Pedro Martinez strikes out 11 in Double-A rehab start  —  READING, Pa. — Pedro Martinez recorded nine of his first 12 outs by strikeout and worked six innings for the Double-A Reading on Wednesday night, in what could have been his final rehab start before joining the Philadelphia Phillies.

Damon and Swisher Homer for Yankee Win  —  TORONTO (AP) — Johnny Damon hit a solo home run and had three RBIs, Nick Swisher also connected and the New York Yankees completed a two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with an 8-4 victory Wednesday night.  —  Reliever Alfredo Aceves (7-1) …

Parnell is likely to take Niese's spot in rotation … With Jon Niese out for the year, Jerry Manuel indicated the rookie's spot in the starting rotation could be taken by reliever Bobby Parnell.  —  Parnell, a starter throughout his minor-league career before making 54 relief appearances …

You can boo Ortiz now, but then let it go  —  and call me crazy, but I don't sense that Yankees fans will respect David Ortiz's “Give me time to figure out how I tested positive back in '03” plea.  —  “Gary Sheffield and Carl Pavano have gotten it the worst this year,” Lisa Swan said Thursday.

An open letter to Joba  —  I'm writing to you as a friend you've never met.  I'm writing to you with a small piece of advice, something you can choose to ignore or something you can take to heart.  Your choice.  But hear me out, and I promise to keep it brief.

Cat frolicks on field in fifth inning in KC  —  Groundskeepers give chase as feline delays play early  —  KANSAS CITY — Say what you want about their win-loss record, but the Royals' 2009 season is definitely running in first place in the bizarre moments category.

Ray relives breakthrough performance  —  ‘I was in a zone,’ reliever says of Tuesday's career-long outing; Berken starts Friday  —  DETROIT — It's basically what Orioles reliever Chris Ray has waited for.  —  His outing Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers, in which he pitched …

Mets reacquire Anderson Hernandez from Nats  —  The Mets have reacquired infielder Anderson Hernandez from the Nationals for prospect Greg Veloz.  Here's the announcement:  —  Hernandez, 26, hit .251 (58-231) with 25 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, one home run and 23 RBI in 77 games with the Washington Nationals.

Mike Minor gets big deal from Braves  —  Former Vanderbilt left-hander Mike Minor and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a contract that includes the largest bonus awarded to a Braves draftee and the largest bonus ever given to a No. 7 pick, Nashville-based agent Bo McKinnis said Wednesday.

Red Sox' Trop woes grow as Rays finish sweep  —  Same sad story  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - It hasn't reached the level of the Patriots [team stats]' old Orange Bowl jinx, but the Red Sox [team stats] keep flopping at the Trop.

Schmidt chased early in Dodgers' loss  —  Furcal's leadoff homer provides only offense vs. Brewers  —  LOS ANGELES — The stage was set for something memorable.  —  It was the game immediately following Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder's bizarre attempt to storm the Dodgers clubhouse …

No Deadline For Indy Leaguers  —  MLB has ruled that the Aug. 17 signing deadline doesn't apply to players drafted out of independent leagues.  That means that two righthanders, Royals first-round pick Aaron Crow (Fort Worth Cats) and Rangers supplemental first-rounder Tanner Scheppers …

Topps Gets Exclusive Deal With Baseball, Landing a Blow to Upper Deck  —  The Topps Company will become the exclusive trading card maker of Major League Baseball next year in a multiyear deal that appears to seriously hurt Upper Deck, its primary competitor in the once-vibrant business.

Abreu finds a perfect fit with Halos  —  Buzz up!  —  stands amid the clamor of a pregame clubhouse one recent afternoon, all of it so familiar to him now.  —  Torii's laugh and Figgy's buoyancy and the Latin guys along the far wall, their voices carrying, riding Vladdy's old-man gait …

Red Sox sign Byrd to Minor League deal  —  Veteran righty retired following 2008 season with Boston  —  ST. PETERBURG — Roughly a year ago, the Red Sox were sputtering a little in the rotation and added dependable veteran Paul Byrd in a waiver pickup from the Cleveland Indians.