Source: MLB investigates A-Rod  —  CHICAGO — Major League Baseball is taking “very seriously” the allegations that Alex Rodriguez took part in some illegal, underground poker games, one of which reportedly turned violent, and he could face suspension if his participation in the games is confirmed.

McGehee hits 3 HRs as Brewers beat Cardinals 10-5  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Manager Ron Roenicke wants Casey McGehee to play a big role in the Brewers' offense, not try to carry the club.  McGehee did both Wednesday.  —  The Brewers third baseman homered three times and Milwaukee rallied to beat …

Strasburg slated to pitch in minors on Sunday  —  Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is expected to throw Sunday in the minor leagues, a significant step in his recovery from elbow surgery.  —  Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Wednesday that Strasburg will throw an inning …

Roy Halladay gets 14th win as Phillies sweep Rockies  —  DENVER - Roy Halladay fought through an erratic outing for his NL-leading 14th victory, Ryan Howard drove in four runs with a homer and a double and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a sweep of Colorado with an 8-6 win over the Rockies on Wednesday.

Cubs' deadline overhaul turned out to be much ado about nothing … The noncontending Cubs seemed oddly possessive of several of their coveted veterans, including outfielder Marlon Byrd, first baseman Carlos Peña and catcher Jeff Baker, before the trade deadline.

Matt Stairs retires from MLB  —  Beginning of Story Content  —  Matt Stairs, New Brunswick's biggest baseball star, is ready to retire after almost two decades playing in Major League Baseball.  —  Stairs, 43, hasn't made the official announcement yet but he told CBC News in an interview …

Will star righty Darvish opt for Rangers?  —  DETROIT  —  Koji Uehara is a Texas Ranger for the same reason that Mike Adams is a Texas Ranger: The trade deadline arrived, the bullpen was in dire need of an upgrade, and general manager Jon Daniels seized the opportunity to acquire two of the best setup men in baseball.

Cubs' Matt Garza a key for 2012, has been in fold since offseason  —  Matt Garza has blessed the Cubs with stellar pitching and, just as important, the right attitude.  Tom Gannam~AP  —  PITTSBURGH — If it looked like the Cubs' rebuilding process for next year moved at a snail's pace …

Fake Ichiro unwittingly gets in the action  —  SEATTLE — The Ichiro Suzuki impersonator at Safeco Field who has been posing for pictures and signing autographs for the past few home games was doing a pretty good job up until Tuesday's night game against Oakland.

Ryan's hustle leads to unique basepath jaunt  —  Shortstop motors to third thanks to heads-up play on infield single  —  SEATTLE — Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan caught the A's napping in the first inning Tuesday night in a 4-2 victory with one of the more unusual baserunning plays imaginable …

Rolen has surgery, expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks  —  From the Reds:  —  3B Scott Rolen today had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs and fragments from the acromioclavicular joint in his left shoulder.  —  The successful procedure was performed in Cincinnati Reds by medical director …

Games of the Day  —  Edwin Jackson makes his second start for St. Louis as he faces the Brewers and Randy Wolf in the rubber game of this important NL Central series.  Jackson held the Cubs to one run in seven innings in his first start.  Despite striking out just nine batters in 22 innings since …

Brett Carroll Elects Free Agency  —  Brett Carroll refused an outright assignment to Triple-A and is now a free agent, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).  The Brewers designated Carroll for assignment on Saturday to create roster space for Jerry Hairston Jr.

Renteria's grand slam propels Reds to win over Astros  —  HOUSTON — Edgar Renteria hit a grand slam in Cincinnati's five-run fifth inning and Homer Bailey pitched eight solid innings to lead the Reds to a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.  —  Chris Heisey and Ramon Hernandez …