Beckett baffles batters  —  Sox starter perfect for 5 1/3, goes eight for ninth victory  —  Refreshingly, Red Sox righthander Josh Beckett didn't sit at his postgame news conference last night and repeat what most pitchers say after being involved in an outing about which the words ``no-hitter" and ``perfect game" start to circulate.

Redemption for Orioles … It wasn't about rivalry or even revenge.  For the home team, the first regular-season baseball game here between the Washington and Baltimore franchises since 1971 had nothing to do with the club in the visiting dugout.  —  It was all about the collective psyche of the Orioles …

RANGERS NOTES  —  Manager has lots of faith in DeRosa  —  DENVER — Buck Showalter made it official Friday:  —  Mark DeRosa has earned a job as a Rangers starter.  —  In one sense, that's not news.  DeRosa has been in the lineup in all 20 games in June.

Power Rankings: All Oz on the No. 1 White Sox  —  ESPN.com  —  All the focus lately has been on Ozzie Guillen.  His highly inappropriate comment about Jay Mariotti.  His one-game suspension.  His recent blowup at rookie pitcher Sean Tracey.  His candid view on retaliation.  All Ozzie, all the time.

Time With the Yankees Helps Girardi, Just Not on This Night  —  Joe Torre began managing almost three decades ago and at this stage of his career he can enjoy the success of his coaching protégés like Willie Randolph of the Mets and Joe Girardi of Florida.

Myers arrested, charged with assault  —  BOSTON — Brett Myers didn't say much on Friday afternoon following his arrest earlier in the morning on charges of domestic abuse.  —  "My lawyer has advised me not to comment on the issue," Myers said.  —  The right-hander spent the rest …

Rays puzzled by inaction on Hamilton  —  ST. PETERSBURG - It has been a week since extended spring training ended and Josh Hamilton finished what the Devil Rays called a successful two-week workout.  —  Major League Baseball, though, has yet to rule if Hamilton, suspended since February 2004 …

A's rally rocks Benitez, Giants  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Strange night indeed.  Barry Bonds stole a base and the Crazy Crab, the once vilified Giants mascot, made an appearance at AT&T Park.  —  Bonds' running the bases as if in his prime was shocking enough, but it couldn't help the Giants win.

Mulder MRI shows problem  —  DETROIT  —  Lefthander Mark Mulder will be shelved at least through the All-Star break and probably longer after an MRI on Friday found that he has been pitching with a shoulder impingement, inflammation of the rotator cuff and slight fraying of the labrum.

Mets' Theme Song: On the Road Again  —  TORONTO, June 23 — The Mets' road mystique knows no obstacles.  —  It crossed the Canadian border.  It seeped through Rogers Center's retractable roof.  It sidestepped two fans who dashed onto the turf in the eighth inning Friday night.

Mariners-Padres Preview  —  Their longest winning streak in nearly two years is over, but the Seattle Mariners are suddenly feeling a lot better about their season.  —  The Mariners look to bounce back from their first loss in six games when they open a three-game series with the San Diego Padres Friday at Petco Park.

Ex-Sox players deny steroids were in clubhouse  —  Former teammates of Paxton Crawford closed ranks yesterday, denying to a man they ever witnessed steroid use in the Red Sox clubhouse, one day after Crawford described a rampant drug culture in an interview with ESPN.