Padres-Angels Preview  —  Bartolo Colon may be the ace of the Los Angeles Angels pitching staff, but he may have a tough time matching the performance of his replacement when he returns to the mound on Sunday for the first time in two months.  —  Colon tries to help the Los Angeles Angels …

Bombers cut Small, Beam up rook  —  WASHINGTON - Aaron Small appeared from nowhere last summer to help save the Yankees' season.  Yesterday, he quietly faded away.  —  With Kyle Farnsworth likely sidelined for at least the weekend with back spasms, the Yanks needed to strengthen …

Bernie, baby!  —  HR in 9th lifts Yanks; A-Rod: 3 K's  —  WASHINGTON - About 20 minutes after last night's game, Bernie Williams leaned back against a row of lockers and talked quietly about his latest heroics.  Moments later, as Williams was sauntering toward the team bus …

Recalling the Time of the Signs at Shea  —  From 1964 to 1981, Karl Ehrhardt, a k a the Sign Man, shared his commentary about his beloved Mets.  "I just called them the way I saw them," he said.  —  One recent morning in Queens, Karl Ehrhardt walked over to his bedroom closet and unlocked …

Kris homers & Anna rants  —  It couldn't have been a better return to Shea for Kris Benson if his wife had scripted it herself.  And saucy Anna Benson, part of the reason her husband was shipped out of town last winter, relished it while watching from behind home plate before launching into one of her trademark rants.

Prospects won't skip by Omaha  —  Alex Gordon and Billy Butler will have to prove themselves in Class AAA before making it to KC.  —  HOUSTON - HOUSTON |  Don't look for third baseman Alex Gordon to appear anytime soon in the Royals' lineup.  Nor outfielder Billy Butler.

Looking ahead, 6/18  —  Josh Fogg's history against the St. Louis Cardinals is littered with home runs, losses and frustration.  He is 1-8 with a 7.11 ERA in 13 games against St. Louis, but that misery might be changing.  When Fogg (4-4, 4.91 ERA) faced the Cardinals at the new Busch Stadium on May 9 …

Notes: Floyd put on DL with ankle injury  —  Club likely to reinstate veteran right-handed hitter Nady  —  NEW YORK — One day after general manager Omar Minaya said assigning Cliff Floyd to the disabled list wasn't likely and 11 days after the Mets left fielder sprained his left ankle, the club disabled him.

Ex-MLB'er Segui says he's player in FBI affidavit … David Segui, a 15-year major league baseball player who last was on an MLB roster in 2004, says he's one of the players whose names were redacted in the IRS affidavit that said Jason Grimsley received two kits of human growth hormone on April 19.

Mauer, Twins' calculated risk, pays off  —  Maybe it was uncommon insight.  Maybe guts.  Maybe both.  —  Whatever the case, it worked, demonstrating once again that the best organizations in baseball are confident enough to chance screwing up.  —  Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan …

Taint by numbers  —  Juice doesn't spoil all marks  —  With new, disheartening details about drug use in baseball being revealed on an all too regular basis, they cast a harsh light on the statistical achievements and records of the last decade or so.  —  Certainly, all home run totals must …

Like father, like son  —  Mets and Yanks who folowed their dads to the majors  —  After every game, when Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano gets back to his New Jersey apartment or his hotel room, his cell phone rings.  —  It's his father, Jose, a former pro pitcher who is calling with advice.

Phillips playing with different kind of pain  —  WASHINGTON — Andy Phillips couldn't stop tearing up no matter how hard he tried.  His eyes stayed wet throughout a game in April as he questioned his priorities.  —  Phillips had to be home with his sick wife, he kept thinking.