Top News:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Slide step — Sox drop another; division lead at 7 — The fixation with the team that plays on 161st Street and River Drive in the Bronx makes it much harder for fans to abide the win-one, lose-one approach that has marked the Red Sox' play for the better part of two months.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
RELATED:
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox dealing with reality: Costs can be steep when talking trades — At this time of year, especially, the obvious truth is that most trades never come to fruition. And as the Red Sox [team stats] move toward the July 31 trading deadline, what they can add depends largely on what they would give up.
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Sox can hear footsteps: Yanks creep back in, testing club's mettle — Ten, nine, eight, seven. Either this is a lesson in counting backward or the Red Sox [team stats] are starting to self-destruct. — For now, at least, let us assume that this is a test and only a test.
Discussion:
Peter's Red Sox Forever
David Gassko / Hardball Times:
Are the Red Sox collapsing? — As a Red Sox fan, it is my duty to constantly worry. Those who thought that a World Series would result in a calmer, more laid back fan base obviously did not realize what 86 years of pure psychological trauma will do to you.
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:Red Sox lose, lead in AL East down to 7
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
John Delcos / The Journal News:
Franco slammed by ex-teammates — SAN DIEGO - That Julio Franco found work with the Atlanta Braves isn't surprising. — What was surprising, however, were the lack of references, especially when it came to the "clubhouse leadership" issue. — Manager Willie Randolph said Franco …
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Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Marlon gets call; Glavine goes for 299 — SAN DIEGO - Marlon Anderson is expected to join the Mets tonight in Los Angeles. — Anderson, who signed with the Mets last week, needed time at Triple-A New Orleans to get in game shape because of a 17-day gap without playing since his last game with the Dodgers, who cut him.
Discussion:
New York Post
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Notes: Olsen returns from suspension — Left-hander pitches a bullpen session on Wednesday — MIAMI — After serving his two-game suspension for insubordination and conduct detrimental to the team, Scott Olsen rejoined the Marlins and the left-hander is on schedule to start on Friday.
Discussion:
FishStripes
RELATED:
Tom D'Angelo / Palm Beach Post:
Olsen mum in return to team — MIAMI GARDENS — Pitcher Scott Olsen spent his two-day suspension seeking advice from some Marlins veterans and trying to make amends for his actions. — "He needed to make right for himself and the team," Olsen's agent, Matt Sosnick, said. "He made right.
Juan C. Rodirguez / Sun-Sentinel:Treanor: Marlins need Olsen focused on baseball
Discussion:
FishStripes
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Byrnes wants deal done — Sides appear far apart; outfielder 'optimistic' but won't rule out free agency — MILWAUKEE - Eric Byrnes knows that his chances of remaining with the Diamondbacks beyond this season diminish with each passing day. — Byrnes says he remains optimistic about the chances of a deal getting done.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Mark Hale / New York Post:
SMITH-EREENS! — JOE'S MELTDOWN DOOMS MET COMEBACK — Ultimately it all turned out to be for naught. It was an astonishing comeback but still inadequate. — Last night the Mets delivered a dramatic and stunning rally against the Padres, fighting back from a three-run deficit in the eighth inning with two outs and nobody on.
Michael Morrissey / New York Post:
MELKY'S HARD WORK PAYS OFF — When Melky Cabrera's batting average was lean, he wasn't. But Cabrera, one of the team's hottest hitters entering yesterday, has added bulk to his batting average while subtracting from his weight. — Hitting coach Kevin Long said yesterday Cabrera …
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Gung-ho Floyd makes Piniella flinch a little — Cliff Floyd returned to the lineup with a pair of hits and an RBI Wednesday, after missing the last three games with a shoulder strain he suffered while attempting a diving catch Saturday. — The Cubs are 20-11 when Floyd starts in right field.
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Big inning dooms Millwood, Rangers — Right-hander surrenders four runs in second as Texas falls — OAKLAND — The play was out of the Rangers' past, a vision of one of the most pivotal plays in club history. — Those who remember the 1996 division playoff against the New York Yankees remember …
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington
Kevin Kernan / New York Post:
HUGHES '100 PERCENT' — TWO MORE STARTS, THEN TO YANKS — Phil Hughes moved a step closer yesterday to making the Yankees' rotation whole for the first time this season. — On a hot, muggy day at Waterfront Park, Hughes pitched four innings and allowed one run in the Thunder's 5-1 victory over the Binghamton Mets.
Discussion:
Mets Heads
