Bumgarner to start tonight for Lincecum  —  A quick update from The Chronicle sports desk as Bruce Bochy speaks to reporters: Bochy has confirmed that Bumgarner is starting in Lincecum's place tonight.  Bochy said Lincecum should be better in a couple days and did not indicate there is an long-term problem with Lincecum.

Game 140: Rays at Yankees (updated with Robertson injury news)  —  YANKEES (89-50)  —  Pitching: RHP Chad Gaudin (1-0, 4.08).  —  RAYS (72-66)  —  Bartlett SS  —  Crawford LF  —  Longoria 3B  —  Zobrist CF  —  Burrell DH  —  Richard 1B  —  Zaun C  —  Gross RF  —  Iwamura 2B

New York Mets' Carlos Beltran activated, hits cleanup vs. Florida Marlins  —  NEW YORK — Carlos Beltran is back in the lineup for the New York Mets.  —  Sidelined since June 22 with a bone bruise on his right knee, the All-Star center fielder was activated from the disabled list Tuesday …

Dustin Pedroia gets chatty with homers  —  Big talk by mighty mite  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  Last night's 10-0 laugher was finished early enough for the Red Sox [team stats] to enjoy a few yuks as the game progressed.  —  Dustin Pedroia [stats] …

How to make the Yankees perfect  —  It might be too late.  But I wonder if the Yankees should send Phil Hughes to their secret compound in Tampa and retrain him to throw six innings at a pop. Because lately the Yankees seem to have only three starters, and these days you need four in October.

McDonald unlikely hero for Jays  —  his has been a season of little action with few highlights for John McDonald, so Tuesday night was a rare chance for the popular infielder to bask in the spotlight.  —  McDonald's three-run homer just inside the foul pole in left field capped …

No, Really: Now Will You Believe Us When We Tell You How Heidi Hamels Is Ruining Everything Beautiful That Was Once Cole Hamels?  —  Words can barely do justice to this ad for The Residences At Two Liberty Place, in the current issue of PhillyMag.  First off, is Heidi really pimpin' that baby bump for rent credits?

Moore answers questions online  —  Royals GM hosts monthly Royals Relay chat  —  Dayton Moore: Thank you for joining me today, let's get started.  —  adamb1969: What are the chances of Joakim Soria being moved to the rotation next year?  —  Moore: We are continuously evaluating our players …

Pittsburgh's certainly not alone in baseball's era of futility … The talk, of course, revolves around the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have now clinched their 17th consecutive losing season, a record of beautiful futility.  * But there might be something else going on in baseball.

Dwight Gooden to Work for Newark Bears  —  Dwight Gooden is returning to baseball, independent minor league baseball.  The Newark Bears will name Gooden, the former Mets and Yankees pitcher, as their senior vice president in a news conference Thursday.  —  The Bears, who are seventh …

New York Yankees' Ian Kennedy throws first simulated game  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees pitcher Ian Kennedy felt good after his first game-type action since surgery in May to remove an aneurysm below his right biceps.  —  Kennedy threw 22 of 35 pitches for strikes over two innings in a simulated …

Cubs tie record with 8 straight hits to open game … PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Chicago Cubs tied a major league record by beginning their game with the Pittsburgh Pirates with eight consecutive hits.  —  The Cubs took a 6-0 lead Tuesday night after the first five hitters all singled …

Chiefs 5, PawSox 3: Miserable season ends with a thud  —  •THE MERCIFUL END: The PawSox' last contest of the season turned in the bottom of the eighth when Syracuse rallied for three runs against Pawtucket reliever T.J. Large (3-4).  Syracuse catcher Gustavo Molina produced the winning runs …

MASSIVE TIE SCENARIO  —  In the National League yesterday, the Phillies lost, which helped the massive tie scenario, but the Dodgers won, which didn't.  The Marlins and Braves didn't play, but Colorado and San Francisco kept pace with wins as well.  —  The following outcomes result in a six …

Manuel fumes after Phillies fall again  —  HOUSTON - Yes, the Phillies proved their talent by winning the World Series last year.  And yes, they still hold a comfortable lead in their division.  —  But none of that soothed manager Charlie Manuel after yesterday's 4-3 loss to Houston sealed a four-game sweep by a mediocre team.

Putting the Rangers “DVD” Era Drafts in Perspective  —  The Rangers decision to waive RHP Thomas Diamond last week, which ultimately led to the Chicago Cubs claiming him, officially put an end to the once-celebrated “DVD” Era in Rangers history.  DVD stood for Danks-Volquez-Diamond and together …