Dukes Optioned To Class AAA  —  The Washington Nationals sent Elijah Dukes to AAA Syracuse Wednesday morning, saying Dukes was not a “finished product” and needed to play every day rather than sit on the bench in the majors.  —  The move came in response to the team's acquisition …

Old bawl game  —  Rejuvenated Orioles wipe out nine-run deficit and wash away stunned Red Sox  —  BALTIMORE - By the time Jonathan Papelbon jogged in from the bullpen, the Red Sox celebratory mood had withered.  Where once they were mocking each other for leaving the field with just two outs …

Hill has Tommy John surgery  —  Padres righty out 10-14 months after procedure last week  —  SAN DIEGO — The Padres confirmed Tuesday that right-handed pitcher Shawn Hill had elbow reconstruction surgery last week, the second time since 2004 he has had the procedure on his right elbow.

Hot hitters squeezed out of Reds' order  —  Cincinnati (37-38) vs. Arizona (31-46), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  CINCINNATI — Some of the hottest bats the Reds have right now never left the dugout during Tuesday's game vs. the D-backs.  —  Outfielders Jonny Gomes and Chris Dickerson weren't in the starting lineup …

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Mariners hang close, fall to late Yankees' push  —  NEW YORK - Some words of advice were given to relief pitcher Chris Jakubauskas as he took the mound with the bases loaded and two out in a tie game.  —  They came courtesy of manager Don Wakamatsu and summed up perfectly the atmosphere felt throughout …

Jack Clark Takes Jabs at Mets of Mid-'80s  —  The Mets have had their rivals over the years — the Chicago Cubs in 1969, the Philadelphia Phillies more recently — but the St. Louis Cardinals of the middle to late 1980s were perhaps the fiercest opponents they have faced.

Yankees acquire Hinske from Pirates  —  Eric Hinske will be joining the team today.  No word on who is being sent down although it would figure to be Ramiro Pena.  —  The release from the Yankees:  —  The New York Yankees today acquired infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates along …

All the gangstas on the bus - or else!  —  As part of Jerry Manuel's postgame message to stomp out “individualism,” the manager demanded that all of the Mets ride the 11 a.m. CDT bus from the team's hotel to Miller Park for Wednesday's matinee against the Brewers.  No cabs, limos or mopeds.

Clock to Trade Deadline begins to tick  —  Clubs have less than month to buy, sell or hold their chips  —  It's July, which means 30 days until the pivotal non-waiver Trade Deadline on the last day of the month.  —  Normally, one can expect blockbuster deals a la Mark Teixeira to the Angels and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers in 2008.

Another snoozer for Joba  —  Because of the rain delay, there was less time to write for the newspaper, so I had to pick my spots for interviews after the game  —  A little Girardi, a little Matsui, a little Jeter, some Mo, some Bruney, some Hughes.  —  I passed on Joba because he wasn't going to be a very big part of the story.

Fair or not, Chicago Cubs' failures are Jim Hendry's fault  —  Fair or not, blame for failures squarely on Hendry's shoulders  —  If you think Milton Bradley is having a rough year so far, how about Jim Hendry?  —  The Cubs' general manager is responsible for signing the .238-hitting …

Twins looking to help Guerrier in eighth  —  Minnesota (40-39) at Kansas City (33-43), 1:10 p.m. CT  —  KANSAS CITY — In an effort to prevent the entire eighth-inning load from being placed on right-hander Matt Guerrier, the Twins recently have been turning to knuckleballer R.A. Dickey as another option for the late innings.

Dodgers are shut down by Rockies' Jason Marquis  —  L.A. gets only two hits against Colorado ace, who becomes the first 10-game winner in the National League.  —  The Dodgers' Chad Billingsley pitched well Monday night in his quest to become the National League's first 10-game winner.

Trout signs, heads to rookie league  —  Mike Trout finally can call himself a professional baseball player.  —  The 25th overall selection by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim earlier this month in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, Trout had his physical in Southern California early Monday …

Texas judge affirms dismissal in Roger Clemens' suit  —  NEW YORK — A federal judge in Texas reaffirmed his original dismissal of most of the claims in Roger Clemens' defamation suit against former trainer Brian McNamee, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday.