D-backs GM confirms interest in Willis  —  Byrnes in discussions with Tigers about trade for lefty  —  LOS ANGELES — Dontrelle Willis bought a house in the Phoenix area.  Whether the lefty will live in it this summer could become known in the next 24 hours.

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.

Rangers plan to put Holland on DL  —  Mild case of inflamation diagnosed in left rotator cuff  —  CHICAGO — The Rangers are planning to put pitcher Derek Holland on the disabled list Tuesday because of a mild case of inflammation in the rotator cuff in his left shoulder, assistant general manager Thad Levine said.

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.

Blue Jays edge Rays  —  Among all the talented young pitching the Toronto Blue Jays have, no one has an arm as electric as Brandon Morrow.  —  The 6-3 right-hander has the stuff to overpower and dominate, which is exactly what he did Monday night in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Dodgers down D'backs thanks to 9th-inning balk  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — A blunder on the basepaths nearly cost the Los Angeles Dodgers .  But they got lucky with an even bigger mistake by the Arizona Diamondbacks .  —  A balk by Esmerling Vasquez allowed Casey Blake to score the winning run …

Roaming the grasses  —  Mr. and Mrs. Smith  —  Last year I tooted Seth Smith's horn often and while he finished with solid numbers—15 homers and a .293 average in just 387 PAs—his inconsistent performance and playing time made him somewhat of a pain to own.

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 …

BRAVES DOWN PHILS TO TAKE OVER FIRST PLACE IN NL EAST  —  The Sports Network  —  Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer and Troy Glaus added a late three-run shot, backing a solid start from Tommy Hanson and helping the Braves to their sixth consecutive win, a 9-3 decision over the Phillies.

Strasburg to debut vs. Pirates on June 8  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals have decided that right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make his Major League debut on June 8 against Pirates — provided that a rainout or injury doesn't stand in the way, according to general manager Mike Rizzo.

RASMUS, CARDS POUND REDS TO OPEN KEY INTRADIVISIONAL SERIES  —  The Sports Network  —  St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Colby Rasmus finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored as St. Louis pounded Cincinnati, 12-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Busch Stadium.

TWINS USE THE LONG BALL TO KNOCK OFF MARINERS  —  The Sports Network  —  Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Francisco Liriano earned his first win in four weeks, and the Minnesota Twins used three home runs to power their way to a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners in the first of four games at Safeco Field.