Derek Jeter's 3,000 hit ball nabbed by Highland Mills resident Christian Lopez at Yankee Stadium  —  It was the perfect birthday present for a lifelong Yankees fan like Christian Lopez: The historic baseball drilled by Derek Jeter for his 3,000th hit.  —  And while Lopez was thrilled by the gift …

Frankie becomes client of agent Boras  —  PHOENIX — Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez has switched agents from Paul Kinzer to Scott Boras, according to an industry source.  —  Rodriguez, who signed a three-year, $37 million free-agent contract prior to the 2009 season, will vest …

Pirates option Alvarez to Triple-A  —  PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Pirates activated slugging third baseman Pedro Alvarez from the disabled list on Saturday and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.  —  Alvarez, the 2008 No. 2 overall draft pick who was in his first full major league season …

A-Rod has slight tear in knee, could miss a month  —  NEW YORK—New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has a slight tear in the cartilage of his right knee and was deciding on the best course of action heading into the All-Star break.  —  Yankees manager Joe Girardi revealed details of the injury at a press conference Saturday.

David Ortiz thinks Kevin Gregg is the one who should play the game right  —  Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz said Saturday that he does not “feel proud” of the eighth-inning altercation between the Sox and Orioles in Friday's 10-3 Boston win.  After hitting a fly ball …

Bruce's solo shot lifts Reds over Brewers in 10  —  MILWAUKEE — Jay Bruce hit a solo homer to start the 10th inning and Cincinnati exploded for five runs to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 on Saturday night after the Reds met before the game to clear the air following more than a week of frustration.

Gonzalez, McCann Lead Braves Past Phillies in 11  —  PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alex Gonzalez hit the go-ahead RBI single and Brian McCann added a two-run homer in the 11th inning to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry promises to be aggressive as trade deadline nears  —  Third-base coach Ivan DeJesus congratulates Aramis Ramirez on his solo shot in the first.  Jared Wickerham~Getty Images  —  PITTSBURGH — Matt Garza's bold and inexplicable conjecture aside, this year's Cubs are closer …

Cardinals Rally to Beat Diamondbacks 7-6  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols tied it in the eighth inning with his first home run since returning the disabled list and rookie pinch-hitter Tony Cruz hit a game-ending RBI double in the ninth, capping the St. Louis Cardinals' comeback …

Jimenez Gives Up 5 Hits in 8 Innings for 2-1 Win  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez allowed one run in eight innings and Todd Helton homered, doubled and drove in both runs as the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Saturday night.  —  Jimenez (4-8) retired the first 13 batters …

Hunter homers twice, drives in five at Angels beat Mariners  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter drove in a season-high five runs with a pair of homers, Mark Trumbo also went deep and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 on Saturday night to tie the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West.

15 MLB Player All-Star Game Bonuses  —  On Tuesday, the MLB All-Star Game will be played in Phoenix.  The Mid-Summer Classic is a chance for fans to see some of the games most popular players, and by extension, the belief is, the best players.  —  That's changed over the years.

Dodgers fire Steve Garvey  —  NewsCore  —  LOS ANGELES  —  Dodgers great Steve Garvey openly called for owner Frank McCourt to give up the team, hours after he was fired from his role with the franchise, apparently because of his efforts to buy the club.