Sosa, Mets outlast rain, Cubs in 8-1 win  —  NEW YORK (AP) — A three hour-plus rain delay couldn't dampen Jorge Sosa's stellar night.  —  Sosa pitched seven-plus innings of one-hit ball, David Wright had two RBIs and the New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs 8-1 on Wednesday night …

Times are tough — is team, too?  —  Josh Beckett will miss tomorrow's start, plus who knows how many more.  J.D. Drew would have been out of the lineup last night after losing a Tuesday night duel with the fence in right-center.  No longer is it a perfect little Red Sox world.

Notes: Fans rewarded for patience  —  May 16 ticket holders get free tix for game in June Twins series  —  NEW YORK — After slogging through a three-hour and seven-minute rain delay on Wednesday, Mets fans who made the trek out to Shea earned a generous reward.

Burnett's gem leads Jays to sweep  —  Right-hander throws a complete-game three-hitter  —  TORONTO — There are plenty of times when A.J. Burnett turns into a big kid inside Toronto's clubhouse.  He was at it again on Tuesday, running around the room with a toy gun and seeking out various targets for a stream of foam darts.

Church, Bullpen Are Nats' Saviors  —  Washington Takes 5th Win in 6 Games: Nationals 6, Braves 4  —  The Washington Nationals have been sending starting pitchers to the disabled list with disturbing regularity.  Opportunistic hitting and an unflappable bullpen, however, have provided the remedy.

Ramirez to try hitting third  —  PITTSBURGH — Hanley Ramirez leads the majors with a .343 batting average from the leadoff spot, but he won't bat there for a while.  —  After helping spark a 9-3 victory Tuesday, Ramirez was back in the third spot Wednesday for the second straight game.

Mussina suffers setback in Game 1  —  Starter allows five runs over 5 1/3; Abreu, Phelps homer  —  CHICAGO — The walk from the visiting bullpen to the dugout at U.S. Cellular Field is only about 350 feet, but it must have felt much longer for Mike Mussina.

Scioscia is sticking with Hillenbrand  —  The Angels' manager is confident his designated hitter will break out of season slump.  —  SEATTLE — The Angels make a considerable financial commitment to a veteran with a good track record, the player remains in a deep offensive funk well into the season …

Braves sale is approved  —  Liberty Media taking control of franchise from Time Warner  —  NEW YORK — The sale of the Atlanta Braves from Time Warner to Liberty Media was unanimously approved by Major League Baseball's owners at a special meeting on Wednesday.

Braun close to returning for Sounds  —  Third base prospect has wrist tendinitis  —  Milwaukee Brewers third base prospect Ryan Braun, who has been "day to day" for nearly two weeks with wrist tendinitis, is close to returning to Class AAA Nashville's lineup, farm director Reid Nichols said Wednesday.

Lackey, Angels stifle Mariners 5-0  —  SEATTLE (AP) — John Lackey handcuffed the Seattle Mariners for six innings and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter in the Los Angeles Angels' 5-0 victory Wednesday night.  —  Lackey (6-3) was overpowering, retiring 14 straight batters …

Santo will shed no tears for Shea  —  Condemned stadium site of heartbreak for former Cubs star  —  NEW YORK — If Ron Santo appears to be in a particularly good mood Thursday, there's a good reason.  —  Barring unforeseen circumstances, it will be the final time the Cubs radio analyst sets foot …

Former closer Percival thinking about return  —  Troy Percival is considering a comeback.  —  The four-time All-Star closer, who retired as an Angel on Opening Day, resumed throwing about a month ago and is serious about reviving his major-league career, according to his agent, Paul Cohen.

Braves place Gonzalez on 15-day DL  —  Lefty's velocity dropped inexplicably in Tuesday's game  —  WASHINGTON — Mike Gonzalez still has no clue why he lost so much of his velocity during Tuesday night's game.  But for the next two weeks, he'll have the opportunity to rest his left arm.

Brave World  —  Back on Top  —  Brian McCann looks at the standings today and smiles.  The Atlanta Braves are in first place in the National League East with a 25-14 record, a half-game ahead of the New York Mets.  However, when the Braves catcher thinks back to the final day of the 2006 season, he still feels sadness.