Ortiz and Ramirez Said to Be on '03 Doping List  —  Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, the sluggers who propelled the Boston Red Sox to end an 86-year World Series championship drought and to capture another title three years later, were among the roughly 100 Major League Baseball players …

Dodgers Acquire Sherrill  —  The Dodgers shored up their bullpen Thursday by acquiring Baltimore closer George Sherrill in exchange for two prospects, slugging third baseman Josh Bell and riht-handed pitcher Steve Johnson, according to baseball sources.  —  The left-handed Sherrill can serve …

Grabow/Gorzelanny to Cubs ‘just about done’  —  The Pirates are discussing a trade that would send pitchers John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny to the Chicago Cubs, according to a team source.  —  No deal is in place, and other teams are interested in Grabow, so this might not happen at all.

Mets blank Rockies in first game of doubleheader  —  NEW YORK — A worrisome series has spawned full-blown concern.  —  The Rockies can't win in New York, suffocated 7-0 in the first game of a doubleheader today at Citi Field.  They are 2-21 in their last 23 road games against the Mets.

3 UP: WANG, JOBA AND PATTERSON  —  Yes, I am on Twitter.  —  1. There were a lot of things that Chien-Ming Wang was not such as effective in the postseason or the kind of strikeout artist who engenders awe or healthy for the past year.  Because of that his loss for the rest of the year has not caused much of a stir.

Buzz: What are the Mets doing?  —  From what I can gather out of Cleveland, the Mets and Indians have been in contact.  —  The Mets are interested in Martinez, but I do not believe any hard offer was ever on the table - though this, again, may just be a matter of semantics.

Canseco says MLB facing bigger issue  —  Jose Canseco, whose 2005 book arguably started the cascade of revelations and an investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, barely raised an eyebrow when he was told David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are reportedly on the list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003.

THE YANKS AND WASHBURN  —  Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik sounds like an executive stuck in the middle.  His brain tells him that his club is just not good enough to make the playoffs this year while his heart keeps creating scenarios in which somehow they sneak in.

Dodgers end losing streak with 10-inning win over Cards  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Kemp (FSY) hit a two-run single in the 10th inning for his third hit, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers end a season-worst four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Atlanta Braves' Jeff Bennett cut after requesting release from team  —  MIAMI — The Atlanta Braves have released right-hander Jeff Bennett.  —  A team spokesman said Bennett asked for and was granted his released from the team Thursday, making him a free agent.