Lester gets 1st win as Red Sox down Braves  —  ATLANTA —After a shaky debut, Jon Lester showed why he's considered one of the Boston's most touted young players.  —  Of course, it didn't hurt that the 22-year-old lefty was facing the free-falling Atlanta Braves.

Padres-Angels Preview  —  If the San Diego Padres want to turn around their poor play on the road, they need to improve their bats.  —  The Padres (34-32) look to do just that with they meet the Los Angeles Angels (30-36) in the opener of a three-game interleague series on Friday at Angel Stadium.

Notes: Decision on Prior delayed  —  Cubs weighing options on where righty will pitch on Sunday  —  CHICAGO — The Cubs delayed a decision on whether Mark Prior will start Sunday for a day to make sure the right-hander was over any soreness in his shoulder from his last Minor League rehab outing.

An angry Gonzalez shoots down steroid speculation  —  An angry Gonzalez shoots down steroid speculation  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona left fielder Luis Gonzalez reacted angrily Thursday after the Diamondbacks' top executive told a newspaper there have been "whispers" about whether the five-time All-Star used performance-enhancing drugs.

Notes: Kotchman ready for more  —  Sidelined infielder cleared for full-time baseball activities  —  ANAHEIM — Casey Kotchman met with a local doctor specializing in infectious diseases on Friday and was cleared to begin full-time baseball activity.  —  The first baseman said he will travel …

Devil Rays prospect Upton facing DUI charge  —  CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Tampa Bay Devil Rays prospect B.J. Upton was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, media outlets in North Carolina reported Friday.  —  Upton, 21, who is playing with the Triple-A Durham Bulls …

Big names not likely to get traded … Two weeks left until July.  And you know what that means.  —  Rumorfest 2006 is about to erupt, any minute now.  —  So we want you to be ready.  We want you to be educated.  We want you to know the truth about all those names you've been hearing and reading and fantasizing about.

Murton's regular days may be over  —  Platoon with Bynum seen as temporary solution in left field  —  The Cubs gambled Matt Murton could become a regular left fielder in 2006, but the experiment soon may be ending.  —  Manager Dusty Baker inserted Freddie Bynum there Thursday and conceded he was considering a platoon situation.

Sign of the times  —  Video iPods helping Rockies prep for games  —  DENVER (AP) — Three hours before a start against Florida, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings sits in front of his locker, puts on his headphones and stares at his video iPod.  —  He isn't watching the latest Coldplay video …

Outfielder signs, spurns Gators  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. |  The Royals succeeded Thursday in luring switch-hitting outfielder Derrick Robinson, their fourth-round pick in last week's draft, away from a football scholarship to Florida.  —  "We've reached agreement with a guy who is electric …

Royals Address Credential Situation  —  Welcome to the first official blog about the Royals, by the Royals!  The Royals are committed to using Royals.com to educate, inform and entertain our fans.  In response to fans wanting to know the real stories behind a number of issues, we have created Around the Horn in KC just for you.

With rebuilt mechanics, Rogers rolling  —  Former first-round pick succeeding at Advanced Class A  —  MILWAUKEE — At some point in mid-May, the Brewers' top pitching prospect stepped onto the mound and finally felt like himself again.  —  "I feel really confident now every time I step out on that mound …

Angels put pen to paper with No. 1 pick  —  Switch-hitting catcher Conger becomes 15th 2006 signee  —  ANAHEIM — The Angels signed Hank Conger on Friday, their first selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft.  —  Conger is a switch-hitting, right-handed-throwing catcher out of Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School.

Jeter can't win with this crowd  —  Not since last month, when George Steinbrenner uttered those three infamous words - "the third baseman" - has such a brief response to a question sparked debate critical to the health and future of New York baseball (no, make that Western civilization).

Tiger Stadium to get wrecking ball  —  Finally, something is going to happen with Tiger Stadium.  It is going to be demolished this fall.  There don't appear to be a ton of details, but the macro idea is to replace it with retail shops and housing.  The area that comprises the playing field …

Baseball drug saga appears certain to only get worse  —  On the day that Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for a positive steroid test, he took part in a conference call and insisted that there was no logical reason for him to have turned to anabolic steroids during the final stages of his apparent Hall of Fame career.