Washington 4, Cincinnati 3  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — A heads-up defensive play helped Mike Bacsik earn his first win in almost three years.  —  Bacsik allowed three runs and seven hits in 7 2-3 innings, Dmitri Young went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the reeling Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Thursday night.

Hancock's father files suit against restaurant  —  ST. LOUIS — The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.

Young goes for sweep of Cubs  —  Chicago (20-25) at San Diego (26-20), 7:05 p.m. PT  —  San Diego pitcher Chris Young will close out the three-game series against the Cubs on Thursday.  —  The right-hander, who will face the Cubs for the first time this season, is looking for his second victory of the month at PETCO Park.

Ramirez leaves game with tightness  —  Pitcher listed as day-to-day, will be re-evaluated  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Mariners lefty Horacio Ramirez left Thursday's start after just two innings, but was optimistic that the shoulder tightness he felt wasn't going to keep him out of action for too long.

Braun brought up for his bat  —  Dessens placed on 15-day DL  —  San Diego - With third base turning into a black hole offensively in a lineup struggling to score runs, the Milwaukee Brewers could wait no longer to call up Ryan Braun.  —  The Brewers announced late Thursday night that Braun …

Braves' Smoltz gets 200th win, tops Mets  —  ATLANTA (AP) — For only the second time in a regular-season game, John Smoltz sensed an extra excitement that normally only comes in the postseason.  —  "Euphoria," Smoltz said.  —  For baseball's all-time leader in postseason wins, the added edge made him feel right at home.

Marlins drop Phils in 11  —  MIAMI (AP) — The Marlins and Phillies swapped shoves in a standoff Thursday night, then played past midnight before Miguel Cabrera made Florida a winner.  —  Cabrera doubled off the scoreboard to score Hanley Ramirez from first base with no outs in the 11th inning, and the Marlins beat the Phillies 5-4.

Batter Versus Pitcher, Gameday Style  —  "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."  —Lewis Carroll (1832 - 1898), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, said by the King to the White Rabbit  —  There's no doubt that baseball provides a vast number of avenues for the fan who wants to sift through data.

Michael Vick Just Makes It Too Easy  —  "Turn my headphones up!  I can't hear Bone Crusher!"  —  Ah, Michael Vick.  Is there any place you aren't involved these days?  You've got dog-fighting on the one hand, and Kissing Suzy Kolber emasculates you completely on a semi-regular basis.

Buchholz and the other guy  —  Just getting on a plane for Boston, but wanted to get a few things in:  — Clay Buchholz is good.  It was one thing to hit 95 mph, but to drop the hammer of a curve he has developed was impressive.  A huge positive was that he throws all four pitches (fastball, curve, slider, change) for strikes.

Stark: "The Stark Truth"  —  Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from "The Stark Truth: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players in Baseball History" by Jayson Stark.  Copyright (c) 2007 by the author.  This excerpt has been printed with the permission of Triumph Books.

With a New Sock, the Red Sox Add Some Distance  —  In 2004 Curt Schilling's bloodied socks — the ones he wore that October while he conquered the Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals on the way to Boston's first World Series championship in 86 seasons — were the symbol of the Red Sox.

Nutting pledges to upgrade Dominican facility  —  Pirates' owner, GM return from trip upbeat about future there  —  ST. LOUIS — Bob Nutting, the Pirates' principal owner, returned from upper management's three-day mission to the Dominican Republic with three significant impressions:

The Value of the Stolen Base: A Comparison of MLB and NCAA Division I Baseball  —  Over the years there has been a great deal of debate amongst baseball insiders and fans over the value of the stolen base.  Some, such as longtime Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, have argued that the stolen base is rarely worth the risk.

Injury may put Fogg on DL  —  Phoenix - His leg felt better, but Josh Fogg's chances of making Sunday's start didn't improve.  —  Fogg, out with a strained left groin, hopes to pitch in a week, but might land on the disabled list if the bullpen gets taxed and requires a fresh arm over the weekend.

All Good Things...  The time has come to end this wonderful adventure.  I had hoped to be able to keep it up with Dash, but I simply do not have time to do this blog well, and there is no point in doing it any other way.  —  In the three years since Goober said, "Hey, why don't you start a Twins blog?"

SURE, STEROIDS DON'T WORK  —  Jason Giambi Is The Only Man Who's Honest About Steroids  —  We find it incredibly strange that Jason Giambi is, once again, back at the forefront of the drugs-in-baseball debate.  After all, has there ever been a more effective advertisement for the benefits …