J.D. Drew: Pain and pleasure  —  RF belts two HRs  —  With all the strained muscles and broken bones that have plagued the Red Sox [team stats] lately, right fielder J.D. Drew [stats]'s nagging injuries, from a hamstring pull to a stiff neck, are easily overlooked.  —  But they're no less annoying.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel covets ace pitcher over reliever as Cliff Lee remains top commodity  —  WASHINGTON - Jerry Manuel's priorities are clear in advance of the July 31 trade deadline: If forced to choose between an ace starter and a setup man, the Mets manager would take the ace.

Braves overcome miscue, drop Fish in 11  —  Venters allows run to score, but Infante hits walk-off single  —  ATLANTA — Josh Johnson's presence didn't prove to be nearly as detrimental as what would have been an ugly 11th inning if the Braves wouldn't have had the opportunity to come …

BLOOMQUIST, ROYALS EDGE ANGELS IN 10  —  Sports Network  —  Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Willie Bloomquist singled home the winning run in the 10th inning to lift Kansas City to a 2-1 comeback win over the Angels in the opener of a three-game set at Angel Stadium.

Yankees score 11 times in third against Jays  —  NEW YORK—The New York Yankees have scored 11 runs in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays.  They sent 14 batters to the plate during the 37-minute marathon.  —  The 11-run inning Saturday tied the Blue Jays' franchise record for most allowed …

Rays Sign Dominican OF Araujo For $800,000  —  The Rays have signed Dominican center fielder Yoel Araujo for $800,000, according to an international source.  —  The bonus for the righthanded-hitting Araujo, who at 16 is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, is a club record for an amateur player signed out of the Dominican Republic.

Molina apparently got the trade news the wrong way  —  There is a common courtesy afforded to players when they are traded, optioned or released.  They are called into a meeting with an official from the team and told before they hear it from any unofficial source, such as the media.

CORA AND NIESE LIFT METS OVER NATS  —  The Sports Network  —  Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Alex Cora drove in three runs to back Jon Niese's solid pitching performance, as the New York Mets held off the Washington Nationals, 5-3, in the second test of a four-game set at Nationals Park.

Manny appears headed to disabled list  —  Ramirez sits for second consecutive game against D-backs  —  PHOENIX — The Dodgers are expected to place outfielder Manny Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained right hamstring.  It will be his second stint on the disabled list this season …

Dukes signs deal with independent league  —  If Elijah Dukes wants to be a Major League outfielder once again, he will have to start that journey in the Atlantic League.  —  Dukes, who was released by the Nationals during Spring Training, signed with the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League, the team announced on its Web site Thursday.

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.

Price takes no-hitter into fifth but Twins rally to take down Rays ace  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Danny Valencia (FSY) had two hits and the go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning and the Minnesota Twins outlasted David Price (FSY) and the Tampa Bay Rays for a 2-1 victory Friday night.

Blum injures elbow while getting dressed  —  SAN DIEGO — Although Geoff Blum injured his right elbow in an unusual way on Thursday night, the impact of his injury is no less serious.  —  Blum felt a “pop” in his elbow while putting on his shirt following Thursday's contest against the Padres, according to manager Brad Mills.

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 …