Pedro throws off mound for first time  —  PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Not long after Pedro Martinez took the most important step to date in his rehab, throwing off a mound, the Mets righthander adamantly insisted he will make it back this summer.  —  "I don't think there should be any doubt on anybody's minds," Martinez said.

Backstop battle tightens in AL balloting  —  Mauer, Varitek, Posada narrow Pudge's chances to start in SF  —  Robinson Cano's lead over Placido Polanco at second base is almost gone, Justin Morneau moved past Jason Giambi into second place behind David Ortiz at first base …

Utley's HR in 11th helps Phils beat Mets  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Chase Utley is drawing raves from his manager that were previously reserved for a cherished Hall of Famer.  —  The quiet star hit a leadoff homer in the 11th inning and drove in three runs, sending the Philadelphia Phillies …

Sheffield clarifies comments  —  After controversial quote, right fielder discusses interview  —  ARLINGTON — Tigers right fielder Gary Sheffield says he loves Latinos, he's never had a problem with them and they love him back.  —  "Leave the poor guy alone," Tigers teammate Ivan Rodriguez …

MLB hopes to decide on Asia by late July  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball officials hope to decide by late July whether to play in Beijing and Tokyo next spring.  —  Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball's chief operating officer, headed a delegation that went to China last week and inspected …

Sabathia shuts out Royals for ninth win  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — The only walking C.C. Sabathia did was to the dugout after each scoreless inning.  —  Cleveland's ace left-hander pitched his fifth career shutout and the Indians kept rolling at home, defeating the Kansas City Royals 1-0 Tuesday night.

Greg Oden is a freak of nature (updated)  —  The Oregonian has secured the official weights, measurements and testing results from the Orlando predraft camp, and wait until you get a load of the freak of nature called Greg Oden.  —  For starters, his numbers blow Kevin Durant out of the water.

Escobar's complete game lifts Angels  —  Angels win fifth in a row; righty throws three-hitter vs. Twins  —  ANAHEIM — Kelvim Escobar comes from the old school, Venezuela style.  He is a man who takes pride in completing a task.  —  "Sometimes," he said through a grin …

Garces still fan favorite as he tries to return to majors  —  NASHUA, N.H. — Sweet Caroline is belted in the middle of the eighth inning as New England's favorite rotund reliever warms in the bullpen.  Geographically, Rich Garces is only 45 miles away from Fenway Park, but on this night …

Burres looks for fourth win in six tries  —  Baltimore (27-31) at Seattle (29-25), 10:05 p.m. ET  —  Baltimore's roller-coaster season continues when it heads into the middle stanza of a three-game set against the Mariners.  The Orioles will look to avoid a fifth straight loss after beginning …

Six teams represented at Percival workout  —  Add the Braves and A's to the list of teams interested in free-agent reliever Troy Percival.  —  Representatives from both those clubs attended Percival's latest workout Tuesday in Riverside, Ca., FOXSports.com has learned.

Top 50 Draft Prospects  —  The following rankings are based on discussions with scouts, scouting directors, other team personnel, and agents.  They are based purely on projectable pro talent, with no consideration given to actual draft status, which often involves signability and/or perceived bonus demands.

Tom Verducci: Lincecum already working like a veteran  —  One day last week, San Francisco righthanded pitchers Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, who can make Giants fans dream of Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry (or maybe, for now among the more grounded dreamers, John Burkett and Billy Swift) …

A Dozen Bad Draft Decisions  —  Baseball's draft is going to be televised for the first time ever this Thursday and many people are happy about that.  It's a good way for the league to introduce a new crop of prospects to the general public, it gives people a reason to watch …

Braves' Carlyle gets first win since '99  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Buddy Carlyle had just pitched the best game of his journeyman career.  So, what was his reward when he got back to the Atlanta clubhouse?  —  A return trip to a place he knows all too well — the minor leagues.

No bull... One-third of the season down, two-thirds to roar  —  Despite a pen in peril and a slew of injuries, the Tigers have proved 2006 was no fluke and they're in the chase for the long haul  —  In those first minutes after a four-run, ninth-inning lead disappeared in the steamy …