Top News:
Associated Press:
Ben Zobrist's slam helps Rays beat Red Sox 9-6 — ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — All-Star David Price pitched six solid innings and Ben Zobrist hit his fifth career grand slam, helping the Tampa Bay Rays tighten the AL East standings with a 9-6 victory Friday night that snapped first-place Boston's six-game winning streak.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Boston Herald
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
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)
Discussion:
Surviving Grady and Over the Monster
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
David Price signs deal to autograph Derek Jeter's 3,000th items
Discussion:
NESN.com
Associated Press:
Karstens throws five-hitter as Pirates beat Astros — HOUSTON — Jeff Karstens pitched a five-hitter and Andrew McCutchen tripled and drove in two runs as the surging Pittsburgh Pirates opened the second half of the season with a 4-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Pence relishes All-Star experience — HOUSTON — Considering Hunter Pence was given an excused absence from Thursday's workout at Minute Maid Park because he played in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday in Phoenix, the right fielder got a chance to discuss his experience Friday with the Houston media.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Dejan Kovacevic / PittsburghLIVE.com:
10 steps to keep Bucs' success
Discussion:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and MLB Rumors
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
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 …
Discussion:
Mack's Mets, Royals Review, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
ESPN:
A buyers' trade market for outfielders
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Projo Sox Blog and Full Count
Associated Press:
Floyd outduels Verlander as White Sox rout Tigers — DETROIT — Gavin Floyd allowed six hits into the eighth inning, outpitching Justin Verlander and leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night. — Carlos Quentin had three hits and three RBIs for the White Sox.
Discussion:
South Side Sox
Jeff Blair / Globe and Mail:
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.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Reuters
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Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Postgame notes: “I've been thinking about my leg too much”
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and The Yankee Analysts
Associated Press:
Girardi Puzzled as Blue Jays Pound Yankees 16-7
Discussion:
Associated Press, baseballmusings.com, Bluebird Banter, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN and CBS New York
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Bartolo Colon rocked, doesn't make it out of first inning as Yankees blown out in Toronto 16-7
Discussion:
joy of sox
Associated Press:
Mayberry Jr. drives in five as Phillies thump Mets — NEW YORK — John Mayberry Jr. drove in five runs to set another career best, Vance Worley pitched well enough and the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a strong start after the all-star break by beating the New York Mets 7-2 on Friday night.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Amazin' Avenue, ESPN and Associated Press
Buster Olney / MLB:
New K-Rod deal removes games-finished clause — The Milwaukee Brewers and Francisco Rodriguez have negotiated a new structure of the reliever's contractual clause, and the end result now is that the Brewers can use K-Rod in any role — including closer — without being locked into $17.5 million deal for the 2012 season.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Associated Press and ESPN
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Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank:
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.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Prado returns from DL, hits homer to help Braves whip Nats — ATLANTA — Martin Prado had two hits, including a homer, in his return from five weeks on the disabled list and the Braves beat the error-prone Washington Nationals 11-1 on Friday night for the 10,000th win in franchise history.
Associated Press:
Indians extend Orioles' losing streak to nine games — BALTIMORE — Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore homered, Lonnie Chisenhall singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning, and the Cleveland Indians defeated Baltimore 6-5 Friday night to extend the Orioles' losing streak to nine games …
Associated Press:
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.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Bleed Cubbie Blue
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
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).
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
RELATED:
Sports Illustrated:
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.
Discussion:
The Daily Fungo
Jonathan Shikes / Cafe Society:
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 …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Kristie Ackert / NY Daily News:
After K-Rod trade, Mets may close by committee with Bobby Parnell, Jason Isringhausen, Pedro Beato — It did not take long to replace Francisco Rodriguez - in the Mets' clubhouse at least. As the team reconvened for the first time since its former fiery closer was shipped off to Milwaukee …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB.com and ESPN
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