Top News:
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Wang Says Strain Won't Stop Next Start — Brian Cashman was in a meeting Wednesday when he took a call from the Yankees' trainer's room. That is rarely a good call for a general manager to take. — Cashman learned that Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees' No. 1 starter, had noticed some discoloration …
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Kat O'Brien / Newsday:
Joba's future as a starter overshadows Yanks' dominant win — Joba Chamberlain celebrates the Yankees' 8-0 win after pitching the final two innings of the Yankees' win over Baltimore. Manager Joe Girardi confirmed after the game that the process has begun to make Chamberlain a starter.
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Wang: Mild calf strain won't keep him out — Yankees right-hander expects to make next start Saturday — NEW YORK — The afterglow of Alex Rodriguez's return on Tuesday lasted only three innings, just time enough for the Yankees to see another superstar, Derek Jeter, go down with an injury.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
So, what about the 8th inning? — Joe Girardi will say what he has to say, which is that the job will go to Kyle Farnsworth. — But that is hardly carved in stone. The idea that the eighth inning has to belong to one pitcher is ridiculous. The best way to approach the eighth inning …
M.A. Mehta / New Jersey Online:Joba Chamberlain begins conversion process in 8-0 win over Orioles
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, Bronx Banter, NY Daily News, New York Post, Bronx Liaison, Camden Chat and Pinstripe Alley
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
Colon wins in return, Red Sox top Royals — BOSTON (AP)—After 306 starts, 146 wins and one Cy Young award, Bartolo Colon felt like a rookie before his 2008 debut. — The beefy right-hander turns 35 on Saturday but when he took the mound Wednesday night he had the nerves of a neophyte.
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Rob Bradford / Boston Herald:
Deal? For Red Sox, no deal — Stars won't jump gun — So you believe it makes sense for the young players on the Red Sox [team stats] to jump in on the multi-year contract bandwagon that has been gaining significant steam in the last few months? — Think again.
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MLB Rumors
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
A-Rod loses out on second home run — Slugger's drive appeared to clear fence, but ruled a double — NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez lost out on a potential home run in the sixth inning of Wednesday's game against the Orioles, when umpires instead ruled his hit a double.
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Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Ramirez may return to leadoff — MIAMI GARDENS - Manager Fredi Gonzalez guaranteed Hanley Ramirez would be in tonight's lineup. He's just not sure where. — Ramirez's struggles since moving to the middle of the order are such that Gonzalez is considering moving him back to leadoff, where he has consistently excelled.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Alan Robinson / Associated Press:
Sheets beats Pirates with 11-hitter — PITTSBURGH (AP)—Ben Sheets limited Pittsburgh to one run despite allowing 11 hits in his second complete game of the season, and Rickie Weeks homered and scored twice to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-1 victory over the Pirates on Wednesday night.
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Grogginess clears for Church — Right fielder says he feels free of concussion symptoms — ATLANTA — Although his forehead looked as if it had been scrubbed with steel wool and his knees were scraped and his name had been excluded from the Mets' lineup on Wednesday night …
Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:
Joba's chance to rule rotation — The Joba Rules are being rewritten altogether. — Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth and ninth inning of Wednesday night's 8- win over the Orioles, and afterward the Yankees announced that it was the first step of the phenom's much-anticipated conversion …
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Fan seriously injured by fall at Turner Field — A Braves fan has serious head injuries after falling from the stands at Turner Field, police said. — The 25-year-old man, who wasn't immediately identified, fell an estimated four levels inside the stadium to field level …
Marc Fisher / Washington Post:
Nats Risk Priceless Goodwill For $100,000 a Day in Damages — Night after night, tens of thousands of fans crowd into Nationals Park to watch baseball. The views are spectacular, the scoreboard is dazzling, the team can't hit — ah, well, you can't have everything.
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Willis headed to Tigers' bullpen — Left-hander activated from DL, available Wednesday — DETROIT — Dontrelle Willis is rejoining the Tigers, but he's doing so in the bullpen. — The Tigers activated the left-hander from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, but manager Jim Leyland announced …
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Fast ball: Ponson, Texas Rangers make quick work of Twins — egrant@dallasnews.com — MINNEAPOLIS - Ladies and gentleman: burgeoning board of education candidate Sidney Ponson. — “There is no reason to sit around for four hours,” the candidate, er, starter said Wednesday night.
Ross / Yankee Stadium Insider Blog:
“Terry Crowley is lucky he's in f*cking baseball” makes it on the air on YES — UPDATE (9:34 PM): Minor correction. This is still bad for YES, but it was not a producer, or anyone on the YES crew, apparently. It was Earl Weaver in the famous manager's corner clip as an anonymous commenter pointed out.
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Recap: Willie Randolph on WFAN — During his interview a few moments ago on WFAN, Willie Randolph told the show's host that many of his comments from the infamous Bergen Record article by Ian O'Conner were intended to be off the record, adding, “But, that's my fault..,I thought I was just blowing off steam.”
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