Notes: Alou, Pedro take a step back  —  NEW YORK — The Mets were relatively confident in early June that Moises Alou would be a full-time participant by early July.  That, general manager Omar Minaya said, would afford the ample time to judge his readiness for late stages of the division race …

Snell: 'I don't want to be called a loser'  —  Pitcher challenges Pirates again after 8-4 loss to Mets  —  NEW YORK — It was late in the evening on June 23, when Ian Snell, fresh off a road blowout by the Los Angeles Angels, lashed out at all of the Pirates' losing.  —  He called it "stupid."

Just like his average, Crisp movin' on up  —  CLEVELAND — Back when Coco Crisp was mired in a deep slump, he didn't mind taking breaks from the questions of the media horde.  But, he joked with a reporter, he would be more than happy to talk on the record once he was hitting well enough to be placed in the cleanup spot.

BOMBERS DEBATE PLAN FOR DEADLINE  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Yankees brass met in Tampa yesterday for 3½ hours.  Though they came away knowing what they would like to improve the club with before Tuesday's trade deadline, it doesn't mean the Yankees will make a move.

Another Pitcher Hurt, And Nats Feel the Pain  —  Pitchers aren't used to sprinting across the skin of the infield, planting their foot on a base and sucking it up for 90 more feet.  "Everybody here is an athlete," Washington Nationals Manager Manny Acta said Tuesday night.

Slumping Mariners drop nightcap  —  Seattle swept in doubleheader despite Washburn's effort  —  ARLINGTON — The Mariners have experienced enough difficult times so far this season that they say pushing the panic button anytime soon is not an option.  —  But the third losing streak …

Trade Winds: Teixeira out of Texas?  —  Boston appears to be the front runner to land first baseman  —  With less than a week to go until the trade deadline, it's looking more and more as though Mark Teixeira's days as a Ranger are numbered in single digits.

Colon goes on disabled list  —  Scioscia is concerned about right-hander.  Team is interested in Konerko.  —  The Angels put Bartolo Colon on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, one day after he left a game after one inning because of irritation in his pitching elbow.

Chemist Says Sheffield and Bonds Used Drugs  —  Patrick Arnold, a chemist who worked with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, said in an HBO Sports interview that Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs provided to them by the laboratory.

Latest trade talk: Mets interested in Grudzielanek  —  Royals veteran Mark Grudzielanek is believed to be on a short list of second basemen eyed by the New York Mets as a possible replacement for injured Jose Valentin.  —  The Mets showed interest in Grudzielanek as a free agent after the 2005 season before opting to sign Valentin.

'Salty' focuses on game, not trade block  —  San Francisco — Being both a child of the Internet age and one of baseball's most sought-after prospects, Jarrod Saltalamacchia could drive himself crazy keeping up with all the trade rumors involving him that are flying through cyberspace.

Notes: Braves linked to Teixeira  —  Source confirms deal in works for Rangers slugger  —  SAN FRANCISCO — As the Braves were preparing to play the Giants at AT&T Park on Tuesday night, the buzz at other Major League parks across the country was that they had emerged as the favorites to land Mark Teixeira in a trade with the Rangers.

Mariners reinstate RHP Mark Lowe from 60-day disabled list  —  LHP Ryan Feierabend optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.  RHP Sean White transferred from 15- to 60-day DL  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Bill Bavasi announced today …

Trade deadline looming, but it's still wait-and-see  —  White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen still refers to it as a ''talk'' rather than a meeting, but there he was again Tuesday morning, huddled in his office with general manager Ken Williams, discussing the roster and what moves could be made to improve it.