Ryan Howard gets help to beat Nationals again, 5-4  —  WASHINGTON - Roy Halladay beat the Washington Nationals for the 10th straight time, thanks to some help from Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez.  —  Halladay (7-3) allowed 10 hits and four runs over 7 innings, striking out five without a walk.

Hunter hits two home runs as Angels rally to beat Royals  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Torii Hunter's second home run, a two-run shot off Joakim Soria in the ninth, powered the Los Angeles Angels to a come-from-behind 10-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

Kyle Phillips' first homer lifts Padres past Braves  —  ATLANTA - Pinch-hitter Kyle Phillips broke a 2-all tie in the 10th inning with his first career home run and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Monday for their third straight win.  —  Phillips, a rookie with a .167 average …

Ichiro needs to show leadership with more hustle  —  In a batting slump, star also seems to be passive in the field  —  Leading off the 11th inning of another in a series of remarkable Mariners wins Saturday night, catcher Miguel Olivo threw himself at first base, diving hard like a fullback at the goal line, beating the throw.

Reyes Snaps Winless Skid as Blue Jays Rout Indians  —  TORONTO (AP) — Jo-Jo Reyes won for the first time in 29 starts by throwing his first career complete game and Jayson Nix hit a two-run home run to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to an 11-1 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.

Draft rich in intrigue and talent  —  The rebirth of the draft within the last decade altered baseball, and so much for the better.  After salaries exploded and payroll disparities spread during the 1990s, the chasm threatened to ruin lower-revenue markets.  —  How could they possibly compete with free-agency behemoths?

Bartolo Colon pitches Yankees past Athletics 5-0  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Bartolo Colon pitched a four-hitter for his first shutout in nearly five years and Mark Teixeira homered in the first inning to help the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics for the eighth straight time, 5-0 on Monday.

Pregame notes: White Sox vs. Red Sox  —  Red Sox manager Terry Francona met with the media before tonight's game against the visiting Chicago White Sox (24-31) and discussed a number of topics, including the fact he was giving short stop Jed Lowrie the night off to rest his sore left shoulder …

Andres Torres gets slam, Giants whip Cardinals 7-3  —  ST. LOUIS - Madison Bumgarner won his second straight after losing his first six decisions and Andres Torres gave the National League's worst offense a big boost with his first career grand slam in the San Francisco Giants' 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

Keppinger, Towles Lift Astros Over Cubs 12-7  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Jeff Keppinger and J.R. Towles homered and the Houston Astros rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 12-7 on Monday afternoon.  —  Clint Barmes and Hunter Pence also added back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning to help the Astros ended a three-game losing streak.

Tigers top Twins 6-5 after runner allowed to score  —  DETROIT—Alex Avila's double in the eighth inning that appeared to hit a fan in the stands down the left-field line scored Jhonny Peralta from first base and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5 Monday.

SI investigation finds more violations by Jim Tressel … The character traits that have made Jim Tressel a successful football coach and a beloved figure in Ohio are numerous and frequently cited.  Former NFL coach Tony Dungy has praised Tressel's “integrity” and said he is the kind of man you'd want your son to play for.

Jose Reyes goes on bereavement list  —  NEW YORK — New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has been placed on the bereavement list by the team after learning of the death of his grandmother Monday afternoon, the team announced.  Reyes left the team immediately to fly home to Santiago, Dominican Republic.

Diamondbacks Rout Marlins 15-4 for 7th Straight  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Kelly Johnson homered twice and fell a single shy of the cycle and the steamrolling, first-place Arizona Diamondbacks won their seventh straight, a 15-4 rout of the Florida Marlins on Monday night.