Smoltz injured in Braves' 2-1 loss  —  Washington — For a while Monday night, the Braves and John Smoltz thought a promising season had taken a dreadful turn.  —  The right pinky of Smoltz's pitching hand was bent upward at a grotesque angle.  The veteran, overcome with anger …

Cubs Spout  —  I kid you not, the song just finishing up on the radio as I pulled in my driveway at evening's conclusion was "Walk-Away Renee."  How appropriate.  —  * Documented walk-off #343 in Mets history was the team's 2nd walk-off win of the year and first since Endy Chavez's drag bunt walk-off hit on April 24th.

Pirates Notebook: Bautista could return this week  —  There will be no disabled list for Jose Bautista.  —  He might not even miss a week.  —  That was the diagnosis for the Pirates' third baseman yesterday afternoon, a day after his left ankle was sprained on an ugly collision at home plate.

Alou says DL may be necessary evil  —  As he dealt with the pain from a sore shoulder and swollen knee, Moises Alou never talked as if the disabled list was a possibility.  But that bravado abruptly ended Monday when the injured leftfielder suggested he could benefit from an extended break for a strained left quadriceps muscle.

ADD CASHMAN TO LIST OF THOSE WARY OF BOSTON'S RED-HOT START  —  Brian Cashman remains wedded to the mantra that there is a lot of time to right the Yankees ship.  However, the GM agrees with Johnny Damon's belief that if the Red Sox continue to win 70 percent of their games, the AL East is going to have a new champion.

O's frustration boils over … TORONTO // The Orioles arrived at the Rogers Centre yesterday afternoon intent on putting Sunday's devastating defeat to the Boston Red Sox behind them.  Instead, they watched another of their top relievers lose a game and two of their veteran position players nearly come to blows after it.

Commentary: Another classic mistake for game  —  For me, it was the designated hitter.  —  That boneheaded rule, instituted in 1973 to make baseball more exciting, albeit in the American League alone, will always be remembered as the day the national pastime began moving toward some irrational end-time.

Chicago Is Piniella's Kind of Town  —  Before Lou Piniella left home for spring training in February, he had lunch with an old friend.  —  "I had lunch with George," he said yesterday, referring to the man who had employed him as a player, coach, manager, general manager and broadcaster.

Greater expectations: Dice-K's CG fails to impress Detroit  —  Judging by their postgame comments last night at Fenway Park [map], it was clear the Detroit Tigers had expected to be spellbound by a classic when it came to facing Daisuke Matsuzka for the first time.  —  Sports Tuesday:

Teams must overlook age, price when trading  —  Carlos Lee was traded last July.  Alfonso Soriano and Miguel Tejada were shopped extensively.  —  This season will be different.  —  Few sluggers in their primes will be available before the July 31 non-waiver deadline …

Atkins' diet: keep swinging  —  Slump is not changing preparedness  —  Rockies hitting coach Alan Cockrell, diligently searching for ways to get third baseman Garrett Atkins on course, has come to a definitive conclusion.  That's after scrutinizing side-by-side video of Atkins' swing this year next to the past two seasons.

GREAT MOMENTS IN HECKLING  —  Ken Griffey Jr. Knows How To Deal With Hecklers  —  Because it's apparently an all-jockstrap Monday here at Deadspin, here's an outstanding heckler story involving Ken Griffey Jr. from over the weekend at Dodger Stadium.  —  According to The Jaunt …