Yankees Fire Strength Coach  —  ARLINGTON, Texas - A day after the Yankees' baffling run of hamstring injuries claimed another victim in Phil Hughes, the team fired its new strength coach.  —  Marty Miller, who was hired last winter to the newly created position of director of performance enhancement …

National crisis: Capital franchise in turmoil  —  It was more than a minor news item.  —  A little-known farm director and three low-level front-office employees left the Washington Nationals in mid-February.  Four-fifths of the team's player-development department, gone.

Cabrera-Minaya chat raises eyebrows  —  · Marlins President David Samson and General Manager Larry Beinfest could not have been pleased at what they observed from the Shea Stadium visitors' dugout Tuesday.  —  While the Mets were taking batting practice and the Marlins were stretching …

Angels Quietly Show How To Build a Club  —  What does a team have to do to get some respect?  The Angels haven't had a lightning-rod bestseller like Michael Lewis's "Moneyball" written about them.  That's understandable — a lot of what general manager Bill Stoneman and manager Mike Scioscia do is just great talent management.

Halladay, Maine honored as April's Pitchers of the Month  —  Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay has been named American League Pitcher of the Month and New York Mets right-hander John Maine has earned National League Pitcher of the Month honors for April, it was announced today.

5/1/07 vs. Oakland  —  Win some lose some.  Tough loss and a rare one in the way we lost it.  As much as you'd like to think that because things are lined up how you want them to be, it should all work out, sometimes it doesn't.  —  Our bullpen was the key reason we ended April …

Struggling Guzman could lose No. 5 shot  —  PITTSBURGH — Right-hander Angel Guzman might have given back the Cubs' fifth-starter job before he had a chance to make a start in that role.  —  That could be the result of another poor start for Class AAA Iowa on Tuesday night by Guzman …

Study of N.B.A. Sees Racial Bias in Calling Fouls  —  An academic study of the National Basketball Association, whose playoffs continue tonight, suggests that a racial bias found in other parts of American society has existed on the basketball court as well.

Heilman aims to move past struggles  —  Mets' primary setup man hopes to overcome tough stretch  —  NEW YORK — The mind of Aaron Heilman is a finely-tuned, well-equipped, strong and quite functional entity of which Notre Dame can be proud.  It holds a lot.  And sometimes, a lot is too much.

Cepeda arrested on suspicion of drug possession  —  SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda was arrested after a California Highway Patrol officer pulled him over for speeding and discovered drugs in the car.  —  Cepeda, 69, was arrested on suspicion of felony possession …

MLB denies protest by Indians  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Even though their protest was thrown out, the Cleveland Indians figure it was worth all the effort to complain.  —  Major League Baseball disagreed with the club's argument that umpires should not have added a run three innings …

Beckett takes aim at perfect 6-0 start  —  Oakland (13-13) at Boston (16-9), 7:05 p.m. ET  —  Nearly five weeks into the season, April is in the books, and Josh Beckett has carved out a little patch of history to call his own.  —  He won't mind sharing it, though — of all the Red Sox …

In a Pinch, Nothing But Pain  —  Of all the statistical categories in which the Washington Nationals are at or near the bottom of the National League rankings — batting average, runs, bullpen ERA, etc. — one has been largely overlooked.  The Nationals are 3 for 44 in pinch-hit situations, an .068 average that is last in the NL.

Rangers have to go the distance with McCarthy  —  Brandon McCarthy will pitch Friday.  Might very well get bombed.  Again.  —  And if he does, here's what the Rangers should do about it: Repeat the process all over again.  —  Let's be straight on this, McCarthy has been awful in his last three starts.

Notes: Alou ready to shoulder load  —  Outfielder shakes off injury to start for Mets on Tuesday  —  NEW YORK — It's going to take more than a couple of stitches to keep Moises Alou off the field.  —  A day after slamming into the left-field wall, cutting his chin and aggravating …

Saenz's single is sign of victory  —  Olmedo Saenz comes off the bench to drive in winning run with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning.  —  These Dodgers don't hit home runs.  They don't deliver with the bases loaded.  —  But they kill earthworms with the best of them.

Pirates Notebook: Season-ticket sales dropped 20 percent  —  Shortstop Jack Wilson flips ball to Freddy Sanchez at second for the force out in the seventh inning.  —  Wondering why the Pirates' attendance has fallen off?  —  Look no further than the foundation of the business.

Walt Jocketty speaks out on Hancock  —  Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said Tuesday the club had little knowledge about pitcher Josh Hancock's off-field activities and that the responsibility for policing players' activities lies with the players.  —  Answering questions …