Marlins Notebook: Chris Volstad settling down after rough starts  —  MIAMI GARDENS — For the second consecutive start, Chris Volstad settled down and pitched well enough to win.  —  The difference was this time the bullpen let him down.  —  Volstad had not allowed a run when he left …

Mets add Nats right-hander Ayala to bullpen mix  —  WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals traded right-handed reliever Luis Ayala to the Mets on Sunday for a player to be named, a move designed to provide depth to New York's struggling bullpen.  —  The player going to the Nationals is expected …

No. 10: Sun, sand, fun and baseball in San Diego  —  If you could sit anywhere at any ballpark in the major leagues, where would it be?  USA TODAY combined nominations from readers and votes from our writers and editors to come up with the 10 best seats in baseball.

No hurry for Castillo to return as deadline looms  —  PITTSBURGH - Luis Castillo's 20-day minor-league rehab clock is set to run out midweek, meaning the Mets may be forced to activate the second baseman on Thursday unless a legitimate injury issue remains.  Castillo is staying with Double …

Tropical Storm Fay threatens Angels series at Tampa Bay  —  Angels travel to Florida as planned, but might have to evacuate area if weather reaches dangerous levels.  —  CLEVELAND — Though a possible hurricane awaits them, the Angels traveled as planned to Tampa Bay after Sunday's game.

Failure to sign Crow yet another misstep for Nats  —  The Nationals' failure to sign Aaron Crow is yet another strike against the regime of embattled general manager Jim Bowden, whose name has popped up in the investigation into embezzlement of signing bonuses in Latin America.

Shea Stadium home plate headed for orbit  —  Astronauts Mike Massimino (r.) and Mike Good.  Massimino holds up the home plate used at Shea Stadium for the 2007 season.  —  WASHINGTON - The Yankees-Mets rivalry has really hit new heights.  —  Months after a Bomber-loving astronaut carried …

Volquez shines for Reds in win No. 15  —  Cincinnati right-hander shuts down St. Louis in series finale  —  CINCINNATI — With the Reds likely en route to their eighth straight losing season, it's difficult to highlight many positives.  But Edinson Volquez has shined like a beacon in the abyss.

Hughes finished after three and two thirds … In the thrid, Hughes allowed three hits, one of them an infield single and one of them a two-run double by Rich Thompson, the same guy who had the game-winning single off Mark Melancon two nights ago.  Hughes fell behind to three of the six batters he faced in the inning.

Jays pound Beckett, Red Sox in 15-4 win  —  BOSTON (AP)—Josh Beckett missed his spots early and the Blue Jays made sure he didn't last long enough to find his control.  —  Alex Rios had five hits, matching a club record with four doubles, and Toronto chased Beckett in the third inning …

Ethier's 9th-inning HR gives Dodgers win  —  LOS ANGELES (AP)—The euphoria that filled Milwaukee's dugout after a game-tying rally in the ninth inning quickly disappeared when Andre Ethier came to bat again.  —  Ethier hit his second homer of the game and the Los Angeles Dodgers recovered …

Home Runs Help Mussina Overcome a Shaky Start  —  Over the past three weeks, as the Yankees spiraled down in the American League East and wild-card races, the frequent losses challenged Manager Joe Girardi's optimistic nature.  He sat in the home dugout at Yankee Stadium on Sunday …