Desmond, Werth come up big in ninth, Nats beat Braves in 11  —  ATLANTA — Ian Desmond hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the 11th inning, Jayson Werth followed with a two-run homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3 on Wednesday night.

Disputed Surgery Used in Colon's Comeback  —  BOCA RATON, Fla. — A year ago, Bartolo Colon, once one of major league baseball's more durable starting pitchers, looked close to the end of the line: he had struggled with injuries after 2005, and elbow surgery had kept him out of baseball for the entire 2010 season.

Padres 'Pen Continues To Thrive After Winter Trades  —  Bullpens don't get much better than the one the Padres had last year.  Led by Heath Bell, Mike Adams and Luke Gregerson, Padres relievers combined for over 500 innings of 2.81 ERA ball, averaging more than one strikeout per inning …

Ex-clubhouse head indicted for taking Mets gear  —  NEW YORK - Former New York Mets clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels was indicted on charges that he criminally possessed nearly $2.3 million worth of game-used Mets memorabilia — including signed jerseys, bats and baseballs …

Yanks: No plan to discuss CC's opt-out clause  —  In keeping with the New York Yankees policy in recent years, the team has no plans to talk with CC Sabathia before the end of the season about the opt-out clause in his contract, general manager Brian Cashman said on Wednesday afternoon.

Angels' Morales Needs More Surgery, Out for Season  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Angels first baseman Kendrys Morales won't play this season after deciding to undergo another surgery on his left ankle, leaving a huge hole in the middle of Los Angeles' lineup for the second straight season.

Kuroda Pitches Dodgers Past Pirates, 2-0  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Hiroki Kuroda allowed just three hits over seven innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Wednesday night.  —  Kuroda (4-3) struck out eight and walked three as the Dodgers won back-to-back games for the first time in three weeks.

Chris Tillman, Adam Jones lead Orioles past Mariners 4-2  —  BALTIMORE - Chris Tillman pitched six innings of three-hit ball, Adam Jones went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, and the Baltimore Orioles beat Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Yankees Head Athletic Trainer Gene Monahan to Retire at Conclusion of 2011 Season  —  The New York Yankees announced today that Head Athletic Trainer Gene Monahan, who is the longest-tenured employee in the Yankees organization, will retire at the conclusion of the 2011 season after 49 years of continuous service.

A great story about Joe Torre, Pedro Guerrero and fraternization  —  Joe Torre caused a little bit of a stir earlier this week when ESPN's Buster Olney reported that MLB's new enforcer was looking to limit fraternization between members of opposing teams.  —  Torre's new initiative brought a smile to my face for a couple of reasons.

Sizemore has MRI on right knee  —  CLEVELAND — Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore was not in the lineup and away from the ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.  —  Sizemore left Progressive Field a few hours prior to Wednesday's game against the Rays to undergo an MRI exam on his right knee.

WAKE WON'T RULE OUT PLAYING FOR ANOTHER TEAM  —  TORONTO — Tim Wakefield, who will become the oldest player in Red Sox history to participate in a game with the next pitch he throws, talked Tuesday night about the chance he might play for another organization.  —  “It depends on the situation.

Stephen Strasburg ‘close’ to throwing off a mound, feeling ‘great’  —  Stephen Strasburg is “close” to reaching a significant milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery by throwing off a mound again, Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty said this afternoon.

Dodgers' Frank McCourt will seek owners' support, but shouldn't expect it  —  He will need votes from seven others to keep the Dodgers as he faces missing payroll.  But he doesn't have deep relationships with fellow owners to count on in crisis.  —  There will be pleasantries.  How was your flight?