Phillies Notebook: Phillies' Blanton lives up to billing as innings eater  —  Some people eat cheeseburgers.  Some people eat sushi.  Joe Blanton eats innings.  That's what the Phillies said when they acquired him from the Athletics last July, and that is what he has done this season …

Worth every Penny  —  Starter's toughness, wins hard to replace  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  Brad Penny took a line drive to the chest, right over his heart, last night at Fenway Park [map] that would have sent most pitchers, never mind your average human being …

Canseco planning to sue MLB, union over 'roids  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Canseco plans to file a class-action lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the players' association, saying he's been ostracized for going public with tales of steroids use in the sport.

Middling Outing by Wang, and Losing One by the Yanks  —  Chien-Ming Wang knew he would have two hectic days that would start in a hospital and end on the mound.  Wang became a father for the first time Tuesday and then tried to preserve his spot in the Yankees' rotation Wednesday.

Nats deal lefty O'Connor to Padres  —  Former highly touted prospect traded for player to be named  —  NEW YORK — The Nationals traded left-hander Michael O'Connor to the Padres for a player to be named on Wednesday.  Washington made the move because it needed roster space at Triple …

Tampa Bay Rays talking with pitcher Pedro Martinez  —  DENVER — Pedro Martinez is talking about the Rays, but they're not saying anything about the veteran pitcher.  —  And it still appears unlikely they'll be getting together anytime soon.  —  Martinez, 37, told the Associated Press …

Strained groin forces Halladay onto DL  —  Ace feels tightness in bullpen session; Downs also out  —  PHILADELPHIA — Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, adding another arm to the club's list of walking wounded.

Q&A: Paul DePodesta  —  I first met Paul DePodesta on May 13, 2005 at a Cal Poly-Long Beach State game at Blair Field in Long Beach.  Paul, who was in his second year as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, joined area scout Bobby Darwin in the row directly in front of me.

Vizquel ties coveted career hits record  —  Equals Aparicio with 2,677, most by Venezuelan native  —  ARLINGTON — Rangers fans can be pretty happy with Wednesday night.  Their team beat the Astros, 5-4, on a 10th-inning walk-off hit, former Ranger Ivan Rodriguez broke a Major League record …

Darr double in 12th gives Arkansas 4-3 win  —  OMAHA (AP) — Andrew Darr doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning and Arkansas, which had been down to its last strike in the ninth, rallied to defeat Virginia 4-3 in the College World Series on Wednesday night.

Rhodes, hero of '54 Series, dies  —  Dusty Rhodes, the incorrigible New York Giants free spirit who became the improbable hero of the 1954 World Series, died Wednesday in Las Vegas after a variety of illnesses, including diabetes and emphysema.  He was 82.  —  The Alabama-born Rhodes …

Edwin Jackson: What if?  —  Right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson had a memorable debut with the Dodgers on his 20th birthday in 2003, but it's in 2009 that he has truly flowered.  Entering tonight's start against St. Louis, Jackson has a 2.24 ERA (202 ERA+), and opponents have a .593 OPS against him.

Post Game: Orioles 6 Mets 4  —  The Mets lost to the Orioles, 6-4, tonight in Baltimore.  —  To read a full recap, and see the boxscore, go here.  —  The Least You Should Know:  — Tim Redding pitched OK, not bad, not really good, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings on seven hits, including a home run to Matt Wieters.

The Ultimate Roogy  —  With the advent of Pitch F/x and the dissemination of velocity and pitch type data into the public over the last few years, and now leading to stuff like the linear weight values we have for specific pitches on the site here, it's becoming easier and easier to figure …

Manny Ramirez is likely to begin minor league stint next Thursday  —  The suspended outfielder, who is eligible to return July 3, would play for the Dodgers' Inland Empire club.  —  After speaking with Manny Ramirez early Wednesday, Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said it was likely …

How well can we predict ERA?  —  In case you haven't noticed, The Hardball Times is becoming all component ERA, all the time.  And how could I miss out on all the fun?  —  So let's do some testing.  How accurate are these things, anyway?  —  Ability vs. Value