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.

Castro homers, Garza solid as Cubs edge Pirates  —  PITTSBURGH - Starlin Castro homered and Matt Garza pitched seven shutout innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 1-0 win over the sliding Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.  —  Castro's homer leading off the eighth inning made a winner of Garza …

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 …

UCLA Hires Rex Peters Away From UC Davis  —  UCLA took its time replacing Rick Vanderhook on its coaching staff after he left to take the head job at Cal State Fullerton, but the Bruins have finally found their man, and it was worth the wait.  Baseball America has learned that UCLA …

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 …

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.

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 …

Fister wins Detroit debut, beats Rangers  —  DETROIT—Doug Fister pitched seven effective innings to win his Detroit debut while Alex Avila and Ryan Raburn homered as the Tigers beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 Wednesday night.  —  Fister (4-12), acquired from Seattle on July 30, earned his first victory since May 30 — a span of 10 starts.

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.

Jordan Lyles gets first win as Astros beat Reds 5-4  —  HOUSTON - Rookie J.D. Martinez homered and hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning to help rookie starter Jordan Lyles pick up his first career win as the Houston Astros beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Wednesday night.

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.

Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox Named the American League Player of the Month for July  —  Second baseman Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for July.  Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball …

A firsthand experience with stem cell treatment in pitching arm … The Bartolo Colon story has intrigued me since it first broke, a once-great pitcher whose career seemed to be lost and is now pitching effectively again for the Yankees at age 38.  I did more than raise an eyebrow when I heard …

Beltran making teammates better  —  SAN FRANCISCO — As valuable as Carlos Beltran's presence in the middle of the lineup proved to be in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the D-backs, the Giants have seen their biggest Trade Deadline acquisition make an equally important impact in the clubhouse.