Shooting from the Lip: What do Mets do now?  —  LONDON - Now what for the Mets?  It is a real good question on either side of the Atlantic after a week in which they managed to turn themselves into the kings of comedy, a good question even if you are on your way to Centre Court, Wimbledon …

‘Mike and the Mad Dog’ radio show could be history  —  “Mike and the Mad Dog,” the most successful, influential show in sports talk radio history, could soon be history itself.  —  Barring a change of heart, the partnership between Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” …

Jimenez outpitches Pedro  —  A duel of Dominicans goes to the Rockies starter who grew up idolizing “my hero.”  —  The Denver Post  —  When he was a gangly kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, Ubaldo Jimenez propped himself in front of the TV whenever national treasure Pedro Martinez pitched.

Pirates place Dumatrait on DL for shoulder injury  —  The Pirates today placed starter Phil Dumatrait on the 15-day disabled list, because of rotator cuff tendinitis in his left shoulder, and promoted reliever T.J. Beam from Class AAA Indianapolis.  —  Dumatrait had been the rotation's best until …

Johnson still feeling soreness in wrist  —  On DL since May 15, Nats first baseman suffers another setback  —  WASHINGTON — Nationals general manager Jim Bowden revealed Saturday that injured first baseman Nick Johnson will go to the Mayo Clinic on Monday because he's still feeling soreness in his injured right wrist.

Creative M's lineup  —  Jim Riggleman will trot out one of the more, uh, interesting lineups of the year to face tough Tim Hudson:  —  Ichiro RF  —  Willie Bloomquist 2B  —  Raul Ibanez LF  —  Jose Vidro 1B  —  Jeremy Reed CF  —  Yuniesky Betancourt SS  —  Jeff Clement C  —  Miguel Cairo 3B

‘Z’ injury report puts Hendry on defensive  —  CUBS IN BRIEF  —  The ghost of Mark Prior's career with the Cubs swept an angry chill through the tunnels and recesses of Wrigley Field on Saturday, as Cubs general manager Jim Hendry bristled about comparisons between Carlos Zambrano's strained shoulder …

Relative says MLB should retire Ruth's No. 3  —  The debate rises up from the history books.  The question is one of honor.  And the woman at the center of it all swears she'll never stop swinging for the fences.  Just like her grandfather.  —  “I'm not going away,” she says.

Something will have to give  —  Decision time looms for buyers and sellers  —  R. SEXSON On the way out?  —  Some teams (Mariners, Mets, Blue Jays) have already made their major decisions, while others are still formulating plans.  A glimpse at a few game plans you might see implemented:

Time of the season: Young, Texas Rangers batter Nationals  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  WASHINGTON - Mateo Young turns 3 years old today.  It seems his father is intent on giving him the same birthday gift he's gotten every year:  —  A smoking hot bat.  —  Just in time for his kid's birthday …

Pirates Notebook: Marte might stay after all  —  For months, it seemed a lock that Damaso Marte was the most likely of the Pirates' veterans to be traded.  —  No more.  —  Management began entertaining offers for him in the offseason, and that never stopped.

Mets hire Krivsky as Minaya's special assistant … DENVER (AP) — Longtime baseball executive Wayne Krivsky was hired by the New York Mets on Saturday as special assistant to general manager Omar Minaya.  —  Krivsky was fired as GM of the Cincinnati Reds in late April.