Top News:
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Papelbon, Sox suffer tough loss to Jays — Closer allows three runs in ninth for sixth blown save of season — TORONTO — When Jonathan Papelbon walks off the mound in the ninth inning of a tie game, you know it has been an exceedingly tough day for the star reliever.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Table has turned for Papelbon — Closer blows his sixth save, but he won't be replaced anytime soon — TORONTO — You know it's a bad day when the best thing you can say about your closer is that he wasn't arrested. — Like the rest of his Red Sox teammates, Jonathan Papelbon walked …
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Blue Jays stun Red Sox in 9th, 6-5 — Game Over: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5 — Another Jonathan Papelbon meltdown in the bottom of the ninth and another reason to question why on earth was John Lackey taken out of the game? In the end, Fred Lewis' bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Daniel Bard won it for the Jays.
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Over the Monster, Bluebird Banter and BronxBanterBlog.com
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Mets organization shows a lack of backbone — Only the most naïve among us believed the Mets would finish their season in quiet desperation. That would've been too much to ask of this broken franchise. Instead, Francisco Rodriguez spent Wednesday night in jail after allegedly pummeling …
Discussion:
New York Post and HardballTalk
RELATED:
ESPN:
Francisco Rodriguez charged
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, TYU, HardballTalk, Faith and Fear in Flushing and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Mick Meenan / New York Times:
The Mets' Francisco Rodriguez Heads to Court
Discussion:
Bats, NoMaas.org, New Jersey Online, New York Post and NY Daily News
Associated Press:
Phillies shock Dodgers with 4 runs in 8th and 9th — PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The biggest challenge for Carlos Ruiz was escaping a Philadelphia Phillies barrage. — His game-winning, two-run double in the ninth inning capped a frantic rally from seven runs down and topple the Los Angeles Dodgers , 10-9, on Thursday night.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, Blogging Baseball and Associated Press
RELATED:
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Phils' fierce finish deals Dodgers deja blues — PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies cannot speak for Jonathan Broxton. They cannot read his mind. They just know the results. — They know that Carlos Ruiz crushed a double to left-center field in the bottom of the ninth inning on Thursday …
Discussion:
The Good Phight
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Granderson: “I wouldn't necessarily call it big changes” — What hitting coach Kevin Long called a “total reformation of the swing” is not quite that drastic according to Curtis Granderson. After two days spent tweaking his mechanics, Granderson could return to the Yankees lineup tonight with a different look.
Discussion:
IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS, River Avenue Blues, Sliding Into Home and MLB.com
RELATED:
Carroll Rogers / Atlanta Braves:
Chipper Jones has torn ACL, needs surgery - updated
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Walkoff Walk, Talking Chop and Deadspin
Howard Fendrich / Associated Press:
Nolasco, Stanton lead Marlins past Nationals 5-0 — WASHINGTON—Ricky Nolasco rebounded from a rough start by taking a shutout into the seventh inning, Mike Stanton homered for the second consecutive game, and the Florida Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Discussion:
FishStripes and Federal Baseball
Andy / Baseball-Reference Blog:
POLL: Is Mariano Rivera the greatest pitcher in baseball history? — Mariano Rivera is 40 years old, still pitching extremely well, and is first in baseball history in ERA+. Among active pitchers, he's ranked first in ERA, WHIP, H/9IP, K/BB, HR/9IP, WPA, and fielding percentage.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and McCovey Chronicles
Bobby Melok / NY Daily News:
Boyfriend who let girlfriend get hit by foul ball dumped, but couple visits CBS' ‘Early Show’ — The video of a young woman being struck by a foul ball at Monday's Houston Astros game when her boyfriend moved out of the way may have contributed to the couple's break-up.
Larry Stone / Seattle Times:
Bobby Valentine reportedly would be interested in Mariner job — (Bobby Valentine is pictured as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines before a Japan Series game against the Hanshin Tigers in October, 2005. Photo by Associated Press) — One of the first names to surface in speculation …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing, HardballTalk and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Dan Steinberg / D.C. Sports Bog:
Rob Dibble amazed by women at baseball game — “Those ladies right behind there, they haven't stopped talking the whole game,” Rob Dibble said in the sixth inning of Wednesday night's Nats broadcast. “They have some conversation going on. Right here,” he said, circling the offenders.
Discussion:
Walkoff Walk, Camden Chat and Can't Stop The Bleeding
