Top News:
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Time running out for LA fans to help Kemp — Balloting for Final Vote ends at 1 p.m. PT on Thursday — NEW YORK — Only one day remains for Matt Kemp fans to show their support and vote for the Dodgers outfielder, who is one of five finalists in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote.
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Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates ‘pushing’ trade of All-Star Sanchez — The Pirates are “pushing hard” to trade All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez, according to a National League executive this morning. — The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies are two of the teams with which the Pirates have spoken …
Associated Press:
Zobrist leads Rays in walk-off win over Jays — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ben Zobrist keeps proving his worth to the Tampa Bay Rays. — GAME REPORT: Rays 10, Blue Jays 9 — RELEASED: Reliever Ryan let go by Blue Jays — FANTASY WINDUP: Where will Halladay go?
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USA Today
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Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
With enough from Burnett, Yanks roll on — Opportunistic offense sets up club's 12th win in 14 games — MINNEAPOLIS — Only a few pitches into Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Twins, it became apparent to Yankees catcher Jorge Posada that his starting pitcher, A.J. Burnett, had virtually no control over his curveball.
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Tom Gage / Detroit News:
Magglio Ordonez, Clete Thomas to platoon in right for Tigers — Detroit — The Tigers will platoon Magglio Ordonez in right field from now on. — Manager Jim Leyland said before Wednesday night's game against the Kansas City Royals that Clete Thomas — newly recalled from Toledo …
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MLB Rumors
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Associated Press:
French fried: Tigers rookie outpitches Greinke, Detroit wins 3-1 — DETROIT (AP) — Rookie Lucas French outdueled Zack Greinke and the Detroit Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Wednesday night. — French (1-0) beat Greinke in just his second career start, holding the Royals to one run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings.
David Lennon / Newsday:
Mets' Perez staggers 5 innings but gets win — After nine weeks on the disabled list, Oliver Perez showed last night that he can still do all the same things he did before he went on hiatus with a bad knee: annoy the fans, frustrate his manager and yet somehow give the Mets a chance to win.
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Sources: Rockies, BoSox explore trade options — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. — add this — The Rockies have discussed a Garrett Atkins-for-Takashi Saito trade with the Red Sox …
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Mark Zuckerman / Washington Times:
Playing his heart out — Dmitri Young had a dream about a week ago, one of those clear-as-day dreams that become imprinted in your mind long after you've awoken and returned to reality. He was back home in California, standing in the kitchen, when suddenly his mother approached him with some advice.
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The Nationals Enquirer
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Putting the pieces together — Picked up pieces while waiting for 'Sheed to pick up his first “T.” — Until I saw the Dos Equis commercials, I thought Schill was the most interesting man in the world. — Wonder how many of the Tour de France leaders are cheating?
JamesK / Amazin' Avenue:
Gary, Keith & Ron Drinking Game — Whether the Mets are winning or losing, there is one constant that makes a television broadcast enjoyable - the announcing of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling. Nationally televised Mets games are usually dreadful because viewers are subjected …
Associated Press:
Kawakami pitches Braves past Cubs 4-1 — CHICAGO (AP) — Kenshin Kawakami shut down the Chicago Cubs for six innings and shortstop Yunel Escobar made a run-saving defensive play in the eighth, helping preserve the Atlanta Braves' 4-1 victory Wednesday. — GAME REPORT: Braves 4, Cubs 1
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David Gurian-Peck / MLB.com:
Lopez leaves early, but feeling better — Righty out after five innings with shoulder inflammation — PHILADELPHIA — Phillies starter Rodrigo Lopez left Wednesday night's game against the Reds after five innings with right shoulder inflammation. — Lopez began feeling tightness in the fifth.
Associated Press:
Jones slugs three homers, Rangers crush Angels 9-1 — ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Andruw Jones hit three home runs in his first three at-bats and the Texas Rangers routed the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 on Wednesday night. — GAME REPORT: Rangers 8, Angels 1 — The Rangers got to Angels starter …
Todd Zolecki / The Zo Zone:
Amaro Talks Halladay, Martinez, World Peace, Etc. — Roy Halladay! Roy Halladay! Roy Halladay! — Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke with reporters a few minutes ago at Citizens Bank Park. He would not comment specifically about Halladay, who is available via trade.
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Harvey Fialkov / Sun-Sentinel:
Ramirez's injury puts All-Star start in peril — SAN FRANCISCO - At his media session before Wednesday's game against the Giants, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez kiddingly told a tardy reporter that he wasn't going to let ailing shortstop Hanley Ramirez play in Tuesday's All-Star Game.
David Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Tee-hee! Junior dons one batting glove to honor Michael Jackson — strolled to the plate for his first at-bat Tuesday night, the sound system at Safeco Field grooved to Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean.” — Griffey's apparent tribute to the King of Pop, who was memorialized Tuesday, extended beyond the sonic.
Associated Press:
All-Star Wakefield gets AL-leading 11th win — BOSTON (AP) — First-time All-Star Tim Wakefield earned his AL-leading 11th victory, and David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Wednesday night. — GAME REPORT: Red Sox 5, Athletics 4