Henry: Epstein has new deal  —  Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed to a contract extending beyond this season, but the deal has not yet been formalized or signed, according to owner John Henry.  —  “We are all on the same page with regard to our vision for the organization,” Henry wrote in an e-mail this afternoon.

White Sox extend lead behind Floyd  —  Righty logs 16th victory as Chicago lowers magic number to 10  —  NEW YORK — It's a moment that took place in the fifth inning of Tuesday's 6-2 victory for the White Sox at Yankee Stadium, a head-to-head encounter lasting about three …

Yost addresses dismissal on Tuesday  —  Former Brewers skipper talks to media about sudden ousting  —  MILWAUKEE — Ned Yost got through one big storm in May, and he wasn't even checking the weather this time around.  —  Yost said he was blindsided when the Brewers dismissed him as manager on Monday …

Cubs beat CC, spoil Sveum's debut  —  CHICAGO (AP)—Not even CC Sabathia could stop the Milwaukee Brewers' late-season slide.  A managerial change didn't work either.  —  The Chicago Cubs moved closer to their second straight division title Tuesday night, becoming the first NL team to beat …

Howard homers, puts Phils atop NL East  —  Majors-best 45th swat nets club pole position ceded on Aug. 26  —  ATLANTA — Somewhere in the latter innings, while the Phillies chipped away at a Braves lead in Atlanta, the Mets cracked open the door to first place by dropping their third straight game.

Bedard to have shoulder surgery  —  KANSAS CITY — The saga of Erik Bedard's shoulder has been in the background of the Mariners season all summer.  —  Bedard, who hasn't pitched since July 4, has spent 2½ months trying to avoid surgery after suffering tightness in his left shoulder.

Vets Committee to consider 10 for Hall  —  Hodges, Santo, Kaat, Torre head list of post-1943 players  —  NEW YORK — Former Most Valuable Players Dick Allen, Joe Torre and Maury Wills are among the 10 finalists announced on Tuesday to be under consideration for election to the National Baseball Hall …

Free-falling Mets drop out of 1st  —  Odalis Perez tosses 7-1/3 innings of four-hit ball and beats the Mets  —  WASHINGTON - Jerry Manuel tried a pregame meeting to halt the hemorrhaging.  Didn't work.  And now the Mets are out of first place and need Brandon Knight to stop a losing streak before it costs them a postseason berth.

Cubs warm to idea of new park  —  There's no doubt the Cubs enjoyed their two-day stay in the Brewers' home clubhouse at Miller Park, and not just because they allowed only one hit in two victories over Houston.  —  After his no-hitter Sunday, Carlos Zambrano went as far as to say: “This is a beautiful ballpark.

More tests for Carpenter  —  CINCINNATI — The Cardinals find themselves in a familiar posture regarding Chris Carpenter.  Five weeks after Carpenter walked off the Wrigley Field mound with sharp pain beneath his right shoulder, the club still holds its collective breath about what lies next.

Bard has played his last for Padres  —  Team source says catcher won't be offered arbitration  —  DENVER — Catcher Josh Bard has played his last game of the season — and his last game — with the San Diego Padres.  —  Bard strained his right triceps on Monday, a relapse of the same injury …

Ten of Baseball's Unforgettable Wild Card Teams  —  Wild card season is upon us.  That time of the year when the division races are mostly sewn up, and you start looking at teams from all over the league, trying to keep track of half a dozen different schedules all at once.

John Lackey has rough night for Angels  —  Angels catcher Mike Napoli take a throw too late to catch Oakland's Ryan Sweeney, sliding in with a run during the eighth innin Tuesday in Oakland.  The Athletics defeated the Angels, 8-1.  —  Pitching on nine days' rest, he goes only 51/3 innings in 8-1 loss to the A's.