Starting Rivera in Midsummer Classic would be ultimate tribute  —  NEW YORK — In a world of crazy, outside-the-box thinking, here's one idea that has gained some traction in the Yankees' clubhouse lately: Why not give Mariano Rivera, this generation's greatest closer, a chance to be really appreciated at the All-Star Game?

Phillies could not compete in Sabathia stakes  —  The Phillies placed Cy Young winner CC Sabathia atop their trade-deadline wish list but fell short simply because they couldn't beat the package the Milwaukee Brewers put together for him.  —  The Brewers offered top prospect Matt LaPorta to Cleveland …

Beltran's Throw  —  During the ninth inning of last night's game against the Phillies, Carlos Beltran made a throw to third base in attempt to nail Eric Bruntlett going from first to third on a single by Pedro Feliz.  The ball got away from third baseman David Wright, allowing Bruntlett to score and Feliz to take second base.

Lennon: Hey Omar, What About Bonds?  —  After more than 15 minutes of grilling on Ryan Church, concussions, migraines and any number of brain-related issues, general manager Omar Minaya actually seemed relieved yesterday when someone asked him about pursuing Barry Bonds.

Kuroda brilliant in one-hitting Braves  —  Dodgers right-hander takes perfect game into eighth inning  —  LOS ANGELES — Hiroki Kuroda was nearly perfect Monday in the Dodgers' 3-0 victory over the Braves in front of 39,896 to open the series.  —  Instead, he was just very good and settled …

Pirates expecting Wilson to stay put  —  Coonelly: Team will ‘evaluate carefully every potential trade’  —  The Pirates expect to keep shortstop Jack Wilson beyond Major League Baseball's July 31 trading deadline, despite overtures from several teams in the past week.  —  And he might stay a lot longer than that.

‘What Have I Done Now?’  —  Milton Bradley, the Texas Rangers' designated hitter, was named to his first All-Star team and will play for the American League at Yankee Stadium next week.  He will contribute occasional items to the New York Times's Bats blog about his All-Star experience.

Duchscherer looking for a long-term deal  —  Justin Duchscherer is now a two-time All-Star and he has put up the best ERA among AL starters going into tonight's game against the Mariners.  —  That makes him among the top bargains in the bigs.  Duchscherer, who was arbitration-eligible …

$31 million, all we got was a lousy Tulo  —  At age 23, is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki too big to be bent over the knee of Rockies manager Clint Hurdle and given a spanking?  —  On a team that has failed to live up to expectations, the biggest bust has been Tulowitzki.

Nats Striking Out on TV  —  MASN Programming Ranks Last Among U.S. Major League Markets  —  The Washington Nationals are drawing the smallest U.S. regional television audience in baseball this season, attracting less than one-third the average number of households of any other team …