Girardi must hold Burnett accountable  —  It's high time the Yankee manager takes a stand against his pitcher's behavior  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Either Joe Girardi is one of the staunchest managerial defenders of any and all players who have ever worn a Yankee uniform or he is a lot more afraid …

Berkman willing to return  —  CHICAGO  • Pending free agent Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman says he would entertain another one-year contract following this season but added that he would also be prepared to retire if not approached by one of a handful of contending teams.

A's Rich Harden baffles Blue Jays in 2-0 win  —  Rich Harden was still in warm-up mode when Friday night's game began, or so it seemed when he made an error on Yunel Escobar's comebacker and then walked the next two batters to load the bases.  —  A bad situation to be in right out of the gates …

Popper: Mets not sure if Pelfrey worth the cost  —  During the heat of the action before the non-waiver trade deadline, I talked to a few scouts, trying to scour for information about possible deals, but also in getting an idea of what the value was outside the organization for some of the Mets' players.

Dodgers' Andre Ethier held out of lineup against Rockies  —  The right fielder had the ingrown portion of a toenail removed Friday and sat out the opening of a three-game series at Colorado.  —  Andre Ethier, shown during a game in July, missed Friday's game due to a toe infection but is expected to play Saturday.

Royals use eight-run sixth to beat Wakefield, Red Sox  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer each drove in two runs in an eight-run sixth inning to help the Kansas City Royals rally to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-4 on Saturday night, depriving Tim Wakefield of his 200th victory.

Walker Gets 3 Hits, Pirates Beat Reds 5-3  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Charlie Morton gave a sheepish smile, and he fumbled through a stock answer.  —  Asked what his secret is against the Cincinnati Reds this season, Morton was keeping his lips sealed.  —  For the first time in four starts …

Uggla, Beachy help Braves beat Diamondbacks  —  ATLANTA — Dan Uggla homered twice and drove in three runs, Brandon Beachy gave up only one run in six innings and the Atlanta Braves continued to feast on the top teams in the NL West by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1 on Saturday night.

Altuve's inside-the-park HR helps Astros win  —  HOUSTON (AP)—Rookie Jose Altuve(notes) and J.D. Martinez(notes) are giving the Houston Astros a good look at their future.  —  Altuve hit an inside-the-park drive for his first major league home run, a leadoff shot that sent the Astros over the San Francisco Giants 7-5 Saturday night.

Oswalt Throws Eight Shutout Innings for Phils  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Roy Oswalt pitched eight-hit ball for eight innings, Wilson Valdez and Jimmy Rollins each drove in two runs and Hunter Pence homered to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

Tigers rout Indians 10-1 in Inge's return  —  DETROIT—Brandon Inge homered in his return to the Tigers lineup and Detroit went on to rout the Cleveland Indians 10-1 on Saturday night.  —  Inge was designated for assignment in July, a move that many expected to end his 11-year career.