Top News:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Over their heads — Red Sox get brushed off by Yankees — NEW YORK - With the two pitches from Joba Chamberlain perhaps still echoing in Kevin Youkilis's ear, Yankee Stadium emptied its fill of 55,067 seemingly satisfied fans. Not only had they seen their nascent phenom lob …
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Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Rivals went chin to chin once again — NEW YORK - Clearly, these two teams are constitutionally incapable of just playing baseball games. — No, with the Red Sox and Yankees, there's always more. We get headhunting, ejections, overturned calls by umpires, Major League Baseball fashionistas …
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.
Jack Curry / New York Times:
Chamberlain Draws Boston's Attention — Kevin Youkilis thought Joba Chamberlain's first 98 mile-an-hour fastball over his head might have been accidental. But when Chamberlain followed that with an identical fastball again near his skull, it took Youkilis only a few tenths of a second …
George King / New York Post:
YANKEES HIT SWEEP SPOT — WANG'S GEM SENDS MESSAGE TO SAWX — The $200 million elephant dressed in Yankees pinstripes is in the room and the Red Sox can't ignore it. The Yankees might not catch them, but the Red Sox know their blood rivals can beat them.
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Red-hot Phillies pressuring Mets in NL East — So what clinched it for you? Was it Aaron Rowand's remarkable swinging bunt Tuesday night? CB Bucknor's game-ending interference call on Marlon Anderson Wednesday night? — Pat Burrell's third-inning homer yesterday, which landed just one fan over from the Phillie Phanatic?
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Boston Herald:
Phillies Chase down New York — A rout, a rally and a rare call gave the Phillies their first three wins over the Mets in a pivotal series. — Then came the wildest game of all. — Chase Utley hit an RBI single off Billy Wagner in the ninth inning and the Phillies completed a huge sweep …
Discussion:
New York Post
Chicago Sun Times:
Inside pitch: White Sox — St. Louis Cardinals free agent- to-be David Eckstein (above) is becoming target No. 1 on the Sox' offseason wish list. He would give them a leadoff hitter with a career .349 on-base percentage and a sure-handed shortstop. Plus, he and Sox catcher …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Robert Macleod / Globe and Mail:
Wells may need surgery — TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays' star centre fielder Vernon Wells, who signed a $126-million contract extension last winter, might require off-season shoulder surgery. — So says general manager J.P. Ricciardi. — "I think we'll look at it a little deeper …
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Call-Ups Likely Will Be Old and New — Major league rosters are allowed to expand from 25 to 40 tomorrow, and the Washington Nationals are likely to get two waves of reinforcements — the first as early as tomorrow, the next after most minor league seasons are over on Tuesday.
Bill Center / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Longtime Dodgers hater now is one — David Wells bears no ill will toward the Padres. — Just the same, he hopes to, well, "beat" his former team tonight when he returns to Petco Park as a member of the Dodgers. — "How strange is this?" Wells admitted Wednesday morning via telephone from Dodger Stadium.
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Cubs have the look of winners … CHICAGO — If you're a student of history, billy goats and guys named Bartman, you know there are certain words you should always be wary of using in the same sentence as the term Cubs season. — Magical comes to mind. — Or enchanted, perhaps ... mystical, maybe ... special, possibly.
Michael Phillips / MLB.com:
Listen up: Balester making some noise — Young right-hander working to develop his repertoire — Collin Balester's story is pretty average. Collin Balester is not. — Balester is a tall pitcher from California who was drafted straight out of high school, and he succeeded in the Minor Leagues throwing a hard fastball.
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer
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 …
