Top News:
Wallace Matthews / Newsday:
No sense of relief in this Mets victory — At second base, Jose Reyes and Luis Castillo leaped gracefully into the air like a couple of ballet dancers and exchanged a triumphant high-five as if they had just won the World Series. But in the Mets dugout, Jerry Manuel didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
A-Rod reaches a milestone of his own — New York (81-71) vs. Chicago (84-67), Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET — NEW YORK — It has been a homestand of milestones for the Yankees, who are bidding farewell to the storied Yankee Stadium by reaching a little history of their own.
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks
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Fred Goodall / Associated Press:
Rays rout Red Sox 10-3, lead East by 2 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—Baseball's feel-good story of the year is on the verge of getting even better. — The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 10-3 Wednesday night, moving closer to their first playoff berth with another …
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Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Aybar leads way in Rays' rout — Three early homers chase Sox's Wakefield in series clincher — ST. PETERSBURG — Years from now, there's a good chance the Rays will look back on the just-completed series with the Red Sox and fondly remember how they made their bones.
Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Likely there's a Sabean in Giants' future — (09-18) 04:00 PDT Phoenix — William Neukom will have many important items on his agenda when he becomes the Giants' managing general partner Oct. 1, but it appears his to-do list will not include a general manager search.
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Sheets feels ‘cutting’ sensation in elbow — Brewers ace has been dealing with discomfort since August — CHICAGO — The Brewers might be without Ben Sheets for the second straight September, right when they need him most. — The right-hander was forced out of his start against the Cubs …
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
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Anthony Witrado / Brewers Blog:
Sheets' elbow pain has lingered, not structural
Sheets' elbow pain has lingered, not structural
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
Associated Press:
Ichiro ties MLB record for 200-hit seasons — KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki matched Willie Keeler's major league record of eight straight 200-hit seasons Wednesday night, beating out on infield single in the eighth inning for his third hit against Kansas City.
Discussion:
seattlepi.com Mariners blog
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Chad Finn / Boston Globe:
Schilling blasts Manny — Injured Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling threw some high heat at former teammate Manny Ramirez this afternoon on sports radio WEEI's “The Big Show,” saying the slugger's “level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable.”
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Joe Posnanski / Sports Illustrated:
The genius of Manny Ramirez
The genius of Manny Ramirez
Discussion:
It is about the money, stupid
Mark Newman / MLB.com:
MLB reveals 2009 schedule — Next season features old rivalries, new parks and more — The 2009 Major League Baseball season: A late start and the probability of November baseball; two grand openings in New York, one grand re-opening in Kansas City and one farewell season in Minnesota …
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Joe DeLessio / New York Magazine:
Not Every Seat in the New Yankee Stadium Is a Winner
Not Every Seat in the New Yankee Stadium Is a Winner
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Bronx Banter, Deadspin, Projo Sox Blog, Bugs & Cranks, River Ave. Blues and YFSF
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:
Ramirez exits win with bad shoulder — NL East standings Team W-L Pct GB — Philadelphia 85-67 .559 - — New York 84-67 .556 1/2 — Florida 79-72 .523 51/2 NL wild-card standings — New York 84-67 .556 - — Milwaukee 84-68 .553 1/2 — Houston 80-71 .530 4 — Florida 79-72 .523 5
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Bedard could miss 6-9 months — KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Given his general demeanor, Erik Bedard wasn't about to spend much of the past three months talking about his injuries. He's not big on talking, and what would have been the point? Bedard couldn't pitch, his left shoulder was sore and it wasn't getting better.
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers outslugged by Pirates — Billingsley lasts 4 2/3 innings; Nomar reinjures left knee — PITTSBURGH — The Dodgers, who won a game earlier this year without a hit, had 18 of them Wednesday night and lost. — In a real mess of a game, Adam LaRoche slugged two homers with five RBIs …
Discussion:
Dodger Thoughts
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Harang handcuffs Cards for series win — Backed by trio of fourth-inning blasts, hurler tosses shutout — CINCINNATI — As dogs in the right-field seats happily woofed their way through “Bark in the Park” night at Great American Ball Park, Aaron Harang happily had a walk in the park against the Cardinals.
New York Post:
CHANGE: GIRARDI'S MANTRA FOR 2009 — YANKEE Stadium will not close its doors until Sunday night, but in many ways the 2009 season started last night with Phil Hughes back on the mound and Joe Girardi talking about learning from his experiences this season. There is only one way to learn …
Discussion:
IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS