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Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Game 79: Mets at Yankees — YANKEES (42-36) — METS (38-39) — Dan Giese (1-2, 0.64) has never faced any of Mets hitters and Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.30) has never faced any of the Yankees. — Notes: Damon will play Game 2 in left. ... Sounds like Hideki Matsui will go on the DL after Game 1 when Sidney Ponson is activated. ...
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Pitchers who may get dealt at the deadline … C.C. Sabathia hasn't been the star of this season, but he appears very likely to become the star of this trading season. No less than a dozen teams are believed interested in the Indians' talented and accomplished left-hander.
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Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
Brandon Inge angles for a lucrative pillow endorsement — We've heard about players getting hurt while sneezing, while sleepwalking through a nightmare about spiders and after kicking an iron bar stool. — But we had never heard of a pillow-lifting injury in baseball — that is …
Will Leitch / Deadspin:
Meet Your New Editor(s) — We were really hoping that, here on our last day, we'd have the opportunity to announce our successor at this here site. It is our pleasure — after quite a bit of back-and-forth and more qualified applicants that we could have possibly imagined — to say, yes, this here site is going to be in fine hands.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings, Walkoff Walk, The700Level.com, FanHouse, SPORTSbyBROOKS and Dan Shanoff
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
How could I forget Hernandez and Strawberry on photo day? — When I was writing this morning's top 10 MLB teammate fights, I was doing it with the knowledge that I was definitely going to leave some classics out on the table. Blogging is a game of first drafts.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Sabernomics:
Do It! Why the Braves Should Sign Barry Bonds — When I first heard the news that Barry Bonds is willing to play for the league minimum I laughed: there's no way would the Braves do this. Right? But I the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the Braves need to make this move.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Grilli can handle heat at Comerica — Based on the venom directed at Jason Grilli by Tigers fans and manager Jim Leyland, one would think the reliever was responsible for slow U.S. car sales and Michigan's statewide recession. — Grilli returns to Detroit tonight as the slumping Rockies open a three-game series at Comerica Park.
Ken Mandel / MLB.com:
Benson to make Triple-A rehab start — Right-hander to take the hill vs. Syracuse on Sunday — OAKLAND — Feeling it's time for a challenge, the Phillies have sent rehabbing pitcher Kris Benson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley for his June 29 start. — The right-hander had gone -2 with an 8.10 ERA …
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Fox Sports:
Bullpen management proving to be Girardi's strength — Stats don't lie when it comes to the Yanks' 'pen. That's one area where Joe Girardi's outshined his predecessor, Ken Rosenthal says.
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Marlins Notebook: Florida hopes to rebounds vs. Arizona — MIAMI GARDENS — The Marlins hope they can snap a four-game losing streak when Arizona arrives tonight for a rare second trip of the season to Florida starting tonight. — The Marlins swept three games from the Diamondbacks at Dolphin Stadium in May.
Peter Abraham / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Greetings from Gate D-88 — Here we are at the Frenchy Fuqua International Airport in Pittsburgh. — Back when I made these flight plans, it seemed perfect. Arrive at LaGuardia around 11:15 a.m., grab some lunch in Queens and head over to Shea Stadium with plenty of time to spare to cover the game.
Discussion:
The 'Ropolitans
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yankees Are Frustrated by a Rainout — PITTSBURGH — The Yankees started Thursday's game with four extra-base hits in a row, and they were leading the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1, when a storm blew through PNC Park. The teams waited two and a half hours before the game was postponed until July 10, with all statistics erased.
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Billy Witz / New York Times:
The Kid Keeps Himself in the Picture — LONG BEACH, Calif. — There is a slight paunch and a tilt in his gait, the result of all the knee surgeries that serve as penance for all the years he spent as a major league catcher. But Gary Carter, even at 54, has the same camera-ready smile …