Top News:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Notes: Sox welcome back Kapler — Outfielder completes long comeback from Achilles injury — ATLANTA — After crumpling to the ground in Toronto the night of Sept. 14, 2005, Gabe Kapler traveled many roads to get to Atlanta, where he was activated before Friday's game against the Braves.
Discussion:
The Baseball Desert
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David Heuschkel / Hartford Courant:
Youth Serves: Streak Snapped — Lester Gets First Win, Papelbon 21st Save — ATLANTA — The standing room only crowd, the largest this season at Turner Field, wasn't as nerve-racking to Jon Lester as the packed house at Fenway Park six days earlier in his first big league start.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Karen Guregian / Boston Herald:
A starting point for Lester — ATLANTA - Can't call the kid a keeper just yet. But Jon Lester iscertainly working on sticking around and making a much-needed impact with the big club down the road. — While he was just so-so in his major league debut against the Texas Rangers a week ago …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Williams's Blast Sinks the Nationals — This all could have been remembered simply for the return of the New York Yankees, who last stepped on the turf at RFK Stadium in 1971, when they played the final game here against the old Washington Senators, a game that never ended because fans stormed …
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Associated Press:
Padres-Angels Preview — San Diego Padres starter Jake Peavy looks to avoid losing three straight starts for the first time since his rookie season when he faces the Los Angeles Angels in the middle game of a weekend interleague series at Angel Stadium. — Peavy (4-7, 4.96 ERA) …
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Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Peavy ready to rebound — San Diego (35-32) at Los Angeles (30-37), 1:10 p.m. PT — When Jake Peavy heads to the Angel Stadium mound on Saturday afternoon, facing talented Ervin Santana, the Padres ace will be looking to recapture the form that made him one of baseball's most dominant pitchers.
Discussion:
Ducksnorts
Childs Walker / Baltimore Sun:
Benson not sour on the Big Apple … NEW YORK // Orioles starter Kris Benson did not leave the New York Mets on his own terms last winter, but he said he carries no hard feelings into his first start against his former team. — Benson will oppose Mets ace Pedro Martinez today.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
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Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:
Kris back, Anna can't be found — When he walked into Shea Stadium last night, Kris Benson said there were no hard feelings for his old team. The former Mets pitcher with the wife who got as many headlines as he did called the trade that sent him to Baltimore "water under the bridge."
Eduardo A. Encina / TBO.com:
Maddon Man Of Moment — More from this channel: — This feature requires the Macromedia Flash Plugin. Please visit http://www.macromedia.com/go/ getflashplayer to download this plugin. — PHILADELPHIA - For Rays manager Joe Maddon, this is a homecoming. — He never before had stepped into Citizens Bank Park until Friday.
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
GM: Hot Volquez to stay put — Despite rotation troubles, Rangers won't call up pitcher — ARLINGTON - Rangers general manager Jon Daniels sees a starting rotation that is struggling. He sees a minor leaguer who is tearing up Triple-A. — His reaction: Stay the course.
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Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
RANGERS NOTES — Mench's role hurt by depth — ARLINGTON - Kevin Mench played almost every game for the Rangers during the first month and a half of the season, mostly in right field. That's changed since Ian Kinsler came off the disabled list May 25. — Mench plays more often than not …
Discussion:
MLB.com
Bob Herzog / Newsday:
Heilman crashes party — Buoyed by a 9-1 road trip, a 9½-game lead over the second-place Phillies and a supportive crowd of 45,967 at Shea Stadium that cheered lustily as they took the field for Friday night's interleague game against the Orioles, the Mets were so charged up that they went out and ... short-circuited.
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Arizona Republic:
Rules may block Kendrick's code of conduct — He might have the best of intentions, but there is almost certainly no way in the world Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick is going to be able to impose a stricter code of conduct on the Diamondbacks than any other team in Major League Baseball.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
You can knock Jeter, but you can't forget him — Signature moments. You know the type. Plays that are instantly memorable, that stay with you for years. — Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter makes more of those plays than anyone else. — That's a subjective view — fire away …
Rich Lederer / The Baseball Analysts:
Angels Option Jered Weaver to Salt Lake — Breaking News: The Angels just announced that Jered Weaver has been sent back down to the Salt Lake Bees, the team's Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. Bartolo Colon was activated and will start on Sunday.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Cormier tries to snap Braves' slide — Red Sox (37-28) at Atlanta (30-38), 1:20 p.m. ET — The Braves will look to rebound from a series-opening loss to the Red Sox when the two teams face off in a Saturday matinee. — Actually, Atlanta is looking to start rebounding from a dreadful first half of June.
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Damon trying not to let small injury (hammy) become a big one — WASHINGTON - Johnny Damon is trying to find the delicate balance between playing hurt and not playing. With the Yankees' rash of injuries, he doesn't want to risk having a small injury - right hamstring tightness - become a big thing.
