BLUE JAYS, ORIOLES SET TO BEGIN STRETCH OF DIVISIONAL GAMES  —  Sports Network  —  (Sports Network) - Already 18 games out of first place in the American League East, the Baltimore Orioles can at least try to have some fun by shaking up the standings with 12 straight matchups against their division opponents.

Mets zero in, shut out Phils for 3rd straight day  —  NEW YORK (AP) Mike Pelfrey and the New York Mets zeroed in once again.  —  Pelfrey and the Mets bullpen pulled off a most extraordinary pitching feat in this big-hitting era, shutting out Philadelphia for the third straight game Thursday night …

Cubs' Lilly cheats, busted by Twitter  —  It's not often that you see a runner on first base arguing with the first-base umpire.  But that's exactly what happened in the bottom of the sixth inning at Wrigley Field today, as Casey Blake got into it with crew chief John Hirschbeck.

Lee, Oswalt and Fielder headline summer trade candidates … Thanks to the Astros' longtime pitching star Roy Oswalt and his unusually early trade request, trade speculation has already begun — though the majority of trade-deadline deals won't happen for two months.

MLB plans showdown with umpire Joe West  —  Earlier this week, Joe West's personal publicist sent out a mass email offering up his client for interviews.  —  (Pause, to allow the proper spit-take at the fact that a baseball umpire is self-absorbed enough to keep a P.R. man in his employ.

The Ellsbury dilemma  —  Jacoby Ellsbury is scheduled to see a specialist today to determine the status of his cracked ribs and the apparently related pain he has been experiencing lately.  —  Ellsbury has been on the active roster for 19 games this season.  But he was not available to play on 10 of those days because of the injury.

Kubel belts two homers, powers Twins over Yankees  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jason Kubel (FSY) ended Minnesota's long power drought in a big way, belting two home runs and driving in five runs in the Twins' 8-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

Rangers must sweeten the deal to get Roy Oswalt  —  Our baseball team was in bankruptcy court this week, with a local judge wading through Tom Hicks' red ink, which is so deep that at one point the Honorable Michael Lynn had to make this strange request:  —  Would a credit card company …

Note: What Did Mike Francesa Just Say About Me?  —  Mike Francesa asked, 'Who cares what Matthew Cerrone thinks?  Apparently, he did not like my post from this morning about how I am proud of Mike Pelfrey.  —  He then said I look like I am 12 years old, and later asked, “Who reads blogs anyway?”

New York Yankees to update plans for Phil Hughes Rules  —  MINNEAPOLIS — New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland will soon decide how much of the next phase of Phil Hughes Rules they need to implement, ESPNNewYork.com has learned.

Baker to be examined by eye doctor  —  CHICAGO — Cubs third baseman Jeff Baker was pulled from Thursday's 1-0 win against the Dodgers because he lost vision in his right eye.  He was taken to the team's eye specialist to be examined.  —  Baker didn't react when the Dodgers' Russell Martin lined …

Keeping Score: An Edge to Friendly Confines  —  In major league baseball from 2000 to 2009, the home team won 54 percent of the time.  Many cite the home team's last at-bat as the reason.  At the end of games, the thinking goes, the home team can tailor its strategy to match the situation.