Top News:
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
History Repeats as Yankees Sweep Red Sox — The sweep was more emphatic last August, when the Yankees rampaged into Fenway Park and won five games to bury the Boston Red Sox. The best the Yankees could do this time was to win three at Yankee Stadium and chisel a chunk from Boston's sizable lead in the American League East.
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ESPN.com:
MLB fashion police check Francona during game — NEW YORK — Major League Baseball's style police were patrolling Yankee Stadium, and Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was pulled over. — During the second inning of Wednesday night's game against the New York Yankees …
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Drew still doesn't know what to do — He's trying to deliver plausible explanation — NEW YORK — Until J.D. Drew starts hitting home runs and driving in big runs, the $14 million-a-year outfielder will not have much comfort in Boston. Nor will he have acceptance.
George King / New York Post:
WATSON'S VISIT IRKS FRANCONA — Tired of repeated warnings falling on deaf ears, The Post has learned Bob Watson entered the Red Sox dugout during last night's game to talk to Terry Francona about not wearing a uniform jersey while managing. Francona opts for a red pullover, which is sanctioned by MLB properties.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Boston Globe, Bronx Banter, Uni Watch, SawxBlog, Yanksfan vs Soxfan, Hartford Courant, Main Board and The Joy of Sox
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Uniform-gate — NEW YORK — Red Sox manager Terry Francona was peeved this morning that a (major league baseball) security person made him show that he was wearing his uniform top in the second inning of Wednesday night's game with Derek Jeter at second base.
Conor Nicholl / MLB.com:
Homers back Bonderman in win — Tigers starter earns first win in August with quality start — KANSAS CITY — Joel Zumaya believes Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman are the American League's best 1-2 punch. The pair has each thrown an impressive performance in the past four days …
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: Duffy to have surgery — Chris Duffy, the Pirates' opening-day center fielder, will have surgery on his left shoulder tomorrow, two sources confirmed yesterday. — The surgery will be performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Los Angeles Angels' team physician who examined Duffy yesterday in Los Angeles.
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Dodgers willing to gamble on Loaiza — LIKE THIS STORY? — The moment the Dodgers claimed A's right-hander Esteban Loaiza on waivers, they forfeited all leverage in trade discussions. — Their decision to risk absorbing the $8 million-plus remaining on Loaiza's contract was yet another reflection …
Discussion:
Purple Row
Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:
Guillen rips into Sox — X-rated rant follows loss to Rangers in extra innings — ARLINGTON, Texas — After watching the White Sox's offense sink to a new low Wednesday night, manager Ozzie Guillen fired his own attack during a 4 1/2 -minute tirade. — "The offense threw dirt on the grave …
Joe Sheehan / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Today — Jose Reyes — The Angels sweep, the Indians sweep, the Padres take a third, the Phillies take a third, the Yankees take a second...we'll see how all of these storylines develop today as these series come to a close, some of them in matinees.
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
D-Backs' lead has evaporated — SAN DIEGO - Not long after he fired his helmet into the ground in frustration on Wednesday night, Chris Snyder had found a more dispassionate perspective on the first three games of what has thus far been a nightmarish series for the Diamondbacks …
Dan Fox / Baseball Prospectus:
Tilting the Playing Field — "It is the best game because the players look like us. They are not seven feet tall, they don't weigh 350 pounds, and they don't bench-press 650. We can relate to them. We can see them—they're not obscured by some hideous face mask, and they don't play behind …
Discussion:
Dan Agonistes
Roch Kubatko / Baltimore Sun:
Strained oblique to cost Bedard start in Boston — Rookie Olson will be recalled from Bluefield to take ace's turn — The Orioles were able to divert their attention from their beleaguered bullpen yesterday, but only so they could attempt to patch up their rotation.
Discussion:
Oriole Post
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Retro Rocket — Clemens fuels Yankees past punchless Sox — NEW YORK — The lead is down to a still-comfortable six games, and unless Curt Schilling can offer some vintage Schill this afternoon the way Roger Clemens gave the Yankees some retro Rocket last night, it might be five …
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Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
O's lose 8th straight — Bullpen blows 3-run lead; Devil Rays win it in 12 innings — It didn't matter how effective Steve Trachsel was for six innings, or how far Aubrey Huff's latest home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays traveled. Everything last night was channeled into the late innings …
