No dirt on Ramírez-Youkilis dust-up  —  Although the most explosive portion of fight night at Fenway Park occurred during the bottom of the second inning, after James Shields hit Coco Crisp with a pitch, the undercard was no less intriguing.  —  Before the start of the fifth inning, there was an issue in the Red Sox dugout.

Waiting for the Call  —  NORWICH, Conn. — The ballpark here sits at the end of a winding industrial road, surrounded by trees, with no sense of place.  It rained all day Wednesday, and most of the 1,353 paying fans stayed home.  Kids were disappointed if they left with only one foul ball.

Iguchi heading to disabled list  —  Infielder separates right shoulder in spill on basepaths  —  SAN DIEGO — Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi suffered a separated right shoulder in the seventh inning of the Padres' 2-1 victory over the Mets at PETCO Park on Thursday night.

Baker sold on Reds' youthful transition … If we've learned anything new about Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker in April and May, it's that the man has a flair for child care.  —  For years, Baker has been characterized as no fan of young players — a perception that would suggest he's intolerant …

Corner infielders dominate atypical first round … Overview  —  This year's first round was unusual in a number of ways.  We had five college relievers taken, beating the previous record of three (set in 2003).  We also saw eight corner infielders taken and four catchers …

Pelfrey Is Solid, but Mets Still Lose  —  SAN DIEGO — This was a pivotal moment, a pivotal moment in the game, in Mike Pelfrey's development, and the Mets pitching coach, Rick Peterson, sensed it.  He ran out to check on his struggling pitcher, putting his hands on Pelfrey's shoulders.

Cubs beat LA on Fukudome's single in 9th  —  LOS ANGELES (AP)—It's always an intriguing showdown when one of the former stars of the Japanese League faces another in a major league game.  So far, Kosuke Fukudome is having more fun than Takashi Saito when the Chicago Cubs play the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bonds pleads not guilty to refiled federal charges  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds has pleaded not guilty to 15 federal charges of lying to a grand jury about his performance-enhancing drug use.  —  Bonds pleaded not guilty to similar accusations in December, but a judge ordered prosecutors …

Clutch Project: Checking In  —  Every week or so I like to take a look at how Tangotiger's Great Clutch Project is shaping up.  For those of you unfamiliar with the project, the gist of it is to find out if fans know which players on their team are “clutch”.

Flores OK after being hit by pitch  —  Washington (25-36) vs. San Francisco (25-35), Fri., 7:35 p.m. ET  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals received a scare Thursday when catcher Jesus Flores was hit on the left hand by a Todd Wellemeyer pitch in the fourth inning of the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Yankees draft fireballer in first round  —  Righty Cole goes No. 28; Stanford lefty first compensation pick  —  NEW YORK — The New York Yankees selected right-hander Gerrit Cole on Thursday with their first-round pick in the 2008 First Year Player Draft, using the 28th overall pick …

Contreras helps White Sox sweep Royals  —  CHICAGO (AP)—Jose Contreras didn't have his best pitch, the split-finger fastball, and against the woeful Royals he didn't need it.  —  Last year it might have been a different story.  —  Contreras won his fourth straight decision and Jim Thome homered …

Mets snag college bats Davis, Havens  —  Team adds pop in first round with first baseman and shortstop  —  NEW YORK — Recent history has rarely seen the Mets have their way when it comes to the First-Year Player Draft.  Their picks snapped away through free-agent spending …