Top News:
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
Nava's RBI, Drew's 2 HRs give Boston 3-2 win — BOSTON—Pinch-hitter Daniel Nava sliced a bloop single down the right-field line to break an eighth-inning tie and give the injury-depleted Boston Red Sox a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Busy day for the Red Sox already (now with audio from Terry Francona) — OK, plenty of news today. Here is what we know: — NOW ON THE ROSTER — RHP Robert Manuel (recalled from Pawtucket) — INF Nuiman Romera (called up from Pawtucket, added to 40-man roster) — C Kevin Cash (obtained from Houston)
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Amanda Comak / CapeCodOnline.com:
Whitecaps' Ranaudo at a crossroads … acomak@capecodonline.com — Dangling around Anthony Ranaudo's neck is a small cross, each arm of it wrapped in wire colored the trademark purple and yellow of Louisiana State University. — It's a small part of what the 6-foot-7 …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
The latest on Varitek's injury
Discussion:
Cursed To First, The Bottom Line, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Surviving Grady, Red Sox Monster, Over the Monster, sox1fan.com and MLB Rumors
TSN.ca:
SCHERZER STRONG ON MOUND AS TIGERS TOPPLE MARINERS — The Sports Network — Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Johnny Damon hit a two-run home run and Max Scherzer worked eight innings to help the Detroit Tigers take a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game set.
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MLive.com:
Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer uses math background as formula for success — DETROIT — Max Scherzer is hot. — The Detroit Tigers right-hander has allowed just one run in his past two starts and has struck out 16 in 12 2/3 innings in those games. — Scherzer, who starts tonight …
Ed Price / Fanhouse MLB Blog:
Octavio Dotel Among Names in Early Trade Chatter — Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline falls four weeks from Saturday, and with one major deal already completed this week — Bengie Molina to the Rangers — chatter is picking up around the game. — The Marlins — who have used 18 relievers …
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Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Interested In Ty Wigginton — The Yankees have some interest in Ty Wigginton, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Price suggests the Yankees would be interested in the 32-year-old as a part-time player, rather than as an everyday starter. — In 299 plate appearances for the Orioles …
Associated Press:
Niese wins 5th straight, has 1st RBI in Mets' win — WASHINGTON—Jonathon Niese pitched seven solid innings, striking out a career-high eight for his fifth straight win, and the New York Mets held off the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Friday night. — Washington rallied for two runs …
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Sports Illustrated:
Deadline sellers and latest news on D-backs, Orioles and Marlins … Much of the attention this trading season, and rightfully so, will be on Mariners' left-handed starter Cliff Lee, and competing teams now say they believe trade talks involving the Seattle star are starting to heat up.
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
Diamondbacks fire Josh Byrnes, A.J. Hinch — The major changes the Diamondbacks had been talking so much about went down Thursday. — With the club on its way to second consecutive disastrous season, General Manager Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch each paid the price with his job.
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Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Diamondbacks fire GM Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Camden Chat, sox1fan.com, MLB Daily Dish, Yahoo! Sports and Babes Love Baseball
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Diamondbacks Fire Josh Byrnes And A.J. Hinch
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog, Dodgers Blog, AZ Snakepit, MLB.com, River Avenue Blues, Fox Sports and Yahoo! Sports
Michael Salfino / Wall Street Journal:
How Much Needs To Be Offered To Get Cliff Lee? — It's so rare that a pitcher of Cliff Lee's caliber is on the trade market, one might think a team needs to offer a prospect with Strasburgian promise to land him. Here's some good news for the Yankees and Mets: It really doesn't.
Discussion:
Mariners blog
Fox Sports:
Sources: Phillies interested in Lee — 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. — The Phillies' obsession with Cliff Lee continues. — The two-time defending National League champions again …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions — The numbers in parentheses denote draft round, of course, and I encourage one and all to check out our Draft Database. It's the easiest place on the Web to find out, 1) who drafted whom, and from which school and which state, and 2) which players have signed.
Discussion:
ESPN
Baseball America:
Prospect Hot Sheet: Midseason All-Stars — Team: Triple-A Columbus (International) — Why He's Here: .316/.447/.597 (62-for-196), 13 HR, 14 2B, 1 3B, 51 RBIs, 39 R, 45 BB, 39 SO, 6-for-6 SB — A switch-hitting catcher with power who showed no mercy toward the International League—haven't we seen this one before?
