration and anger inside the clubhouse.

Dempster, Lowe, Pesky  —  First, your new playoff standings:  —  AL: Yankees (1) vs. Tampa Bay (WC1) and Baltimore (WC2), Texas (2) vs. White Sox (3)  —  NL: Washington (1) vs. winner of Atlanta (WC1) and Pittsburgh (WC2), Cincinnati (2) vs. Dodgers (3a) or San Francisco (3b)

Payroll Picture Is Still Blurry  —  Mets in Better Shape, but Alderson Unsure How Much He Can Spend Next Season  —  CINCINNATI—The specter of Bernard Madoff no longer hangs over the Mets.  And the threat of a crippling lawsuit has passed.  But as they slog through another summer of disappointment …

Cubs dismiss player personnel head Fleita  —  CHICAGO — Oneri Fleita, who has overseen the Cubs' Minor League organization and international scouting operations for 12 seasons, was dismissed on Wednesday.  —  “I'm very grateful for the opportunity for my years with the Cubs,” Fleita said.

The value of pre-arbitration players  —  I've written a ton about Wins Above Replacement (WAR), salary and when the two are used together how we can get a better picture of overall value.  One of my posts looked at the percentage value (WAR percentage minus salary percentage) …

Thames' 2-out hit in 9th lifts Mariners over Rays  —  SEATTLE — Eric Thames' two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 victory on Tuesday night and snapped the Tampa Bay Rays' seven-game winning streak.  —  Kyle Seager started the winning rally …