Game 121: Yankees at Twins  —  YANKEES (64-56)  —  TWINS (66-53)  —  Darrell Rasner (5-8, 5.28) vs. the Minnesota hitters.  —  Kevin Slowey (8-8, 4.07) vs. the New York hitters.  —  Notes: The lineup was delayed as the Yankees were waiting to see if Derek Jeter (bruised left foot) could play.

After blunders, Marlins fix signs  —  No one is sure what Dan Uggla saw Monday night when he thought he had been given the steal sign in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.  Uggla was thrown out, and then handled every question about his mistake, taking all the blame.

Byrd sighting  —  Paul Byrd had his first in-person chat with the Boston media before the game.  Byrd, 37, is a righthander and was 7-10 with the Indians this season, with a 4.53 ERA in 22 games.  He has a career record of 104-91 and a career ERA of 4.37.  —  “I'm still spinning a little bit,” said Byrd.

Lowell on 15-day DL; Pauley recalled  —  Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to an oblique injury suffered during last night's game.  —  Righthanded pitcher David Pauley has been recalled from Pawtucket to take Lowell's spot on the roster.

Mets get Piazza to help close Shea  —  Before the Mets tear down Shea Stadium later this year, their plan is to honor their home of the past 44 years with a special ceremony during the final weekend of the regular season.  The organization has stayed tight-lipped about the details …

Peter Gammons Q&A  —  Baseball icon Peter Gammons stopped by this afternoon to answer your questions about the Red Sox and the Hot Stove, Cool Music Summer Session concert taking place on Sunday at the Bank of America Pavilion.  —  JGIONTI3: Peter.. Thanks for stopping by.

Yankees expected to offer GM Cashman extension in offseason … Never mind the Yankees' current standing in third place, or their recent struggles.  Both Steinbrenner brothers are now said by people familiar with their thinking to be on board with Brian Cashman as their general manager, for now and long into the future.

Nationals, Crow far from closing deal  —  Club has until Friday to sign 2008 first-round Draft pick  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals and pitcher Aaron Crow, the team's first-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, are not close to agreeing to terms on a contract.

Larry Bowa chat wrapup  —  Coach spoke with Dodgers fans on many topics  —  doctony: Larry, What's your feeling on batting Nomar behind Manny instead of Loney, due to his experience, especially during the run for the Series.  I would think both Martin and Loney could then take some of that self imposed pressure.

Giants add young trio to lineup  —  Ishikawa, Sandoval, Rohlinger recalled from Minors  —  HOUSTON — The Giants made sweeping roster changes Wednesday, recalling first baseman Travis Ishikawa from Triple-A Fresno and purchasing the contracts of catcher-first baseman Pablo Sandoval …

Major League Baseball's 25 Most Improbable Success Stories  —  The unlikely story of Mike Aviles' ascent from a measly $1,000 signing bonus to a place among the most productive shortstops in the American League got me wondering: Who else among the current major leagues is there improbably?

Hughes shows positive signs in rehab  —  Righty makes strong case to return to Majors in outing  —  PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Despite making a second straight impressive rehab start for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, Phil Hughes has no idea as to when he might get a call to New York.

The biggest rules change since the DH is coming soon … The age of instant replay is dawning.  Major league owners, with approval from the umpires and players, intend to begin using replay on so-called boundary calls before the year ends, allowing the next World Series to be the first to offer umpires technological help.

How About A Nice Hawaiian Punch?  —  If you haven't read it already, I heartily recommend Sam Mellinger's piece on Kila Kaaihue in the Sunday Star.  I think this column strikes the perfect balance of wonder, optimism, and skepticism for the most monstrous season any Royals minor leaguer has put together in years.

White Sox ink first-round pick Beckham  —  Georgia shortstop signs days before Draft's signing deadline  —  CHICAGO — The White Sox have agreed to terms with shortstop Gordon Beckham, the club's first selection in this year's First-Year Player Draft.  —  Details about the size of the bonus and contract are as yet unavailable.