Rare Rivera blown save leads to loss  —  Closer gives up slam to Kubel as Yanks can't finish sweep  —  NEW YORK — The reality of Mariano Rivera coughing up a late-inning lead still serves as a jolt to the senses after all these years, a rare occurrence that seems to compel those in pinstripes …

Tigers on a roll in Motor City with win vs Red Sox  —  DETROIT - Ramon Santiago hit a two-run homer and Armando Galarraga was sharp in his first start of the season, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Boston Red Sox [team stats] 5-1 on Sunday.  —  Detroit became the first team …

Dodgers beat Padres 1-0 for seventh straight win  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Russell Martin 's RBI single was one of only two hits for the Los Angeles Dodgers , who beat the first-place San Diego Padres 1-0 on Sunday for a three-game sweep and their season-high seventh straight victory.

Sizemore day-to-day with knee contusion  —  BALTIMORE — Cleveland outfielder Grady Sizemore is considered day-to-day after he left Sunday's victory over the Orioles in the fifth inning due to a left knee contusion.  —  Sizemore hurt the knee when diving back into first base following his RBI single in the third inning.

Niese aggravates right hamstring, exits game  —  Righty returning to New York for further tests on injury  —  MIAMI — Moments after Jon Niese first injured his right hamstring last May at Citi Field, Mets trainers asked him to throw a test pitch on the mound.  He did, then toppled over in pain with a severe tear of the muscle.

If losing continues, Sox could be losing veteran players too  —  Rangers inquire about availability of Pierzynski  —  A.J. Pierzynski is tagged out while sliding into third by Royals' Alberto Callaspo.  (Jamie Squire, Getty Images / May 16, 2010)  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. …

Reds stifle Cards, move into first in NL Central  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — Moments after Jay Bruce caught a routine fly for the final out, the public address announcer called everyone's attention to the standings board behind the right-field seats, the one that was about to reflect a seismic shift in the NL Central.

Storen to join Nats tomorrow  —  DENVER — Drew Storen is about to join the Nationals' roster.  —  The rookie reliever will have his contract purchased from Class AAA Syracuse and is expected to join the big-league club tomorrow in St. Louis, according to a source within the organization.

CUBS SALVAGE SERIES FINALE WITH PIRATES  —  The Sports Network  —  Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Xavier Nady's pinch-hit single pushed across the winning run in the eighth inning, as the Cubs rallied for a 4-3 win over the Pirates to salvage the last of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.

Davis has heart condition  —  Brewers pitcher Doug Davis was scratched from his Sunday start and placed on the 15-day disabled list with a heart condition called pericarditis, an acute inflammation of the lining around the heart.  He is being treated with anti-inflammatory medication and the situation is not life-threatening.

MLB Committee Fought to Keep Blacks Out Even After Robinson Signing  —  At the Reds' Great American Ballpark, the likes of Willie Mays, Bud Selig, and Jimmie Lee Solomon are taking part in festivities around the annual Civil Rights Game between the Reds and St. Louis Cardinals.

Lee puts onus on himself  —  Derrek Lee played for a team that started 16-22 and won a World Series, so he's not about to write off the 15-22 Cubs in the middle of May.  —  “There was no magic moment,” Lee said of the Florida Marlins' turnaround in 2003.  “We just kept believing in ourselves and kept playing hard.

Did Mike Piazza Use Performance-Enhancing Drugs?  —  Mike Piazza recently told the New York Times that he wants to go into MLB's Hall of Fame as a Met.  But the real question that sportswriters should debate about Piazza is not what hat he should get to wear on his Hall of Fame plaque, but whether or not he used steroids.

Yanks will sit Vazquez until Friday  —  Instead of starting against Red Sox, righty will take on Mets  —  NEW YORK — The Yankees will skip Javier Vazquez's spot in the rotation for the second time in two weeks, pushing the right-hander back to Friday, May 21, when he will start against the New York Mets.