Cora exits finale early with stomach bug  —  WASHINGTON — Third baseman Alex Cora left Washington's game against the Phillies on Wednesday after the fourth inning with stomach issues.  —  He was 0-for-1 with a walk before giving way to Jerry Hairston Jr.  —  Cora also had a collision …

Wilpons should do the right thing and retire Carter's No. 8 with Mets  —  Mets on Twitter  —  The disgrace is that the Mets had 22 years to do the right thing based on performance, based on accomplishment, based on Gary Carter's inviolable place in the collective heart of their fans.

As Mets' Image Slumps, So Does Attendance  —  Saturday night seemed like a perfect one for a baseball game: 70 degrees and breezy, with the workweek, because of the Memorial Day holiday, still more than 60 hours away.  The National League's best team and the Mets' longtime rivals, the Phillies, were in town at Citi Field.

Astros beat Cubs, rallying for six in ninth  —  CHICAGO (AP) Jordan Lyles didn't get the win in his major league debut, but he certainly made a big splash.  —  The 20-year-old right-hander pitched seven brilliant innings, but earned a no-decision as the Houston Astros came back to beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Tuesday night.

Nationals' prospect Moore nabs weekly honors  —  WASHINGTON — Double-A Harrisburg first baseman Tyler Moore was named Player of the Week in the Eastern League for the period of May 23-29.  —  Moore hit .448 (13-for-29), with three home runs, seven RBIs and a .897 slugging percentage in eight games during the week.

Stunning, but true: Rockies tumble into fourth place after wretched May  —  Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki, right reacts after striking out during the second inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 31, 2011.  —  LOS ANGELES — The fourth-place Rockies.

Contact Us  —  Registration … Some sporting thoughts before sunrise ...  > If you don't believe in clutch, you will forever under-value Neil Walker.  —  I tweeted exactly that statement late last night, right after Walker overcame a lousy night by drilling a two-run single in the eighth inning …

Dr. Damon Noto On Stem Cell Surgery: “You've just seen the tip of the iceberg here.  This is really going to explode.  —  Dr. Damon Noto is one of five doctors in the United State that performs the surgery that Yankees right-hander Bartolo Colon underwent last offseason to repair damaged ligaments …

Sore quad makes Holliday a late scratch  —  ST. LOUIS — Left fielder Matt Holliday was scratched from the starting lineup 25 minutes before the Cardinals' game against San Francisco on Tuesday with discomfort in his left quadriceps.  —  Holliday pinch-hit in the fifth inning Tuesday, striking out on three pitches.

Ludwick, Latos help Padres take rare series win over Braves  —  ATLANTA — Ryan Ludwick had an RBI single in the three-run seventh, Heath Bell struggled to earn a fourth straight save and the San Diego Padres beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Tuesday night for their season-high fourth consecutive victory.

Granderson hits 17th home run as Yankees beat Athletics  —  OAKLAND, Calif. — Curtis Granderson homered and drove in four runs and Derek Jeter had two hits to reach 2,983 for his career and scored three runs to help the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics for the ninth straight time, 10-3 on Tuesday night.

World Baseball Classic Expanding to 28 Teams  —  NEW YORK (Reuters) - The World Baseball Classic will expand from 16 to 28 countries with the addition of a new qualifying round for the 2013 international competition, organizers said on Wednesday.  —  The new round of qualifying for the tournament …

Sanchez leads Marlins past Diamondbacks  —  PHOENIX — Anibal Sanchez pitched eight effective innings and drove in two runs on chopping groundouts, helping the Florida Marlins end Arizona's seven-game winning streak with a 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks Tuesday night.

Team-first Edwin Jackson would accept bullpen duty  —  BOSTON ­­— If and when the Sox go back to a five-man rotation, somebody is not going to be pleased.  Namely, the starter who gets shipped to the bullpen.  —  “I don't know one starter who would say he'd be happy,” Sox right-hander Edwin Jackson said.

Gardenhire: Mauer won't be moved from catcher  —  DETROIT — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was adamant on Tuesday that when Joe Mauer returns this season, it will be at catcher.  —  “He signed an eight-year deal to catch in the big leagues for the Minnesota Twins,” Gardenhire said.