Drew, Lester lead Red Sox past Blue Jays  —  Buzz up!  —  TORONTO (AP)—With J.D. Drew  —  rested and refreshed, the Boston Red Sox are on a roll.  —  Drew homered twice, Jon Lester  —  pitched eight strong innings and the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.

Continuity breeds success for Angels  —  Buzz up!  —  The Los Angeles Angels' clubhouse is a domicile for sameness.  They've listened to the same music for years.  They perform the same handshakes.  They follow the same routines.  They celebrate wins in the same manner.

‘LOADED HANDGUN’ FINALLY GOES OFF  —  IT is the 2009 Mets.  So, of course, the story never gets better.  Only more humiliating.  Only more dispiriting.  Only more bizarre.  —  SHERMAN ON TWITTER  —  Gary Sheffield went from on his best behavior to, well, being Gary Sheffield.

Team President Stan Kasten Explains GM Search  —  As I told you guys, I thought it was important when we made the change [in March] — even though I had a lot of confidence in Mike, which has been rewarded and justified — I thought it was a good opportunity for the franchise to do a thorough …

Remember Joba rules?  Rangers have Neftali rules.  —  When the New York Yankees brought Joba Chamberlain up in 2007, they had Joba rules.  For every inning he pitched, he got a day off.  In Chamberlain's case, that applied on the front end too (he could pitch two innings if he had two days off before the outing).

Padres get cash for Gaudin ...  SAN DIEGO - General manager Kevin Towers said Wednesday that the Padres will take cash considerations, believed to be $100,000, as compensation for the August 7 deal that sent him to the New York Yankees.  —  The Padres had the option of cash considerations …

Grand slammed: Dodgers pound Cubs 7-2  —  Return to Dodger Stadium matches score that started ‘09 playoff failure  —  LOS ANGELES — Since the Cubs were last here, the tunnel behind the visitors’ dugout has dried out and Dodger Stadium has a nice new water-main valve, compliments of Cubs management.

Yankees win!  Thhhhheeeee ... Yankees win!  —  I live in New York, land of baseball.  —  I love it here in the summer, because the games matter and the fans are intense and all anyone wants to talk about is Yankees!  Yankees!  Yankees! (and, sometimes, mets, mets, mets).

Ricketts primed to purchase Cubs  —  Tribune Co. agrees to approximately $900 million deal  —  The sale of the Cubs to Tom Ricketts, chief executive of Chicago investment back Incapital LLC, is drawing near, Major League Baseball confirmed on Friday.  —  “We are pleased at the progress …

Baseball roundup: Dodgers 7, Cubs 2  —  NL ROUNDUP  —  Dodgers 7, Cubs 2 — Russell Martin broke open a 2-2 game with a sixth-inning grand slam to lead host Los Angeles past Chicago.  —  Phillies 12, Diamondbacks 3 — Jayson Werth hit his fourth homer in three games …

Body found on Chipper Jones' ranch  —  Braves star says man on Texas property believed to be illegal immigrant  —  The body of a 22-year-old man was found Thursday morning on Chipper Jones' family ranch in southwest Texas.  —  “He was in a part of the ranch we don't go to on a daily basis …

Lackey hit hard in sixth as Halos fall  —  Starter gets little support, gives up six runs to Indians  —  CLEVELAND — So that's what it feels like.  —  The Angels were on the wrong end of some thunder and lightning on Thursday night, and that was after the rain stopped falling and the skies cleared over Progressive Field.

Livan Hernandez meets his maker as Billy Wagner returns  —  Livan Hernandez, 34, who somehow won the No. 5 starting pitcher role for the New York Mets in spring training, has been designated for assignment.  The Mets have 10 days to waive, release or trade Hernandez in favor of returning left-handed reliever Billy Wagner.