Pirates Notebook: Maholm tilts starters' scale  —  ATLANTA — Look at Paul Maholm as the swing vote.  —  When he pitches as well as he has in his past nine starts, the Pirates' rotation goes from having two steady contributors in Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny to a majority of three.

Torre's 12th is 'toughest'  —  Tells News of season's trials, but still manages  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Joe Torre's first year in pinstripes read like a Hollywood script, the story unfolding just the way he must have always imagined it could - veteran manager in the starring role …

Notes: Sosa back; Pelfrey to bullpen  —  Pitching shuffle continues as hurlers return from disabled list  —  NEW YORK — Jorge Sosa is healthy.  And as it turns out, Mike Pelfrey's Friday night bullpen stint wasn't a stint at all.  —  It was the first day of a new job.

Peterson's triangle helps Mets get a lot out of staff  —  NEW YORK — Rick Peterson is comfortable discussing everything from art to Fortune 500 companies.  Get him talking about baseball, though, and that's when he really gets going.  —  Go further, and ask the New York Mets' pitching coach …

Players Go Giddy for Autographs, but Not Jeter  —  Derek Jeter signed one baseball, then another and another.  He leaned back in his chair in the visiting clubhouse at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Tuesday and exhaled.  Soon, there would be more items for him to authenticate with his looping signature.

Rockies deserve a big deal  —  The last and only time the Rockies were good enough to make the playoffs, 12 years ago, they made a significant move at the trading deadline.  —  General manager Bob Gebhard acquired Mets pitcher Bret Saberhagen for minor- leaguers Juan Acevedo and Arnold Gooch.

A Beck of a game  —  Josh Beckett is starting the second half of the season on the right foot, even if he's not getting any help from his offense.  The Red Sox trail 2-1 as we enter the bottom of the eighth, after a strong outing by Beckett, who threw 118 pitches — assuming he won't come out for the ninth.

Carmona continues dominance in daytime  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Travis Hafner signed a long-term contract and rediscovered his home run swing — all in a few days.  —  Hafner had three hits, including a long two-run homer to help Fausto Carmona and the Cleveland Indians defeat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 Sunday.

League returning to the bullpen  —  Reliever has been on the disabled list since Spring Training  —  BOSTON — The disappearing act pulled by Brandon League has come to an end.  After Saturday night's 9-4 loss to the Red Sox, the Blue Jays announced that their long-lost reliever was making his return to the bullpen.

Just How Long Does the Average Baseball Career Last?  —  Baseball lore is littered with one-game wonders, from Moonlight Graham, whose brief stint in the outfield for the New York Giants in 1905 was immortalized in "Field of Dreams," to Larry Yount, whose major league career amounted to warming …

Notes: Escobar to displace outfielders  —  Logan, Langerhans to sit when Alex Escobar is called up  —  MIAMI — On Friday, Nationals center fielder Nook Logan had his best game of the season, going 2-for-4 with two walks and four runs scored, while outfielder Ryan Langerhans entered …

Biggio to start fewer games for rest of season  —  Most starts will come at home, as he and Garner have discussed  —  CHICAGO — Per the schedule he and manager Phil Garner have set up, Astros second baseman Craig Biggio is tentatively scheduled to start fewer games, especially on the road.

Sheets leaves with sprained finger  —  All-Star right-hander may need MRI if symptoms persist  —  MILWAUKEE — The Brewers were cautiously optimistic late Saturday about the health of ace right-hander Ben Sheets, who was forced out of his start in the fourth inning with a sprained middle finger.