Rolen's three-run homer lifts Jays over Rays  —  TORONTO (AP) — Scott Rolen (FSY) hit a three-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Tampa Bay 5-1 on Sunday, handing Rays rookie Jeff Niemann (FSY) his first loss in his last six decisions.  —  Blue Jays rookie left-hander Brett Cecil …

Game 98: Athletics at Yankees (updates with Gardner going on disabled list)  —  YANKEES (59-38)  —  Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (1-0, 4.76).  —  NOTES: Thanks to Ernie Palladino for calling in the lineup. ...  The 1:05 p.m. game is on YES. ...  Oakland is starting LHP Dallas Braden (7-8, 3.40). ...

Rickey, Rice ready to join baseball immortals  —  Idyllic Cooperstown filled with anticipation of inductions  —  COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Having thoroughly soaked this idyllic, tiny, tree-swathed town with a steady downpour for most of Friday, the skies relented as the sun surfaced Saturday …

July 26: Pirates (43-54) @ D-backs (42-56); Yanks scouting Snell  —  First some new news on the trade front...  There may not be any biggest discussion/dilemma in the Pirates' front office right now than about what to do with Ian Snell.  One month ago, the right-hander asked for a demotion to Triple-A …

Mariners place Erik Bedard on 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation  —  Erik Bedard is back on the 15-day disabled list this morning, clearing a roster spot for Jason Vargas to be called up to start today's game.  —  “At this point, we're not going to do an MRI,” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said.

Dodgers, Indians Deny Reports About Lee, Martinez Talks  —  4:31pm: Kevin Baxter of the LA Times quotes a Dodgers executive saying there is “less than zero truth” to the rumors regarding the trade.  —  4:26pm: Rosenthal now says that both clubs have “strongly denied” the previous reports …

Different varieties in Apple  —  Yankees flourishing, Mets floundering  —  They represent the same city, but the performances of the Mets and Yankees are as different as Mars and Venus.  —  While sports talk radio isn't always the best barometer, the airwaves generally are filled with angry, bitter fans.

Yanks top A's, get ready for road  —  The road, both literally and figuratively, gets tougher from here.  —  But the Yankees methodically took care of business against two last-place clubs at home this week, completing a 9-1 homestand overall since the All-Star break by churning out a 7-5 victory Sunday over Oakland at the Stadium.

Gonzalez, Bell both unlikely to be traded  —  Teams are interested in All-Star duo, but no deals expected  —  WASHINGTON — Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he is getting a “ton of calls” from other teams regarding the availability of Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell …

Royals' Pena Jr. being moved from shortstop to pitcher  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tony Pena Jr. has hit like a pitcher for the past two years, so the Kansas City Royals plan to convert him to one.  —  Pena, who was the Royals' shortstop on opening day in 2007 and 2008 …