BOX SCORE  —  A second Mets player echoed that line of thinking.  —  “At some point you have to cut bait,” he said.  “You owe him a lot of money, but for what?”  —  Perez, whom the Mets banished to the bullpen two weeks ago, allowed three runs over two innings on Saturday after Fernando Nieve flopped in a spot start.

A-Rod's grand slam, Pettitte help Yankees rout Indians  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Rodriguez (FSY) hit his second grand slam of the season and Andy Pettitte (FSY) was nearly unhittable again in the daytime, helping the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 11-2 Monday.

Losing Morales not Angels' only concern  —  Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005.  He appears weekly on MLB on FOX.  Follow him on Twitter.  —  Yes, the Angels need a first baseman.  But they also need better production out of every other infield position …

Forget about Dontrelle Willis  —  The Mets need pitching, but they don't need another headache, That eliminates Dontrelle Willis (1-2, 4.98) who was designated for assignment by the Tigers.  The dynamic young picther of a few years ago is gone and Willis needs time in the minor leagues …

Morales' injury may open a spot for Lowell in L.A.  —  BOSTON — The broken leg suffered by Kendry Morales Saturday might provide the Red Sox with a logical trading partner for Mike Lowell.  But to date there have been no talks between the Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, sources with both teams confirmed Sunday.

PIRATES CONTINUE TO HANDLE CUBS  —  The Sports Network  —  Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Bobby Crosby knocked in the go-ahead run with a single in the eighth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the Chicago Cubs, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park.

MLB mock draft 2.0  —  After a solid week, LSU's Anthony Ranaudo gets back into the mix  —  The 2010 Rule 4 draft is just one week away, and there haven't been many changes in the Top 10, but there's more clarity in the middle of the round than there was a week ago.

Bits 'n Pieces  —  Rip Van Bisher has awakened.  Pardon my extended absence, but in the interim, I have been collecting a few gems that interest me, and may trigger yours.  Let me open with a few missiles from the thoroughbred track:  —  ****My friend Peter Blum has a long history of breeding …

Nats' lineup welcomes Minute Maid  —  HOUSTON — The Nationals have scored no more than two runs in three of their past six games.  They hoped that a change in venue, beginning with a four-game series Monday at Minute Maid Park, might give their offense a boost.

The many Mets moments on ‘Seinfeld’  —  On the 20th anniversary of the sitcom's debut, we break down the baseball references  —  “Entertainment Weekly” was kind enough this week to remind us that Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the debut of the television sitcom “Seinfeld.”