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). ...

Halladay traffic growing intense  —  Almost everyone agrees that, sooner or later, Roy Halladay will be on his way to Philadelphia, where he'll become the symbol of the Phillies' enduring dominance of the Mets.  The Blue Jays and Phillies are engaged in feverish, last-minute talks that might turn …

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 …

Sources: Hurdles to Boston Red Sox deal for Adrian Gonzalez  —  Rival teams continue to call the San Diego Padres about the availability of All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez with a little less than 120 hours remaining before the trade deadline, and the Red Sox are among those clubs …

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.

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 …

Cook, bullpen subdue Giants  —  They served up the Aaron Cook special Sunday afternoon at Coors Field.  —  Giants bats dinged and dented the right-hander, but they never broke him.  And Rockies' bats produced just enough offense for a 4-2 victory, solidifying the Rockies' hold on the National League wild-card spot.