Nationals Improve to .500 by Beating Mariners 2-1  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — John Lannan and the Washington Nationals found yet another novel way to keep their winning ways going, beating the Seattle Mariners 2-1 Wednesday night with a pair of unearned runs off Erik Bedard.

Brewers lose to Rays 6-3, Roenicke calls foul on Milwaukee's tough interleague schedule  —  MILWAUKEE — After dropping two of three games in a road trip to Boston, the Milwaukee Brewers did the same thing at home against Tampa Bay.  —  A trip to New York to take on the Yankees looms next week.

Braves complete sweep of Blue Jays  —  Brandon Beachy had a career-high 11 strikeouts in his return from the disabled list, Dan Uggla and Brian McCann hit two-run homers, and the Atlanta Braves completed a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5-1 victory Wednesday.

Hafner's 2-run HR lifts Indians over Rockies 4-3  —  CLEVELAND—Josh Tomlin came through with another quality outing and designated hitter Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer in his last start for a while, leading Cleveland to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night before the Indians leave for three NL cities.

Cubs' Kasper signs five-year extension  —  Broadcaster Len Kasper has signed a five-year extension to remain as the Cubs' TV play-by-play man through 2016.  —  The 40-year-old Kasper was in the final year of his current deal, but there was little doubt he'd be staying around for a long time.

Lyon to have season-ending surgery  —  ARLINGTON — Astros relief pitcher Brandon Lyon is expected to miss the rest of the season after it was announced Wednesday he will undergo shoulder surgery next week in Pensacola, Fla., a procedure that will be performed by noted orthopedist James Andrews.

NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: The Definitive History of the Montreal Expos  —  I'm thrilled to announce that I've agreed to terms with Random House Canada to write my next book: The Definitive History of the Montreal Expos.  The book is tentatively slated for release in the spring of 2014 …

O'Dowd may seek pitching help at Deadline  —  CLEVELAND — Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is in the early stages of determining if the Rockies will seek help via trade, but he acknowledged that losing No. 2 starter Jorge De La Rosa last month to a season-ending elbow injury has created a void.

Heisey hits 3 homers, Reds beat Yankees for doubleheader split  —  CINCINNATI, Ohio — Leadoff hitter Chris Heisey homered three times, getting Cincinnati's slumping lineup going, and Johnny Cueto allowed only two hits in seven innings Wednesday night, leading the Reds to a 10-2 win and a doubleheader split with the New York Yankees.

Video: Marine Colonel Jokes About Killing Roy Halladay  —  Since it's Marine Week in St. Louis - a chance for the military to show its might and stage a giant PR event near one of the most impoverished cities in America, East St. Louis - several hundred military folk were at last night's Phillies …

Ike Davis might require ankle surgery … NEW YORK — New York Mets first baseman Ike Davis, who has not appeared in a game since May 10 because of a left ankle injury, may require season-ending surgery in three weeks if he is unable to run at that point, general manager Sandy Alderson said.

Pujols' return is ‘fluid’  —  Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols officially landed on the disabled list Tuesday.  How long the three-time National League MVP stays there might eventually come under review.  —  “I feel pretty good,” Pujols said before his team's series opener against Philadelphia.

Frank McCourt's lawyer: Don't force us to sue  —  The commissioner of baseball ought to sit down and negotiate with Frank McCourt instead of forcing the Dodgers owner to file a lawsuit, the attorney for McCourt said Tuesday.  —  Bob Sacks, the attorney, also said McCourt would not surrender control …

Homer Happy Tigers Beat Dodgers 7-5 to Avoid Sweep  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Casper Wells opened the game with one of four home runs by Detroit and defensive replacement Austin Jackson made an over-the-shoulder catch on Dioner Navarro's bases-loaded drive for the final out, sending the Tigers past the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-5 Wednesday.