Mets fall to D-backs despite meeting  —  Few grand plans have gotten off to a worse start than the Mets' new one did Tuesday night.  —  They haven't played like a playoff team, but the Mets still believe they are one.  And Tuesday, before facing the Diamondbacks, the Mets players emerged …

Win-now mentality has Dodgers looking to deal Kemp  —  Matt Kemp may become a superstar, but it'll take time.  That means the win-now Dodgers have to make a tough call on him, Ken Rosenthal says.

Mets call up Zephyr slugger Chris Aguila  —  Former Marlin Chris Aguila is headed to New York, Surfing the Mets has learned.  He'll replace Abraham Nunez, who was designated for assignment after Tuesday night's game.  —  Aguila (above r.) has been on a longball tear at Triple-A New Orleans.

Hank to wield poison pen?  —  Chien-Ming Wang throws to first base in an attempt to pick off Jack Hannahan during the first inning of Tuesday night's game in Oakland, which the Yankees won, 3-1.  (AP Photo/Ben Margot) / June 10, 2008)  —  Hank Steinbrenner, magazine columnist?  —  Well, why not?

Lies, Damned Lies  —  Chipper's Chase of .400  —  Chipper Jones is not a .400 hitter.  However, that doesn't mean that he won't hit .400.  What we have on our hands is a classic case of the irresistible force against the immovable object.  On the one hand, it's exceptionally unlikely …

Cairo's numbers don't measure his value  —  Utilityman gets job done off bench even if stats say otherwise  —  TORONTO — If performance was always judged strictly on numbers, then it's likely Miguel Cairo would no longer have a place in the Major Leagues.

Karstens activated, Cox placed on the DL  —  As expected, Jeff Karstens has been activated from the disabled list to start tonight's game in Richmond.  Coming as much more of a surprise, J.B. Cox has been placed on the seven-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday.

Players ID'd in Mitchell report remain unemployed … These are tough times for unemployed players named in the Mitchell report trying to find work in baseball, whether they happen to be a home run king such as Barry Bonds or a 31-year-old such as Jay Gibbons or an extra outfielder, such as Nook Logan.

Morrow to the rescue; Putz has sore elbow  —  J.J. Putz walked the leadoff batter in the ninth, then got to 1-2 in the count on Vernon Wells before the training staff jogged out to the mound.  Putz appeared to slightly favor his elbow (he does, see update below).

Bondy: Victory is nothing to go wild about yet  —  OAKLAND - Chien-Ming Wang finally looked like Chien-Ming Wang Tuesday night, against a team that might well become the Yankees' primary roadblock to a wild-card berth in October.  —  His pitch count was minuscule.

Ankle injury forces Jurrjens to skip start  —  Right-hander could join three other starting pitchers on DL  —  CHICAGO — Whenever it seems like things can't get any worse for the Braves, they do.  Thus, it should come as no surprise that a fourth member of their original projected starting rotation …

The No-Star team (cont.)  —  Meche could hit trade market  —  A year after signing a controversial $55-million, five-year Royals free agent contract, Gil Meche is expected to be shopped by the Royals at the trade deadline.  The Cubs could become an interested party, according to one GM.

Why Chipper Jones won't be able to hit .400 … Chipper Jones single-handedly has made batting average cool again, as soothing to a baseball romantic as vinyl to an audiophile.  Yes, we have better, more advanced delivery systems of baseball statistics and rock and roll …