Sox interested in Billy Wagner  —  According to a Major League source, the Red Sox would like to work out a trade for Mets reliever Billy Wagner, who was placed on waivers Wednesday, the day before he made his first appearance in nearly a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Problem with Penny is hammered home  —  Penny for your thoughts.  Penny Hardaway.  Penny Marshall.  Three-penny opera.  Penny wise, pound foolish.  Penny Lane is in my ears and in my eyes.  —  Brad Penny.  —  Enough.  No need to pile on the guy.  Brad Penny is, after all, almost a .500 pitcher (7-8).

Crasnick: Oakland Athletics pitcher Justin Duchscherer has clinical depression  —  Oakland Athletics pitcher Justin Duchscherer has been diagnosed with clinical depression and will miss the rest of the 2009 season as he undergoes treatment for the condition, his agent said Friday.  —  Duchscherer

Sanchez … DENVER(AP) Jonathan Sanchez tossed five solid innings, Aaron Rowand hit a three-run homer and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 6-3 on Friday night in the opener of an important four-game series.  —  Sanchez (6-10) allowed an unearned run and two hits to win …

Francoeur's three hits lift the Mets over the Phillies  —  They're only 13-1/2 games back now in the NL East.  Hey, you never know.  —  As it turns out, the once-anticipated Mets-Phillies showdown this weekend doesn't have quite the implications of the Yankees-Red Sox series in Boston.

At Little League World Series, Hall of Famer Jim Rice says major league players are not good role models for youngsters  —  SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Jim Rice's advice to Little Leaguers: Don't use today's major leaguers as role models.  —  Speaking to players before the start …

Cubs' Piniella: I'm staying for 2010  —  With ownership issue settled, Lou intends to manage next year  —  LOS ANGELES — With news Friday that terms of the Cubs' sale to the Ricketts family were finalized, one of the next major orders of business followed quickly, with manager Lou Piniella telling …

PEDROIA'S EFFORT LEVEL LEAVES ROBBIE IN DUST  —  BOSTON — I formed a seven- man committee comprised of one NL GM, one AL GM, and five assistants — three NL and two AL — and posed this question:  —  If you could have Robinson Cano or Dustin Pedroia for the next five years, who would you take and why?

Angels' ninth-inning rally comes up short  —  Napoli's three-run homer not enough in loss to Blue Jays  —  TORONTO — Second baseman Aaron Hill got the Blue Jays started with his bat and saved them not quite three hours later with his glove.  —  Hill's diving stab, robbing Juan Rivera …

Melvin not in selling mode  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  Washington, D.C. - Despite the Brewers' free-fall out of the playoff race, general manager Doug Melvin told me Friday he has no plans to sell off players before September.  —  In a period of only 12 days …

Talk about Blanco returning is clear  —  Add catcher Henry Blanco to the short list of veteran free agents the Padres might be interested in retaining for the 2010 season.  —  “Henry has done a nice job, particularly as an example and mentor for our young Latin American players,” Padres General Manager Kevin Towers said last night.