Breaking: Cubs close to dealing Lee to Braves  —  The Cubs are close to trading first baseman Derrek Lee to the Atlanta Braves, I have learned exclusively per my earlier post on ChicagoNow.com.  The trade was first discussed on Sunday evening when the Braves called Cubs GM Jim Hendry …

Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron won't play again this season  —  BOSTON — Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron, who told ESPNBoston.com Tuesday night that he was reluctantly shutting down, will undergo season-ending surgery, manager Terry Francona confirmed Wednesday.

Yanks GM Brian Cashman: 'This is the team we've got'  —  NEW YORK — Andy Pettitte may be marooned on the disabled list until sometime next month, Javier Vazquez may never again consistently break 90 m.p.h. on the radar gun and Phil Hughes may miss important games down the stretch because of his innings limit.

Torre thinking about the end  —  LOS ANGELES  —  It's a pretty good gig, managing the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The lore.  The prestige.  The perfect weather.  The competitive roster.  The nights when Dodger Stadium is noisy and near capacity.  —  Sure, the money.

Rays sweep AL West-leading Rangers, keep AL East race hot  —  Sports Network  —  St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two run-scoring doubles and knocked in four, as the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the American League West …

Hey, Mets, use K-Rod case as hammer to beat down union  —  Expert  —  Tell Gregg your opinion!  —  The MLB players union has gone too far.  Finally, inarguably, the union has gone too far, and this money-seeking, drug-allowing, behavior-excusing juggernaut must be stopped.

Wally Backman As Mets Manager Is A Bad Idea  —  Jerry Manuel's dismissal after the season seems imminent, so discussion about the Mets' next manager has materialized.  One name that consistently pops up, for some reason, is Wally Backman, former Mets second baseman and current manager of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

Athletics grab walk-off win to take series over Blue Jays  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Cliff Pennington hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to bail out Oakland's bullpen and give the Athletics a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.  —  The A's blew a 4-1 lead in the top …

Numbers show Williams was right about Thome  —  If the Sox don't bounce back and win the AL Central, Guillen will get a lot of heat for passing on slugger Thome  —  It's the issue that helped put the souring relationship between White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Ken Williams on public display.

Richards, Padres continue to roll in win over Cubs  —  The Sports Network  —  Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Clayton Richard allowed just one run in 6 2/3 strong innings, leading the San Diego Padres to a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the third of four games at Wrigley Field.

The New York Mess needs to be cleaned up  —  Ever since then, Minaya has been searching for one more player, that one missing piece, to no avail.  The Mets have spent nearly $500 million in pursuit of a playoff spot that has eluded them.  —  Finally, with the disgrace of K-Rod's arrest soiling …

Lackey, Red Sox look to stay perfect vs. Angels … John Lackey's first season with the Boston Red Sox hasn't gone exactly according to plan, but he's saved two of his best performances for his former team.  —  The right-hander has a chance to beat the Los Angeles Angels for the third …