Burnett gets six games for inside pitch  —  Yanks righty brushed back Rangers' Cruz, plans to appeal  —  NEW YORK — In a decision that A.J. Burnett has already chosen to appeal, Major League Baseball on Thursday suspended the Yankees pitcher six games and fined him an undisclosed amount …

Putz headed to NY for elbow exam (updated)  —  Breaking news: J.J. Putz will be in New York on Friday for an examination on his right elbow.  He may need surgery to remove the bone spur, but will wait for the recommendation for team doctors.  —  Putz had a cortisone shot before joining the team in San Francisco on May 14.

Laird defends bunt attempt in no-hit bid  —  Catcher's try against Beckett in sixth inning rolls foul  —  DETROIT — To bunt or not to bunt with a no-hitter in progress?  That always makes for a good debate.  But Tigers catcher Gerald Laird wasn't thinking about it Wednesday night …

Kendrick's dash leads Angels over Blue Jays  —  TORONTO (AP) — Howie Kendrick dashed home with some daring baserunning, scoring the go-ahead run on a ninth-inning double play to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Thursday.  —  Justin Speier (2-1) …

Giants' Johnson wins No. 300  — As Randy Johnson hugged his teammates and family in a cool late-spring drizzle, he understood he was relishing a feeling that only 23 other men in baseball have enjoyed.  Many of those pitchers, some he knows personally, some just regal names in the lore of the game …

La Russa says Cards looking for big bat  —  Slugger to hit behind Pujols is top priority on trade market  —  ST. LOUIS — Earlier this week, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak laid out a vision of what the club hoped to add via trade, and his description sounded a lot like Indians infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa.

Son, in-law of Rockies Torrealba safe after kidnap  —  Buzz up!  —  11-year-old son and brother-in-law were released by kidnappers a day after being abducted.  —  The two were abducted while driving to the boy's school along with a relative of the boy's mother, Venezuelan authorities said in a statement on Thursday.

Cargo Arrives in St. Louis Friday  —  Carlos Gonzalez's time has come.  —  The left-handed-hitting outfielder acquired as part of the package from Oakland for Matt Holliday will join the Rockies in St. Louis on Friday.  The Rockies also have activated right-handed reliever Matt Daley from the disabled list.

Sox call up Beckham, but why didn't they trade for McLouth?  —  Experience it in IMAX . . .  The coronation of Gordon Beckham begins today.  —  But, er, um, can the kid play center field?  —  I know Beckham is starting at third and batting eighth in his debut today, but really, can the kid play center?

Cole Hamels shuts down the Dodgers  —  He pitches a five-hitter as Dodgers' offense continues to struggle.  —  What happened to Cole Hamels?  —  From the Dodgers' vantage point, absolutely nothing.  —  The Dodgers couldn't hit him last October, they couldn't hit him last month in Philadelphia …

Beltran rips slumping Mets  —  PITTSBURGH — A visibly angry Carlos Beltran let loose on the Mets today after an 11-6 loss to the lowly Pirates here completed a three-game Pittsburgh sweep.  —  Beltran, who was 2-for-4 with a homer today in his return after missing 3 1/2 games due to a stomach ailment …

Johnson won't be final 300-game winner  —  Randy Johnson has become the 24th 300-game winner.  —  He will not be the last.  —  All the hysteria about the demise of the 300-game winner that will accompany the hoorays for Johnson's impressive accomplishment is wasted energy.

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz thinking of getting eyes checked  —  DETROIT — David Ortiz doesn't think that his season-long slump has anything to do with his eyes.  At this point, though, he's willing to try just about anything.  —  Ortiz  —  Ortiz, who didn't play in Boston's 6-3 win …

Torn hamstring for Reyes  —  PITTSBURGH — In another huge blow to the Mets, Jose Reyes is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a slightly torn right hamstring.  —  The Mets in a statement described the hamstring tear as a new injury and not related to the tendinitis in his right calf and knee …

Dissecting the Disabled List by Team, Position, Year and Injury  —  More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP  —  I have always wondered why there isn't an injury database available for people to use for analysis since injuries play a huge role in determining player performance.

Cardinals Designate Boyer; Pineiro Throws  —  The Cardinals have designated reliever Blaine Boyer for assignment in order to make roster room for just-promoted reliever Jess Todd.  The move falls the day after Boyer worked three innings in Wednesday's 9-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Sorry, but this slot machine is broken  —  Major League Baseball's draft, the worst in pro sports, is in dire need of a makeover  —  Fifty million bucks.  —  Roll that around your tongue.  —  Fifty million bucks.  —  That's not this week's Powerball jackpot.