Joba not as hard on himself as everybody else is  —  If you disliked Joba Chamberlain's performance during Sunday's Yankees game, OMG, would you have hated his performance afterward.  —  Yeah, yeah, it's all good here in the Bronx.  The Yankees won again, 10-8, over the Blue Jays …

Aaron Bates gets called up  —  It seems as though Paw Sox first baseman Aaron Bates has finally figured it out.  An all-but-forgotten Sox prospect entering the year, Bates burst out of the games in Portland after a mediocre Double A season last year, got called up to Pawtucket two months …

Padres surprise Hairston in trade to A's  —  San Diego to get three Minor League pitchers in return  —  SAN DIEGO — The team bus that would carry the Padres to the airport Sunday for a short flight to Phoenix was a man short, as outfielder Scott Hairston surprisingly found himself headed elsewhere.

Bird feed!  Rallies fall short as Jays pound Pettitte  —  The clutch hits have come with such frequency and the magic moments with such fervor recently that the only question appeared to be which Yankee would be ducking the A.J. Burnett cream pie after yet another late-game comeback.

Tribune Co. reaches deal to sell Cubs, Wrigley  —  Tribune Co. intends to sell the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts family, sources familiar with the matter said Monday, ending the company's flirtation with another buyer after negotiations with the Rickettses had stalled two months ago.

New York Mets' David Wright looks like he needs a staycation … PHILADELPHIA — David Wright comes from the Derek Jeter School of (None of Your) Business, so he wasn't about to tell a bunch of reporters how he'll spend his off day Monday.  But the Mets third baseman did reveal this much: He won't be anywhere near a batting cage.

NL first basemen to take part in Derby  —  Pujols, Howard, Fielder, Gonzalez to participate in event  —  The 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby will feature plenty of power first basemen from the National League, as four sluggers committed on Monday to the event that is scheduled to take place on July 13 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

New York Yankees pitcher Brett Tomko's next career will play with awesome sports imagery … It was a late afternoon in Miami and the temperature on the field had soared to 105 degrees.  That was nothing compared with the heat that was being felt on the pitcher's mound …

Umpire told Derek Jeter he didn't need need to be tagged out at third, which prompted Joe Girardi's ejection … NEW YORK — When Derek Jeter was called out attempting to steal third base with no one out, he asked third base umpire Marty Foster for a reason.  —  Jeter thought he was safe.

Martin Prado of the Atlanta Braves named the National League Player of the Week presented by Bank of America  —  Atlanta Braves infielder Martin Prado, who led the National League with 15 hits and a 1.000 slugging percentage, has been named National League Player of the Week presented by Bank of America for the period ending July 5th.

Increasing Pace of Injuries Hampers Baseball  —  Nearly a quarter of the Mets' opening-day roster — a collection of players making more than $50 million in salaries this season — is out because of injuries.  In their place, the Mets have resorted to a ragtag group of several minor leaguers.

A Mets-induced mirage, or money in the Bank?  —  The Mets left town yesterday afternoon the same way they arrived - very quietly - and it would be difficult to blame the Phillies for checking off their rival from the mental list of worries this season.  —  Maybe New York isn't totally dead in the water …

Brewers, Braves Not Discussing Vazquez  —  4:35pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin and heard that the two teams are not discussing a trade for Vazquez.  —  3:40pm: The Brewers heard Ryan Braun's plea for help and they have responded.

Presenting my 2009 midseason awards (cont.)  —  Indians' sale gets going; Peralta available  —  After trading Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for Chris Perez and a player to be named later, the Indians are now said to be dangling starter Carl Pavano and closer Kerry Wood — neither of which is a surprise.

Drew and Ellsbury, a comparison  —  The Red Sox have a once and future leadoff hitter and a current leadoff hitter, and their approaches at the plate and styles on the field hardly could be more different.  You have Jacoby Ellsbury, the jitterbug center fielder who crashes into walls and steals home and …