Kurkjian: Road to 600 home runs a memorable one for Thome  —  Having reached 600 home runs, 'world's nicest man' headed straight to Hall of Fame  —  The boy was 9 years old when he snaked through the crowd at Wrigley Field, then silently, miraculously, wiggled his way inside the Cubs dugout minutes …

Pirates pull off dazzler, sign Cole and Bell  —  The Pirates pulled off what many believed was impossible late Monday night, signing both the No. 1 overall draft pick, Gerrit Cole, and their second-round pick, Josh Bell, before the deadline at 12:01 a.m. today.

Crew turns sixth triple play in franchise history  —  MILWAUKEE — Had the Brewers stopped at a double play in the second inning of Monday's game, it would have been highlight-worthy enough.  Instead they turned three and made some history.  —  Four Brewers defenders combined …

Nationals sign first four 2011 Draft picks  —  Rendon, Meyer, Goodwin and Purke agree to terms at deadline  —  WASHINGTON — The Nationals agreed to terms with their first four selections — infielder Anthony Rendon, right-hander Alex Meyer, outfielder Brian Goodwin and left-hander Matthew Purke — in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.

Zambrano apologizes, wants to remain a Cub  —  Carlos Zambrano said he apologizes to Chicago Cubs fans and the team for his actions in leaving the Cubs last Friday and wants to remain “a Cubbie for the rest of my life ... the organization has been good to me,” he told Comcast SportsNet's David Kaplan in an interview Monday.

Red Sox sign Barnes, Swihart and Owens  —  The Red Sox signed a series of players right at the deadline.  Here's the list:  —  RHP Matt Barnes (UConn, 19th overall) for $1.5 million.  —  Catcher Blake Swihart (Cleveland HS, Rio Rancho, N.M) for $2.5 million.

Several Picks Signed At The Wire  —  After weeks of waiting, a flurry of draft picks were signed in the final 10 minutes before the midnight deadline.  Here is a list of the players who signed for bonuses of $500,000 or more right before the deadline—or at least, their deals were announced just before or after the buzzer.

Red Sox have Lackey's back  —  Beckett is righty's No. 1 supporter  —  John Lackey doesn't have to look far for support.  The Red Sox righthander has earned the praise of teammates this season.  (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)  —  That John Lackey is waiting for him in the clubhouse every …

Mets sign Brandon Nimmo, Logan Verrett, others  —  The Mets announced tonight they have signed OF Brandon Nimmo, their first round selection and 13th overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft.  —  According to ESPN's Keith Law, the Mets have signed OF Brandon Nimmo.  —  Law says the deal is for $2.1 million.

Doumit goes 4-for-4 with HR to lead Pirates past Cardinals  —  PITTSBURGH — Ryan Doumit went 4 for 4 and hit a tie-breaking three-run home run to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.  —  Doumit's homer in the fourth inning off Jake Westbrook …

Soto Lifts Cubs to 12th Win in 15 Games  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Geovany Soto had three hits and two RBIs and Kerry Wood earned his first save in over a year as the Chicago Cubs won for the 12th time in 15 games with a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros Monday night.

Tigers Acquire Delmon Young  —  In a surprising intra-division deal, the Twins announced today that they've traded left fielder Delmon Young to the Tigers for minor league lefty Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.  The press release notes that the PTBNL must be chosen on or before October 15th.