Oswalt Accepts Trade to Phillies  —  HOUSTON - Houston Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt told FOX 26 Sports on Thursday that he has waived his no-trade clause and accepted a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies.  —  The Astros reached an agreement Wednesday night on the trade with the Phillies …

Mets Win Series, Keeping Heads Above .500  —  The Mets have said all year that their goal is to win the National League East.  But in the last month they have harnessed a shorter-term aspiration: to win a series.  —  Before Thursday, the last time that had happened was late June, when the Mets won two of three against Minnesota.

Riggleman: Strasburg likely to be shut down for 10 days  —  On an appearance this morning on MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM, Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman said Stephen Strasburg would not make his scheduled start Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, and will likely be shut down for 10 days …

Orioles hire Showalter  —  The Baltimore Orioles have hired ESPN analyst Buck Showalter as their next manager, the team announced Thursday.  —  Showalter's first game as manager will be Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels, the first game of a seven-game homestand.

Source: Dodgers to get Podsednik  —  The Dodgers have agreed to a deal that will bring Kansas City Royals outfielder Scott Podsednik to Los Angeles, a baseball source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Wednesday.  —  The Royals would receive two minor leaguers.

Sky-high after this victory  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — I'm in.  I believe.  I just saw Marco Scutaro hit a grand slam to complete a three-game Red Sox sweep of the Angels.  The Sox look like they are ready for a big stretch run.  —  The Sox just played 10 games in 10 days in three cities.

Angels seem to be at end of line  —  Though the season is far from over, L.A. is a tired team and virtually out of contention … ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter sat at his locker dressed in a gray T-shirt, red shorts and brown slippers, slowly sipping coffee from a green Styrofoam cup.

Jays not pursuing Bautista extension  —  Jose Bautista is having a career year, leading the majors with 30 home runs.  —  PRINT RSS  —  Updated Jul 28, 2010 10:57 PM ET  —  Toronto's Jose Bautista leads the major leagues with 30 home runs.  But the Blue Jays aren't currently discussing a contract extension with him.

Plenty of posturing before deal due date  —  Pessimism about making deals always rules leading up to the trade deadline.  —  It is one part strategy: Teams hope that by making it sound as if there is no way they would meet the current prices then those prices will go down.

Source: Rangers' Ian Kinsler headed to DL  —  Second baseman Ian Kinsler will be placed on the 15-day disabled list today with an injury to his left leg that isn't considered serious but needs to be rested and treated for the stretch run and possible run into the postseason, a major-league source said.

Rodriguez objects to bankruptcy auction  —  Former Texas Rangers and current New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez filed an objection to the Rangers' bankruptcy plan Wednesday over concerns about whether he would receive the $24.9 million he's owed in deferred compensation.

Sox digging deep for a reliever  —  The Red Sox, according to major league sources, will not overpay for Toronto lefty Scott Downs, who would have been their first choice to occupy the seventh-inning role in front of Daniel Bard.  At this hour, the Downs scenario seemed a longshot unless …

Staying clean may be costing Fred McGriff in his bid for Hall of Fame  —  On the weekend he might have been inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, an extraordinary achievement, Fred McGriff had the most ordinary of weekends.  —  He visited his mother.  He watched his daughter, Ericka, play volleyball.