Wright finishes the season strong  —  Unlike the dozen of his  —  teammates lost to season-ending injuries, David Wright is going to finish the year in uniform.  But this past month has been a struggle for Wright after returning from a concussion, and only now does it appear …

Twins cut Tigers' lead to one  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jeff Manship's (FSY) first major league win was well-timed for the Minnesota Twins, who got a grand slam from Delmon Young (FSY) and hung on for a 10-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night that cut Detroit's AL Central lead to one game.

AP: Padres GM Towers has been fired  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Kevin Towers, the longest-tenured general manager in the major leagues, has been fired by the San Diego Padres, a person familiar with the situation said Friday night.  —  The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the club hadn't made an announcement.

Upton hits for first cycle in Rays history  —  Single in fifth completes bid for feat against Yanks at Trop  —  ST. PETERSBURG — B.J. Upton became the first player in Rays history to hit for the cycle when he turned the trick Friday night in his first four at-bats against the Yankees during Tampa Bay's 13-4 victory.

Rockies prevent Dodgers from clinching NL West … LOS ANGELES(AP) Ubaldo Jimenez struck out 10 and the streaking Colorado Rockies forced the NL West race down to the final two games, beating the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Friday night.  —  With both teams already assured playoff spots …

At Sold-Out Fenway, a Way in for Patient Fans  —  BOSTON — Joan George was in the mood to treat herself to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, where every game since May 15, 2003, has sold out.  —  So a few hours before a recent game, she went to the back side of the ballpark along Lansdowne Street …

Blue Jays fire GM J.P. Ricciardi  —  TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have fired general manager J.P. Ricciardi.  —  Interim CEO Paul Beeston announced the move on Saturday, saying he felt it was time for a change.  —  Ricciardi has been in charge of the team since Nov. 14, 2001, posting four winning seasons and four losing ones.

Escapism encourages Daisuke Matsuzaka  —  Sox hang tough in what could be costly victory  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email  —  Playoff teams usually include at least one “X-factor” they hope can pop up out of the blue as a surprise October contributor.

Catcher Gregg Zaun hopes to return to Tampa Bay Rays in 2010  —  ST. PETERSBURG — C Gregg Zaun has been a Ray for less than two months, but he said he'd love to come back next year — and possibly beyond — if the feeling is mutual.  —  Zaun, a 15-year veteran, has a mutual $2 million option …

The 30 best moves of this year (cont.)  —  Source: Reyes didn't tear hamstring completely, but surgery still looks likely  —  Star shortstop Jose Reyes, who personifies the Mets' disastrous and injury-wracked season, now has received an initial recommendation to have the hamstring tendon that's …