Pitching Coach St. Claire Fired  —  The Nationals today fired pitching coach Randy St. Claire, the longest-tenured member of their coaching staff, and have replaced him with Class AAA pitching coach Steve McCatty.  St. Claire, in his seventh year with the organization, was responsible …

THE SPORTS GUY  —  When great ones go, it might hurt us more than it does them.  —  Stephen Dunn/Getty Images  —  In the academy award-winning classic Cocktail, Coughlin tells young Flanagan, “Everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn't end.”  It's the single greatest yearbook quote ever.

Yanks set MLB record for consecutive error-free games  —  CLEVELAND - Some of the players were unaware of it afterward, but the Yankees set a major-league record in last night's 5-2 victory against the Indians as they played their 18th consecutive game without an error.

Riske's season over following surgery  —  Brewers reliever undergoes Tommy John procedure  —  MIAMI — Brewers reliever David Riske woke up from surgery on Tuesday to the worst-case scenario.  —  Riske required a full reconstruction of his right elbow.  The Tommy John ligament replacement surgery …

Braves send Schafer down to Gwinnett  —  Braves stuggling center fielder Jordan Schafer has been sent to Triple-A Gwinnett to regain his form, and the Braves have called up Gregor Blanco from Gwinnett.  —  Schafer was hitting .204 (34-for-167) with a whopping 63 strikeouts, which was the fourth-highest totals in the major leagues.

Julio released; Burns summoned  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  Miami - Jorge Julio pitched his way off the Brewers' roster by failing to retire a batter Monday night.  —  The Brewers have released Julio and called up journeyman reliever Mike Burns from Class AAA Nashville.

With two months in the books, it's time for certain teams to sell … Welcome to June.  This is your wake up call.  —  Think your team that stumbled through the first two months can still make the playoffs?  Think again.  While we all might easily remember the comeback of the 2005 Astros …

Phillies Notebook: Calculating how Peavy would fit in with Phillies  —  SAN DIEGO - With his tender ankle still undergoing treatment and a looming start occupying his undivided attention, Padres righthander Jake Peavy said through a team spokesman yesterday that he would not discuss …

Austin Jackson: A Star Under Construction  —  MOOSIC, Pa. — Albert Jackson builds 18-wheel trucks for Peterbilt Motors, a job with skills that helped him raise an athletic prodigy.  Before the Yankees started grooming his son Austin to be their next star, it was Albert's handiwork that charted his course.

Viewpoint: Angelos doesn't deserve the bad rap  —  Sports Illustrated recently named Peter Angelos, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, as the worst owner in the game.  Having played for the Orioles for 14 seasons, nine during the Angelos era, I feel I am qualified to speak about the topic.

Future for Dodgers' Kuo still uncertain  —  Oft-injured reliever hopes to regain arm strength, command  —  LOS ANGELES — Last year, to the utter shock of anybody who has seen an MRI of his left elbow, Hong-Chih Kuo stayed healthy enough to finally showcase that star-crossed arm, winning MLB.com's Setup Man of the Year Award.

Holliday explains expectations with A's  —  Oakland outfielder says he wants to play in postseason  —  CHICAGO — A's outfielder Matt Holliday on Tuesday expressed in a national radio interview his desire to be moved before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline if Oakland by then hasn't turned around its disappointing season.

Roster set for Hall of Fame Classic  —  Twenty-eight former big leaguers to play on June 21  —  The roster for the Hall of Fame Classic June 21 in Cooperstown is now complete.  —  The star-studded roster for the Father's Day game at Doubleday Field includes 28 former Major League players …

Flores Out At Least Three Months, Maybe For Season  —  Just got the word on catcher Jesus Flores's status.  It'll be a long time before the Nats' first-string catcher — and a big part of the future — is back on the field.  —  Flores has a stress fracture in his right shoulder.

Torrealba Heads Home  —  Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealba flew home to Venezuela to deal with personal matters on Tuesday.  Edwin Bellorin was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take Torrealba's spot.  —  Bellorin will share catching duties with Paul Phillips …

Clock's ticking for Theo Epstein  —  How long can Red Sox' success last if David Ortiz, SS woes continue?  —  DETROIT - With two months in the books of the Red Sox [team stats]' 2009 season, their plot is beginning to resemble one of those boilerplate thrillers where the leading man spends …

Cincinnati Reds put Edinson Volquez back on DL  —  ST. LOUIS — Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez went back on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with tendinitis in his right elbow, a day after he lasted only one inning in his first start off the DL.  —  Reds medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek …

Draft Preview: Braves looking at arms  —  Atlanta to continue penchant for picking pitchers  —  ATLANTA — History shows Braves director of scouting Roy Clark has shown a preference toward filling his early selections in the First-Year Player Draft with high school pitchers and top players from Georgia.