Astros suspend Chacon after altercation with GM Wade  —  Already upset that he was demoted from the Astros' starting rotation to the bullpen, Shawn Chacon was suspended indefinitely Wednesday night after a heated exchange turned violent with general manager Ed Wade an hour before the Astros played the Texas Rangers.

Crawford's 2 HRs, 10-run 5th lift Rays  —  MIAMI (AP)—Carl Crawford had two home runs and a career-high five RBIs, and the first nine Tampa Bay batters reached and scored in what became a 10-run fifth inning in the Rays' 15-3 win over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night.

Flores' single gives Nationals win in ninth  —  WASHINGTON — Jesus Flores lined an RBI single to right-center with one out in the bottom of the ninth to give the Washington Nationals a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday.  —  The Nationals snapped a four-game losing streak and ended the Angels' five-game winning streak.

Baseball's problem with bats  —  ESPN.com's Buster Olney wrote about this today and Tom Verducci has, too, for Sports Illustrated.  At this point, it's dereliction of duty not to write about it.  —  Baseball needs to do something about the crisis with maple bats.

Agent: Bonds has no interest in playing in minors  —  NEW YORK — Barry Bonds has no desire to play for an independent minor league team in an effort to spur interest among major league clubs.  —  The indicted career home run leader remains unsigned, even though he batted .276 last season with 28 homers …

Ortiz already in the swing of things  —  Red Sox manager Terry Francona revealed today that David Ortiz, who recently got the cast taken off his injured left wrist, hit off of a tee in front of doctors last night at Fenway Park, and that he “did OK” in the session.

DAMON SITS; DL POSSIBLE  —  PITTSBURGH - Johnny Damon has his fingers firmly crossed that the pain coming from the left arch doesn't land him on the disabled list for the first time in his career.  —  “I hope not,” Damon said when asked if the shelf was a possibility.  “I don't know, but Sunday it was real bad.

Ellis, A's have talks about extension  —  Second baseman wants to stay, and team wants same  —  OAKLAND — A's second baseman Mark Ellis openly admits to occasionally thinking about what it'd be like to play elsewhere, perhaps in front of sellout crowds and for ungodly piles of free-agent cash.

Nats offer Guzman two-year extension  —  Shortstop set to become free agent at season's end  —  WASHINGTON — In late May, it was reported that the Nationals and shortstop Cristian Guzman were not going to negotiate a contract extension during the 2008 season.

Could Ichiro be part of the mass exodus in Seattle? … NEW YORK — Before he was let go as Mariners general manager, Bill Bavasi was telling his bosses that the team's problem was the players, not manager John McLaren.  —  Bavasi's bosses must have disagreed.  First they fired Bavasi himself.

Arroyo has start to forget in loss  —  Right-hander retires just three of 15 batters, allows 10 runs  —  TORONTO — With the way he pitched on Tuesday, Bronson Arroyo simply gave the Reds no chance to win.  —  Arroyo was pounded for 10 earned runs and 11 hits, including three home runs …

Buehrle makes quick work of Dodgers  —  Lefty gets 1,000th K as Sox snap nine-game road losing skid  —  LOS ANGELES — Blame inflated airline prices and Mark Sweeney for John Buehrle not being able to see his son record career strikeout No. 1,000 during a 6-1 victory for the White Sox on Tuesday night before 43,900 at Dodger Stadium.

HANK: WILLIE WELCOME WITH US  —  Willie Randolph won't have to look far if he wants another job in baseball - he just needs to call Hank Steinbrenner.  —  “There's certainly some stuff I can think of for one of the greatest infielders I've ever seen,” Steinbrenner told The Post yesterday.

Manuel, Beltran ejected in Mets' awful 11-0 loss to Mariners  —  Home plate umpire Brian Runge tosses Jerry Manuel for arguing a strike call on Carlos Beltran in the fourth inning.  (Newsday/David L. Pokress / June 24, 2008)  —  The Mets lost to Seattle again, 11-0, last night in the ugliest game of the Jerry Manuel era.