Padres' Giles vetoes waiver deal with Red Sox … San Diego Padres right fielder Brian Giles officially exercised his veto power and blocked a waiver deal Friday that would have sent him to the Boston Red Sox.  —  Giles, 37, was claimed on waivers by the Red Sox, and Boston and San Diego had 48 hours to make a deal.

Reds hire Bill Bavasi  —  Bill Bavasi, fired as the Mariners' general manager on June 16, was hired today by the Cincinnati Reds as a special assistant to Walt Jocketty, the team's president and general manager.  —  Bavasi, 50, will advise and assist Jocketty in matters involving the front office …

Yanks' Chamberlain expects to return this month  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Joba Chamberlain plans to start a throwing program next week and expects to rejoin the New York Yankees' rotation this month.  —  Chamberlain was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday due to rotator cuff tendinitis in his pitching shoulder.

“Sometimes, they come in bunches”  —  UPDATE: Less than an hour after publishing this article, two more players were announced as suspended.  New York Mets Minor League pitchers Leandro Geremy and Jose Valentin have received 50-game suspensions after each tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance …

Manny Mania takes over LA  —  LOS ANGELES - Manny Mania is all the rage in Southern California.  —  Manny Ramírez is crushing the ball.  He says he wants to finish his career in California.  The Dodgers are getting ready to market Manny caps complete with dreadlocks.  The local media love Manny.

Marlins bringing back catcher Lo Duca  —  Club inks veteran backstop to Minor League contract  —  NEW YORK — The Marlins signed veteran catcher Paul Lo Duca to a Minor League contract on Friday.  —  Lo Duca will report to Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, and will likely catch and serve as a designated hitter.

Mussina named Pepsi Clutch Performer  —  Right-hander recognized for ‘getting it done’ for Yanks  —  ARLINGTON — Considering all the pitching injuries that have befallen the Yankees, finding someone to step up and carry the team has been critical.  Yet the Yankees have not needed to look far.

Cubs come through in clutch, fend off Cards in 11 innings  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Henry Blanco singled home the winning run with the bases loaded in the 11th inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Friday to keep up their domination this season at Wrigley Field.

Pirates endure short-term groans to achieve long-term gains … Pirates general manager Neal Huntington is 39 years old and looks young enough to have a MySpace page.  The keys to staving off the aging process?  Eat sensibly, get plenty of exercise and listen to sports talk radio in moderation.

America's Most Loyal Baseball Fans  —  Chicago Cubs fans are legendary for loving their team no matter what the scoreboard says, or how many consecutive days the home team trails the division leader.  Kids who can't get tickets wait for home run balls on Sheffield Avenue.

The Mussina renaissance  —  For Mike Mussina, 2007 qualified as an annus horribilis.  —  After getting cuffed around for six runs over four innings in his first start, Mussina left start No. 2 in the third inning with a strained left hamstring.  A trip to the DL kept him out for the rest …