James, Thorman power Braves by Bucs 9-2  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Atlanta's Chuck James held the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates hitless until Jason Bay singled in the seventh, and Scott Thorman homered twice in leading the Braves to a 9-2 victory Saturday night that extended their winning streak to five.

Barry Bonds's Enhancement  —  Would that Barry Bonds had retired after the 1998 season.  He might be happier than he seems to be in his long trudge toward tainted glory.  Certainly everyone who cares about baseball, and about the integrity of athletic competition generally …

Phils' Howard on DL with quad strain  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — NL MVP Ryan Howard was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after he was out of the starting lineup for the fifth straight game Saturday.  —  The Philadelphia Phillies recalled catcher/first baseman Chris Coste …

Hardy's slam helps Brewers rip Mets 12-3  —  NEW YORK (AP) — J.J. Hardy, Ben Sheets and the Milwaukee Brewers showed they can beat one of the best teams in the National League.  —  Hardy hit a grand slam and Tony Gwynn Jr. played a fantastic all-around game to back a solid pitching performance …

It's official: Season is over for Blue Jays  —  Now's the time to build for the future  —  What has happened to the Jays on the injury front may be ridiculous, it may be unfortunate, but it is not a disaster.  No one died, everyone will still be paid their guaranteed salaries …

A's designate Todd Walker for assignment  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Todd Walker's time in Oakland is over and so, too, may be his major league career.  —  The infielder was designated for assignment by the Athletics to make room for pitcher Dallas Braden, who started Saturday's …

'Nats notes  —  Displaying the most recent 12 entries.  View posts on this page.  —  Back home, and some news off the bat  —  The Nationals probably didn't need any off-the-field distractions as they being a 10-game homestand trying to break an eight-game losing streak …

Jays win second straight after long skid  —  TORONTO (AP) — Vernon Wells scored the go-ahead run from first base on Lyle Overbay's two-out single in the seventh inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5-4 Saturday for their second straight win following a nine-game losing streak.

Red Sox 13, Orioles 4  —  BOSTON - Kevin Youkilis [stats] singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth, Alex Cora [stats] added a two-run single in the seventh and the Boston Red Sox [team stats] resumed their domination of the Baltimore Orioles with a 13-4 win Saturday.

Rocketing Back to the Past  —  Curmudgeons might point to Roger Clemens' recently inked contract with the Yankees and his sweetheart "stay at home except for game days" deal with the Astros in 2006 as the ultimate proof of what's wrong with baseball in the 21st century.

Mariners 3, Yankees 0: In Rematch, Mariners Top Rasner and Yanks  —  Joe Torre fields dozens of questions before every game, most about his own team, and some about the opposition.  In the dugout at Safeco Field on Friday, Torre was asked about Jarrod Washburn, the starter for the Seattle Mariners.

DeWitt backs La Russa '100 percent'  —  SAN DIEGO — Challenged for almost two weeks by the death of relief pitcher Josh Hancock, Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. expressed "100 percent support" for manager Tony La Russa and his handling of what La Russa has called a "brutal" situation.