Own a piece of Strasburg's debut  —  Various items to be auctioned on MLB.com  —  As Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg settled in Tuesday night for his much-anticipated Major League Baseball debut, fans already were bidding on items that would be used during his start against the Pirates and then signed afterward.

M's expect Yankees to make Cliff bid  —  BALTIMORE — While starting pitching has been a Yankee strength, the Mariners believe the defending World Series champions will be in the hunt when Seattle shops stud lefty Cliff Lee.  —  “They want one of the [Yanks' minor-league] catchers and …

Reds lead list of turnaround teams with eyes on October … One of the greatest underappreciated truths of wild card era baseball is that losers turn into playoff teams every year.  In the 15 years since baseball split into six divisions and allowed eight playoff entries …

Sizzling Cain notches shutout of Reds  —  Giants righty says catcher Molina a big part of success  —  CINCINNATI — Individual ballplayers are capable of remarkable feats.  But players working in concert can accomplish even more.  —  The Giants benefited from such a peerless pair Tuesday night …

Guillens disappointed in son's slot  —  Family expected Ozney to be drafted higher than No. 668  —  CHICAGO — Tuesday could have marked a memorable time for the entire Guillen family, the start of youngest son Ozney's professional baseball career, with the left-handed-hitting outfielder joining father Ozzie …

Phillies select local product in first round  —  Left-hander Biddle starred in high school in Philadelphia  —  PHILADELPHIA — Jesse Biddle sold his talented left arm to the Phillies last Wednesday inside a mostly empty Citizens Bank Park.  —  If they liked him before, they loved him then.

O's eye Valentine, Wedge in managerial search  —  Ex-Mets manager will interview soon; former Indians skipper on radar, too  —  The Orioles' search for a new manager is officially underway, with at least two intriguing names in the mix.  —  Bobby Valentine, the ESPN analyst who took …

Sox recap: Sox 3, Indians 2  —  Tim Wakefield's gem sinks Indians  —  THE BIG PICTURE  —  CLEVELAND - It's a prerequisite for every playoff-bound team: Beat up on the weaklings.  During this seven-game road trip, the Red Sox [team stats] have happily been the bully.

Strasburg Game Earns Record Ratings On MASN  —  Preliminary overnight Nielsen ratings show that the Nationals game on MASN has set a new record high rating for the network, earning a 7.1 HH rating as more than 165,000 households in the Washington region tuned in to watch an historic pitching performance.

LSU's Miles: Lee won't sign with Dodgers  —  Football coach says LA's first-round pick is going to college  —  LOS ANGELES — Already, the Dodgers may have lost their top pick from the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.  —  Louisiana State University football coach Les Miles said on Tuesday that Zach Lee …

Niemann mows down Jays  —  Toronto's bats fall silent in 9-0 drubbing  —  No need to worry about the bullpen this time around.  —  Tampa Bay Rays starter Jeff Niemann refused to let the contest get that far.  —  The towering 6-foot-9 hurler cut down the vaunted Toronto Blue Jays offence with ease …

Kicking off Day 2, Nats draft big lefty  —  Selection of Solis precedes club's pick of shortstop Hague  —  If the Nationals were looking to add some toughness to their organization, they got it on Tuesday with the selection of University of San Diego left-handed pitcher Sammy Solis.

Taijuan Walker Hopes To Get Started  —  Ask Taijuan Walker to describe himself and he'll tell you that the Mariners selected a “considerate” young man with their supplementary round selection this year.  Ask scouts to describe the 17-year-old they saw throwing mid-90s fastballs and “considerate” …