Stopping Dodgers may prove costly  —  Astros' Valverde pulls calf muscle when hit by line drive  —  HOUSTON — On paper, Tuesday night's matchup was overwhelmingly in the favor of the visiting Dodgers.  Their heralded 21-year-old left-hander, Clayton Kershaw, had a 1.50 ERA …

MiLB to take over Dodgertown complex  —  Vero Beach facility to be used year-round for variety of purposes  —  Today marks the start of a new era for one of Florida's oldest professional baseball facilities.  —  In a press conference Wednesday morning, it was announced that Minor League Baseball …

Rocky start, solid victory  —  Four-run sixth negates fielding miscues, pitching woes  —  PHOENIX — Brad Hawpe and the Rockies proved Tuesday night that looking bad is not a permanent condition.  —  Hawpe has been the Rockies' most consistent hitter during a difficult start.

Revived Bullpen Helps Nationals Win Second Straight  —  To take a lead last night, the Washington Nationals relied on the most methodical component of their team.  To hold the lead, they relied on madness.  Last night's 4-3 win against the Atlanta Braves compressed the work of a patient offense with a pins-and-needles ninth.

Pettitte, Mo tie record as Yanks top A's  —  Defense lends big hand to help duo reach win-save mark  —  NEW YORK — Shaking hands as Frank Sinatra's “New York, New York” rained down on the infield, Mariano Rivera approached Andy Pettitte, offering his long-time teammate a milestone baseball.

A's Holliday is open to playing in New York  —  There are certain requirements that come with this job, and one is this: Whenever you're interviewing an big-name, impending free agent, you must ask him whether he would consider playing in New York.  —  “Yeah, I would play here,” …

Figgy clears waivers  —  Nelson Figueroa has cleared waivers, allowing him to return to Triple-A Buffalo.  He had a credible outing Sunday against the Brewers as a spot starter for Mike Pelfrey, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings, but was designated for assignment …

Daley arrives, Hammel joins rotation for Monday  —  PHOENIX — Matt Daley arrived to smiles and handshakes.  The reliever, who made a solid clubhouse impression during spring training, joined the Rockies today after catching a 6 a.m. flight from Reno.  Jason Hammel, meanwhile, caught a break.

Pounding the pavement  —  Pedro, Big Hurt, Edmonds among the free agents still looking for work  —  As Major League Baseball continues its love affair with players so young they don't even need a Red Bull to get up for a game, a corresponding fraternity of veterans is feeling unloved, unwanted and — let's be frank — unemployed.

What to Do About Murphy?  —  ST. LOUIS - So, what now?  —  Maybe that's the question on your minds after Tuesday's 6-4 loss, another defeat triggered by a Daniel Murphy goof in left field.  He took full responsibility after dropping Cody Ross's fly ball on April 12, leading to two unearned runs …

New start beneficial to Harvey, Drillers  —  Ryan Harvey understands new beginnings.  —  The Tulsa Drillers right fielder was the sixth overall pick of the 2003 draft by the Chicago Cubs.  However, the Cubs released Harvey last month after six seasons.  —  Harvey then got a second chance this spring when Colorado signed him.

Faces of the franchise: Young stars cast as leading men  —  WASHINGTON — It was one of those brief conversations between opponents in the middle of a baseball game.  Hanley Ramirez stood on the base next to Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman last May.

Want privacy?  Pay for it  —  How far does the class warfare extend in Yankee Stadium?  All the way to the men's room.  —  According to the charmingly titled Fack Youk blog, there are dividers between the urinals in the field level bathrooms but not in the bathrooms elsewhere in the stadium.