Dukes Optioned to Class AAA  —  The Washington Nationals sent Elijah Dukes to AAA Syracuse on 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 …

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Surgery likely for Kontos  —  George Kontos is going for a second opinion on Wednesday, but an MRI on Monday revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament and it's likely that Kontos will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.  —  We have the story online, with a lot information and quotes from Kontos.

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

Exec: No trades for Mets  —  An MLB executive familiar with the Mets' thinking tells me that the Mets have no plans to make any major trades right now.  They feel as if they will improve themselves before the July 31s trading deadline more than anyone in baseball.

Bonds done for Marlins stadium, construction set  —  MIAMI (AP) — Construction has begun for the long-awaited Florida Marlins ballpark.  —  Only hours after the final arrangements were completed for the bonds that will help pay for the 37,000-seat retractable-roof stadium …

July 2 Projected Top 25 List  —  The players below from Latin America are ranked based on their expected signing bonuses, not their projected talent.  In fact, that is important enough that it bears repeating: The rankings are not an attempt to gauge the talent, but a way to forecast the market.

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.