Derek Jeter pays price for extra effort  —  The Captain is just six hits away from 3,000, but his body broke down on Monday night  —  NEW YORK — Derek Jeter has forever honored an unwritten pact with the paying public, a deal revolving around the one aspect of competition entirely within the athlete's control:

Realingment: D-backs, Astros two candidates to move to AL  —  PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks could be the team most likely to change leagues if Major League Baseball implements realignment in its new collective bargaining agreement.  —  “We would do whatever's best for baseball,” …

Dodgers' June 30 payroll looms large in McCourt case  —  Frank McCourt is expected to meet payroll Wednesday, but team reportedly appears to have ‘no chance’ of making next one that roughly triples, without cash infusion from TV deal that is under debate.  —  Dodger owner Frank McCourt comments …

Obstruction call on Reyes proves costly for Mets  —  PITTSBURGH — A controversial call against Jose Reyes and the Mets in the first inning led to the Pirates' first run on Monday evening at PNC Park.  —  Pittsburgh's Jose Tabata, who'd singled to start the inning, ran to third on a single by Xavier Paul.

Pence's 4 RBIs leads Astros to 8-3 win over Braves  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Hunter Pence returned from a day off with back trouble and homered and drove in four runs as the Houston Astros snapped a four-game skid with an 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.

Wells' 2 homers give Angels 6-3 win over Seattle  —  SEATTLE—Vernon Wells hit the Angels' first homer in a week with a solo shot in the third inning, then hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh to give Los Angeles a 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.

Tigers edge Rays 2-1 in 10 innings  —  DETROIT—Ramon Santiago's RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Detroit a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, keeping the Tigers in a virtual tie for first place on the eve of their big series against Cleveland.

Reds 6  —  Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California  —  Preview  —  Recap  —  Box Score  —  Play-By-Play  —  Photos  —  Conversation  —  Reds-Dodgers Preview … The Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to find their hitting stroke while on a 10-game road trip.

Cubs place Kerry Wood on DL  —  CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs placed pitcher Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister and activated infielder Jeff Baker before Monday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.  —  Wood, who has a blister on his right index finger, was placed on the DL retroactive to June 9.

MLB taps Forest Service to solve broken-bat danger  —  MADISON, Wis.—When it comes to baseball, Dave Kretschmann always keeps his eye on the bat.  —  A casual fan whose loyalties are split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers, Kretschmann watches games much differently than he did three years ago.