Felix overpowers A's with career-high 13 K's  —  Seattle ace escapes jam in first, tosses eight shutout frames  —  SEATTLE — The game was three batters old and Felix Hernandez was in big trouble.  Everywhere he looked, a runner was on base.  —  He talked to himself a couple of times …

Cards brawl with Reds, take division lead  —  Yadier Molina jawed with Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips in the first inning Tuesday night, sparking a bench-clearing altercation, and the Cardinals followed their catcher's lead to an 8-4 victory that moved St. Louis back into first place in the NL Central.

Pedroia shooting for Tuesday return  —  Breaking news here from Toronto.  Dustin Pedroia is on track to rejoin the Red Sox one week from today.  The Laser Show is back on.  —  Pedroia had a successful workout at the Rogers Centre this afternoon, running at nearly full speed.

Dickerson took long road to Milwaukee  —  MILWAUKEE — Chris Dickerson's Monday began in Cincinnati, where he learned he'd been traded to the Brewers.  It ended in Milwaukee, where he scrambled to prepare for what might have been a dramatic debut.  —  Instead, Dickerson was left standing …

Mets Jeff Francoeur, seeking playing time, open to trade  —  NEW YORK — Benched to make room for a 21-year-old rookie, marginalized as a platoon player, Mets outfielder Jeff Francoeur has told the club through his representatives that he is interested in being traded to a team that would play him more, both sides confirmed yesterday.

Mets' Beltran clears waivers  —  Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran cleared trade waivers on Monday, major-league sources told FOXSports.com.  —  The Mets are now technically able to trade Beltran, just as they were prior to the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

Nationals reinstate Strasburg from DL  —  WASHINGTON (AP)  —  Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is back from his first trip to the disabled list.  —  The Nationals have reinstated the rookie from the 15-day DL so he can start against the Florida Marlins on Tuesday night.  —  He last pitched July 21.

Big ninth inning gives Braves 4-2 win over Astros  —  HOUSTON—Brooks Conrad's two-run homer in the ninth inning powered the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.  —  The Braves were trailing 2-1 after the Astros scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning off Atlanta errors …

Rockies, Swanner Agree On $490,000  —  The Rockies and 15th-round pick Will Swanner have agreed to terms on a $490,000 bonus.  It's the second-highest known bonus after the 10th round to date, behind Reds 12th-rounder Kyle Waldrop's $500,000.  MLB recommends a maximum bonus of $150,000 for all picks after the fifth round.

A three-dimensional win for Red Sox  —  TORONTO — It was only a few weeks ago that Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, and Jacoby Ellsbury appeared to have taken up permanent residence on the disabled list.  —  Lowell had been felled by a sore hip, although his being taken off the active roster …

Thome, Mauer help Twins topple White Sox, regain first in AL Central  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Jim Thome (FSY) hit his 579th homer, Joe Mauer (FSY) had three more hits and the Minnesota Twins took sole possession of the AL Central lead by beating the Chicago White Sox 12-6 on Tuesday night.

Strasburg roughed up in return  —  Stephen Strasburg returned from his first trip to the disabled list and turned in the worst start of his sometimes-spectacular rookie season.  —  Washington's prized right-hander allowed a career-high six earned runs in a career-low 4 1-3 innings Tuesday night …

Ethier leads Dodgers over Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA—Andre Ethier had four hits, scored four runs and reached base six times, and Casey Blake and Jay Gibbons hit home runs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 15-9 battering of the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

Let's face it, Grandy's no Johnny Damon  —  Yankees outfielder booed as Red Sox salvage series split, playoff hopes in the Bronx … Damon, that is.  —  In a moment fit for Johnny Damon no matter what side of the rivalry he was on, his Yankeereplacement, the underwhelming Curtis Granderson …