Game 9: Yankees at Rays (with Xavier Nady update)  —  YANKEES (4-4)  —  Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-0, 1.29).  —  RAYS (4-4)  —  Upton CF  —  Crawford LF  —  Burrell DH  —  Pena 1B  —  Aybar 3B  —  Bartlett SS  —  Kapler RF  —  Hernandez C  —  Iwamura 2B

First Pitch at Yankee Stadium?  Yogi, of Course  —  If the Yankees had picked anybody else to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at their new stadium Thursday, it just wouldn't have seemed right.  Yogi Berra, 83 years young, will do the honors before the Yankees host Cleveland at 1:05 p.m.

Matsuzaka goes to DL, Jones recalled  —  The Red Sox have placed Daisuke Matsuzaka on the 15-day disabled list with a mild right shoulder strain and recalled lefthanded reliever Hunter Jones from Pawtucket.  —  The news hardly comes as a surprise after Matsuzaka's alarmingly ineffective …

Orioles put Mora, Simon on DL  —  Buzz up!  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Right-hander Alfredo Simon and third baseman Melvin Mora were put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday by the Baltimore Orioles, who anticipate being without the rookie starting pitcher for a much longer period.

Rangers' Kinsler hits for cycle  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -Ian Kinsler became the fourth player in Texas Rangers history to hit for the cycle, reaching the feat with a triple in the sixth inning Wednesday night against Baltimore.  —  That made him 5-for-5, the five hits matching a career high.

Starting 9: Overcoming long odds  —  The first week of the 2009 Major League Baseball season brought unspeakable sadness.  In a span of five days, Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych all passed, leaving legions of fans to remember and mourn.  If there's a silver lining …

Watching Yankee Games Through a Net  —  Yankees fans will learn Thursday on YES (and nationally on the MLB Network) if they will be watching part of each game through a net.  —  The netting is behind the catcher, making the high home plate camera shoot the game through it.

Indians break road losing streak against Royals  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travis Hafner's second double keyed a three-run seventh inning, and the Cleveland Indians picked up their first road win of the year while avoiding a three-game sweep with a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Second-Class Citizens  —  I do not like the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.  —  There, I said it.  —  I was not filled with awe and reverence the first time I entered Citi Field, the way I was ostensibly supposed to be.  Jackie Robinson is an iconic figure in baseball history, and I respect the place he has in the hearts of many people.

Scout's Diary: I'm Here To Work  —  For scouts, ‘can I ask you a question’ is a loaded phrase  —  By A pro scout  —  This diary is about the life of a scout, not about what that scout sees or the inner-workings of what he does.  That stuff is pretty much classified, unfortunately.

Rox end skid with 5-2 win over Cubs  —  CHICAGO — There was no easy explanation for the streak.  Every team goes through stretches where they stink, but the Rockies' play in Wrigley Field was keeping the folks at Elias Sports Bureau busy at night.  —  Colorado had dropped nine straight.

After ‘long day’ Byrnes ducks out early  —  Slumping outfielder had walk-off hit in Tuesday's win  —  PHOENIX — Eric Byrnes said his quick departure from the clubhouse following Tuesday's 10-inning win had nothing to do with being unhappy with the media or D-backs fans.  —  “It was just a long night,” he said.