Top News:
Associated Press:
Grand slams by Howard, Ibanez fuel Phillies' rally over Nationals — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez each hit a grand slam, rallying the Philadelphia Phillies to a wild 13-11 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night for their fifth straight victory.
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Andy Jasner / MLB.com:
Phils hit two slams in comeback victory — After Howard's shot in sixth, Ibanez's drive caps big eighth — PHILADELPHIA — No lead is safe against the Phillies. — Not this season. Not with their powerful lineup. Not with their ability to keep coming back when it seems as if the game is lost.
Chico Harlan / Washington Post:
Wild Game Winds Up As Another Nats Loss — For more than three hours Monday night, everything was reckless and loud, a hysterical joyride, pedal pressed to the floor. And when it ended — after five tape-measure home runs for one team; two grand slams for the other team …
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Fowler, Rockies run wild over Padres — Leadoff man swipes five bags but Hawpe injured in victory — DENVER — Garrett Atkins had seen too many improving swings, too many hard-hit balls to believe the Rockies' recent offensive slump was permanent. — Monday night proved he was right.
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Patrick Saunders / Denver Post:
Hawpe injured, taken to Rose Medical Center
Hawpe injured, taken to Rose Medical Center
Discussion:
Bugs & Cranks
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Ailing Delgado sits out, goes for hip check — Carlos Delgado will be examined by a doctor today after discomfort in his right hip forced him out of the lineup Monday night for the first time this season. — Delgado, who experienced the discomfort after sliding into third with a triple on Sunday …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Quality Start and 9 Hits Add Up to Mets Victory
Quality Start and 9 Hits Add Up to Mets Victory
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports
Carroll Rogers / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Braves edged by Cardinals — When Braves first baseman Casey Kotchman out-hit St. Louis first baseman Albert Pujols Monday, the Braves had to figure it was their night. — And they would be wrong. — Despite holding the league's most feared hitter to a mortal 1-for-5 evening …
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Steve Lombardi / WasWatching.com:
Q&A With The New York Times' Tyler Kepner — I recently had a chance to do a quick Q&A with Yankees beat reporter Tyler Kepner of The New York Times. — To me, Tyler Kepner is the Peter La Fleur of Yankees beat writers/media bloggers. I do not ever recall seeing a blogger …
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
Brian Wilson defends character, quits Twitter — Everyone's all aTwitter about Brian Wilson at the ballpark today. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) — Here are the lean facts: — Twitter is an instablogging thing the kids do nowadays. Wilson likes to Twitter a lot.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk, It is about the money, stupid, El Lefty Malo, MLB FanHouse and SPORTSbyBROOKS
Associated Press:
Verlander fans nine as Ordonez, Tigers hand Yankees fourth straight loss — DETROIT — Justin Verlander pitched like the ace the Detroit Tigers need him to be for a change. — The New York Yankees wish they could say the same about CC Sabathia. — Verlander had a season-high nine strikeouts …
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Justice B. Hill / MLB.com:
Bay, Wake hand Red Sox 11th straight — Knuckleballer one-hits Tribe, three-run homer in ninth seals it — CLEVELAND — Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield can't pitch much better. No way. Impossible. Well, maybe he could pitch a no-hitter or a perfect game.
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built
Zachary Levine / The Unofficial Scorer:
Astros 8-12 again, but what's different? — Like last year, the Astros started the season 5-9. — Like last year, the Astros started the season 6-9. And 6-10. And 6-11. And 6-12. And 7-12. — And like last season, the Astros have started the season 8-12, which is where they stand today …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Jonathan Papelbon / ESPN:
Is Papelbon OK? — So far, Jonathan Papelbon has gotten the job done for the Red Sox, but The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin wonders if something is wrong with the Sox closer because he's not getting as many batters to swing and miss this season. Is it a concern?
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Greinke to appear on this week's cover of Sports Illustrated — Zack Greinke will have to battle more than the Toronto Blue Jays when he looks to extend his streak of innings without an earned run Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. — There now will be the added weight — and alleged jinx …
Discussion:
Joe Posnanski
Colin Fly / Associated Press:
Brewers win 13th straight over Pirates — Buzz up! — MILWAUKEE (AP)—Trevor Hoffman waited so long for his first appearance with Milwaukee that he got a call from manager Ken Macha asking him if he still wanted to pitch. — Rickie Weeks broke open a tie game in the eighth inning …