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 …

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.

Route to the Bottom?  It Starts at the Top  —  This week, the Nationals fired pitching coach Randy St. Claire.  Traditionally, that means the manager has about a month to get his team to shape up or he's gone, too.  The Nats have purged their bullpen twice, banished an outfielder to the minors …

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.

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 …

Red Sox' trip flips with rotation  —  Not bad for starters  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  DETROIT - There is no secret formula or magic trick to going 6-4 on a road trip.  —  Especially when that trip begins 2-4, something had to turn around for the Red Sox …

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 …

Restocking the system is the goal  —  Astros could lean toward high school pitchers in upcoming Draft  —  The Astros are coming off their best First-Year Player Draft in at least four years with first-round pick Jason Castro, a catcher, and a handful of young arms enjoying promising starts to their professional careers.

McLouth trade brings clubhouse backlash  —  Players question Pirates' management after latest jettisoned All-Star  —  In one corner of the Pirates' clubhouse at PNC Park, the small, circular metal table between the stalls of relievers Sean Burnett and Jesse Chavez had a candle lit atop it …

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.

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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?

Raissman: Sterling effort a-bomb  —  The celebration to commemorate the end of the old Yankee Stadium did not include one tribute to John Sterling, who was marking his 20th anniversary as Bombers radio voice.  The tragic oversight has led Pa Pinstripe to use the inaugural season of the new palace to celebrate himself.

Yankees' spin is even better than Wang's  —  The Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang pitches to the Texas Rangers in the first inning.  Wang was making his return to the Yankees' starting rotation on Thursday.  (Photo by John Dunn / June 4, 2009)  —  Seemingly every time the Yankees talk about Chien-Ming Wang …

Johnson leads Marlins past Brewers with his arm and his bat  —  MIAMI (AP) — Josh Johnson hit a three-run shot for his first career home run and pitched into the eighth inning Thursday night, leading the Florida Marlins to a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.