Pirates Notebook: Rays part of deep talks involving Bay  —  The Pirates are deep into trade talks with the Tampa Bay Rays and other parties regarding left fielder Jason Bay, one team source with direct knowledge said yesterday, but it remains far from certain that Bay will be moved by Major League Baseball's deadline tomorrow afternoon.

Mad Dog shuts down possible deal to Phillies  —  The Philadelphia Phillies' search for pitching took them to San Diego on Tuesday, where they inquired whether Greg Maddux would approve a deal.  Maddux, who has full no-trade powers, nixed the idea when asked by the Padres.

Lackey just misses no-no; Halos cruise  —  Right-hander allows first Red Sox hit with one out in ninth  —  BOSTON — On a day like none other in Angels history, they acquired a slugger and nearly gave rise to another no-hitter by a hard-throwing, hard-edged Texan.

Hurdle pushes to keep Fuentes  —  PITTSBURGH — Brian Fuentes is no longer a closer.  He's a modified hit by The Clash: “Should he Stay or Should he Go?”  —  That question hangs over the Rockies with each outcome.  Fuentes will not be available with a win tonight.

Treanor needs surgery on injured hip  —  Catcher still on DL, mulling procedure that could end season  —  MIAMI — Results from an MRI exam on Monday revealed Marlins catcher Matt Treanor has three muscle tears in his left hip-pelvic area.  —  On Tuesday, Treanor said that he will have to face surgery.

Perez looks strong as Mets remain alone in first  —  MIAMI - With so much focus on what the Mets need before tomorrow's non-waivers trade deadline, sometimes it's easy to overlook what they already have.  Take last night's 4-1 victory over the Marlins, for example.

Trade deadline: Manny Ramirez update  —  The Mark Teixeira trade has considerably increased the degree of difficulty for the Red Sox to trade Manny.  After all, if they had found a taker for Manny, then they could have made a run at Teixeira and asked Kevin Youkilis to please be a trooper …

Ichiro notches career hit No. 3,000  —  Outfielder singles in first inning to reach milestone  —  ARLINGTON — Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki needed only one pitch in his first at-bat Tuesday night to get his 3,000th career professional hit.  —  He dumped a single into shallow left …

Rays win Series?  Pizza for all  —  John Keiley isn't really that big of a Rays fan.  —  It's more that he likes a good story and a big underdog — and a little publicity — as much as he likes making a good pizza.  And, oh yeah, he hates the Red Sox and the Yankees.

Truth be told, injured Blalock concerns Texas Rangers  —  ARLINGTON - The Rangers were caught in a little white lie Tuesday afternoon.  By the evening, it paled in comparison to their bigger headache: the future of Hank Blalock.  —  Blalock, it turns out, did not have an upset stomach as was initially announced Monday.

Rays Scouting Jayson Werth  —  By Tim Dierkes [July 30 at 10:49am CST]  —  Mike Tingle of ESPN 840 in Charlottesville spoke to Rays scout Mike Cubbage yesterday.  Cubbage said that he plans to scout Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, and that Werth may be available in the right deal.

Disgruntled Zaun wants out  —  Jay catcher, reduced to backup role, seeks trade; Halladay adamant he's ‘not going anywhere’  —  Hours before tomorrow's trade deadline, the Blue Jays now have a checklist they can consult before making any deals.  Gregg Zaun: Wants out.  Roy Halladay: Wants to stay put.

Pavano and Hughes on Road to Recovery  —  CHARLESTON, S.C. — Yankees pitchers Carl Pavano and Phil Hughes delivered five innings of scoreless baseball and two lessons in pitching styles in a rehabilitation assignment Tuesday night.  —  They also represented a difficult past and a hopeful future for the Yankees.

Shaky sixth spoils night for Sheets  —  Righty allows five runs during inning; Crew stifled by Zambrano  —  MILWAUKEE — The Brew Crew has suddenly gone flat.  —  Ben Sheets was knocked around for six runs and 11 hits in his worst start in more than two months, and the Brewers' offense …

Washburn deal appears dead  —  The Yankees' trade talks with the Mariners regarding Jarrod Washburn are “dead,” one person in the loop said yesterday.  But the dynamics of these negotiations are such that they can extend past tomorrow's non-waivers trade deadline.

Maine endures mild strain of rotator cuff  —  Mets uncertain whether right-hander will make scheduled start  —  MIAMI — John Maine's status may not be certain, but at least it's not severe.  —  An MRI taken Tuesday revealed that Maine has a mild strain of his right rotator cuff.