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 …

Beckett to miss Friday's start  —  Callup from Triple-A Pawtucket is yet to be determined  —  BOSTON — Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett, who leads the Major Leagues with seven wins, will miss his Friday night start against the Braves because of the avulsion on his right middle finger …

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sabathia leads Indians over Twins 7-1  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — C.C. Sabathia pitched eight sharp innings and Trot Nixon drove in three runs to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.  —  Sabathia (6-1) allowed five hits, struck out five, walked one and hit a batter.

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.

Doing Pennants  —  Steinbrenner can't pay too much for what he really wants  —  Professor J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University in Georgia tells the Voice that Roger Clemens isn't worth it.  In his new book, The Baseball Economist, Bradbury calculates the value of a win in terms of revenue created.

The Big Picture  —  More Rescheduling  —  The previous column on rearranging the majors into five six-team divisions elicited many favorable comments and a number of questions and suggestions.  The main questions concerned how to arrange the divisions and how to schedule the season.

Lilly, Marquis paying off for Cubs … Judging a pitcher with a multiyear contract after six weeks is sort of like reviewing "The Wizard of Oz" before the big twister scene.  Between the Munchkins, the flying monkeys and the prospect of a few disabled list visits down the road …

Wainwright has tendinitis in pitching arm  —  LOS ANGELES — After allowing seven hits and eight runs Tuesday night, Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright told Post-Dispatch baseball writer Joe Strauss that he has been suffering from tendinitis in his pitching arm this season.

Jays' Litsch to start again, Ohka to pen  —  TORONTO (AP) — Rookie Jesse Litsch earned a neat reward for his sparkling debut — he'll stay in Toronto's rotation for now.  —  Litsch won his major league debut Tuesday night, giving up one run and four hits over 8 2-3 innings to beat Baltimore.

Yikes: Milledge, the Rap Mogul  —  Mets OF Lastings Milledge is the CEO of Soul-ja Boi Records, and will soon release his label's first CD by Immanuel Dent, a.k.a. Manny D, a childhood friend to Milledge.  —  On the album, which will be released later this summer, Milledge …