Francoeur wants to stay put as trade deadline approaches  —  It was Bastille Day so, naturally, Frenchy was in a feisty mood Thursday before the Royals opened their post-break schedule with the first of four weekend games against the Minnesota Twins.  —  Specifically, yes, of course …

Paperwork error allowed Mets GM Sandy Alderson to trade Francisco Rodriguez to any team he wished  —  It was a paperwork screwup that allowed the Mets to deal Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers.  —  Sandy Alderson confirmed a published report that K-Rod did have a limited no-trade clause.

Game 91: Red Sox at Rays  —  Hey, the Red Sox are playing again.  Here are the lineups:  —  RED SOX (55-35)  —  Ellsbury CF  —  Pedroia 2B  —  Gonzalez 1B  —  Youkilis 3B  —  Ortiz DH  —  McDonald RF  —  Saltalamacchia C  —  Navarro LF  —  Scutaro SS  —  Pitching: LHP Andrew Miller (3-0, 3.57)

Clemens gets out of a jam  —  Mistrial is Rocket's biggest victory ever  —  Call it the biggest win of Roger Clemens's career.  —  The Rocket won 354 games in the big leagues.  He won 192 games for the Red Sox, still a franchise record (along with Cy Young, which is somehow fitting).

Owner Jeffrey Loria will consider Jack McKeon to manage Florida Marlins in 2012, promises changes to minor league system  —  Owner Jeffrey Loria just spoke to Marlins beat writers at Wrigley Field and offered his first public comments since June.  —  I'll have a story up later.

Postgame notes: “I've been thinking about my leg too much”  —  After tonight's game, Joe Girardi compared Bartolo Colon to Derek Jeter.  Both have a hard time admitting when they're hurt.  —  Colon has told the Yankees that he has recovered from a strained left hamstring …

Dempster throws eight scoreless innings as Cubs beat Marlins  —  CHICAGO — Canada's Ryan Dempster pitched four-hit ball over eight scoreless innings, and the Chicago Cubs overcame another shaky performance by closer Carlos Marmol to beat Florida 2-1, snapping the Marlins' season-high, six-game winning streak on Friday.

Pirates, Rockies interested in Twins' Slowey  —  Kevin Slowey's future with the Minnesota Twins was in question from the moment he failed to make the major-league rotation coming out of spring training.  —  Now, it's looking more likely that he will be dealt prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Coors Field rolls out Wok in the Park, the first food truck inside a baseball stadium  —  ​The latest food truck to hit Denver will either have you shaking your head because the craze has gone mainstream, or nodding it for the same reason.  —  On Thursday, Aramark Corporation …

Quade gets airport security treatment  —  Cubs manager undergoes full check before getting clearance  —  Cubs manager Mike Quade pitches during batting practice before a game against the Marlins at Wrigley Field.  (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune / July 14, 2011)

Beltran, Reyes are top names for unpredictable trading season … The trading season began rather bizarrely, with the Mets rushing to trade Francisco Rodriguez, their star high-priced closer with the scary vesting option, a new agent and a missing no-trade list.

Latest On Extension Talks For J.J. Hardy  —  4:34pm: One holdup in the talks between Hardy and the Orioles has been concern on Hardy's part that the Orioles will trade him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  —  4:02pm: The Orioles and Hardy are progressing on a three-year deal …

Brett Lawrie - the name the Jays dare not speak  —  TORONTO— From Friday's Globe and Mail  —  Well, now the Toronto Blue Jays have gone and done it.  Mentioned the kid's name again, on Thursday night.  Talked about how they'd like to see Brett Lawrie in the majors in August, before the rosters expand.

Rangers doing all the right things  —  Payoff for sound approach should come to defending AL champs  —  You hear it from one general manager after another, one manager after another, one scout after another.  —  “How can the Rangers not be running away with the American League West?”