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Roger Rubin / NY Daily News:
Red Sox trade for Pirates' Adam LaRoche, Cardinals' Chris Duncan … On Tuesday, the Yankees supplanted the Red Sox at the top of the AL East for the first time since June 5. Yesterday, Boston got busy. The Sox made a pair of deals, the bigger of the two for Pittsburgh first baseman Adam LaRoche.
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Gary Dzen / Boston Globe:
Sox trade Lugo for Cardinals' Duncan — The Red Sox today officially closed the book on the Julio Lugo era, trading the shortstop who never quite fit in Boston to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Chris Duncan and a player to be named later (or cash considerations). Duncan will be optioned to Triple A Pawtucket.
Sean McAdam / Boston Herald:
Sox trade Julio Lugo to Cardinals — ARLINGTON, Texas — As it turns out, Adam LaRoche isnt the only left-handed bat the Red Sox [team stats] obtained today. — The Sox confirmed this afternoon that they have acquired outfielder Chris Duncan and a player to be named later (or cash) …
Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Adam LaRoche traded to Red Sox; Pearce and Milledge coming? — The Pirates' clubhouse is abuzz with word that a trade involving first baseman Adam LaRoche is imminent, and this is the reason the lineup has taken so long to get posted this morning. — That said, LaRoche is hitting …
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Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Bernazard also in K-Rod incident — WASHINGTON — It turns out that ripping his shirt off and challenging minor-league players to fight him isn't even Tony Bernazard's most recent incident of outrageous, hot-headed conduct. — Mets All-Star closer Frankie Rodriguez confirmed this afternoon …
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Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
Madden: Minaya should investigate how fast he can fire Tony — I'm going to make this easy for Omar Minaya, who more and more is coming off looking oblivious to the punk that is his VP of player development, Tony Bernazard. — There's no need for any investigation here. Fire the guy and fire him now.
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Bart Hubbuch / Mets Blog:
Minaya: Mets buyers, not sellers — WASHINGTON — Omar Minaya veered off into fantasy land here today. — Incredibly, the Mets' GM said he doesn't expect to be a seller before the July 31 non-waivers trade deadline because he still thinks his sub-.500 team has a chance at the NL wild card.
Fox Sports:
MLB buzz: News and notes from the trade market — Here is the latest on the trade front based on what major-league sources are telling FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi: — The Red Sox's trade for first baseman Adam LaRoche should eliminate any chance of them trading for Indians catcher Victor Martinez.
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Rays Index, Texas Rangers, River Avenue Blues, Plain Dealer, MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
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Bill Plunkett / Orange County Register:
Aybar reaching his potential — The switch-hitter is now the hottest hitter in baseball this month. — Recommend — KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Erick Aybar is beginning to look like a shortstop whose time has come. — “That's the talent, the ceiling that everybody saw,” …
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Mike Axisa / River Avenue Blues:
Jews for Jesus (Montero) — That gem of a sign comes from reader Dave Soberman, who was raising hell with his buddies at Saturday's Double-A Trenton game. Here's the email he sent us, which tells the story. Here's a few more pics: Dave with the sign, the sign at field level, the sign with Bolt …
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The Yankee Universe
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Chicago Sun Times:
Former Sox pitcher Jim Parque confesses: Why I juiced — Former Sox pitcher Jim Parque says he's sorry he juiced, but he wants to ask you one question: What would you have done? — I'm Jim Parque, former major-league pitcher, and I took human growth hormone.
Discussion:
Jorge Says No!
Associated Press:
Mariners 2, Tigers 1 — DETROIT (AP) — Russell Branyan hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning to give Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night. — Branyan drove a 1- pitch from Bobby Seay (1-2) into the stands in right-center …
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Moore has no doubt that Royals are on the right track for long-term success — General manager Dayton Moore surveys the growing wreckage of a season gone wrong and remains undaunted in his belief — in his certainty — the Royals are poised for eventual long-term success as an organization.
Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:
Marquis' start moved back; Timlin works out again — DENVER — There will be an all-star pitching Friday at Coors Field. But it won't be Jason Marquis. — What set up as one of the best pitching matchups of the season has dissolved. Marquis will not face Giants' all-star Matt Cain Friday …
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
A.J. leads way as Yankees sweep O's — A.J. Burnett has gotten plenty of publicity this season as the Yankees' pie-throwing king, but the righthander reminded everybody Wednesday that he was brought to New York for a different kind of throwing. — Burnett tossed seven solid innings …
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Two runs in ninth have Astros one game out — Tejada's walk-off hit caps sweep of first-place Cardinals — HOUSTON — When the Astros went into the ninth inning Wednesday night trailing by a run and facing a closer who had blown only one save all season, they still had a belief …
Jon Weisman / Dodger Thoughts:
Ramirez pledges Phi Slamma Jamma — This was Kirk Gibson without the limp, without the crust, without the stakes, without the Eck, without the 3-2 count, without the utter improbability. In other words, it wasn't Kirk Gibson. — But whoa, was it ever Manny Ramirez.
Eric Simon / Amazin' Avenue:
Failcoeur: Nationals 3, Mets 1 — I don't think there's any question that the Nationals have a superior lineup to the Mets right now. I mean, the Mets fielded a lineup tonight that was even worse than this one. It's July 22 and the Mets had two non-pitchers who entered (and exited) the game with a .000 OPS.
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Inge sits to alleviate pain in his knees — Veteran dealing with microtears in left patella tendon — DETROIT — Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge had Wednesday's game off to rest his aching knees, but he doesn't expect it to help much. To this point, nothing has, and he's probably …
Discussion:
Roar of the Tigers
