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.

AL Central-leading Tigers fall to Peavy, White Sox  —  DETROIT (AP) — Jake Peavy (FSY) delayed Detroit's chance to move closer to the AL Central title, pitching the Chicago White Sox past the slumping Tigers 8-0 Friday night.  —  The Tigers went into the final weekend with a two-game lead over Minnesota …

Rockies' go with righties vs. Dodgers; L.A. loses Kuroda to neck injury  —  LOS ANGELES — Any question of whether the Rockies were going for the division title was eliminated with today's lineup.  Todd Helton is in there.  So is shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.  Both are guys that could use a rest with a playoff berth locked up.

CC rocked in final tuneup before ALDS  —  Southpaw labors vs. Rays as Yanks stumble at the Trop  —  ST. PETERSBURG — His head down, CC Sabathia walked slowly into the dugout, ignoring the taunting fans overhead.  Barking an angry word, he removed his glove and fired it into the wall, scattering an assortment of plastic bottles.

Warrant issued for ballplayer Shawn Chacon over gambling markers  —  Onetime All-Star accused of failing to pay Caesars Palace $150,000  —  Shawn Chacon pitches for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 3, 2006, in Pittsburgh.  —  2 a.m.

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 …

Vintage Daisuke Matsuzaka  —  Sox starter works in, out of jams  —  + 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.  —  If his performance last night was any indication …

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.

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 …

Staff at Arizona cryogenics lab Alcor used Ted Williams' frozen head for batting practice: book  —  Workers at an Arizona cryonics facility mutilated the frozen head of baseball legend Ted Williams - even using it for a bizarre batting practice, a new tell-all book claims.

Weiner elected by Players Association  —  Fehr's successor has been a member of union for 21 years  —  Michael Weiner has been elected as the new executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union announced on Friday.  He replaces Don Fehr, who gave notice that he intended to retire earlier this year.

South Atlantic League Top 20 Prospects  —  The Sally League had a number of power arms in 2009  —  Most years, the best teams are led by the best players.  In the previous two years in the low Class A South Atlantic League, for example, No. 1 prospects Desmond Jennings (Columbus in 2007) …

TBS covers Division Series completely  —  Veteran broadcasters set for postseason to begin  —  It is about to become a way of life again for baseball fans everywhere.  —  The Division Series on TBS.  —  It is the intense, unpredictable and always-eventful beginning of the road …