Giants designate Rowand, Tejada … SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Outfielder Aaron Rowand and infielder Miguel Tejada have been designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants, a major shake-up for the stumbling defending World Series champions.  —  The Giants made the moves Wednesday …

Father Time and the Philadelphia Phillies  —  The 2011 Phillies are great, but an aging lineup makes their future look bleak  —  There's never been a better time to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan.  Granted, the bar has been set pretty low.  —  The Phillies, after all, are the losingest franchise in major league history.

Twins Hold On for 7-6 Win Over White Sox  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Jason Kubel and Luke Hughes homered during Minnesota's six-run first inning, and the Twins beat the White Sox 7-6 on Wednesday to snap Chicago's five-game winning streak.  —  Kubel and Hughes each hit a two-run shot off Jake Peavy …

Girardi eager to see what Montero can offer  —  Slugging prospect likely to join Yankees on Thursday  —  BOSTON — Jesus Montero could break into the big leagues with a crash course on the Yankees' rivalry with the Red Sox, as the power-hitting catcher is expected to headline New York's …

Pedro Strop is player to be named  —  Pedro Strop, a hard-throwing right-hander who has appeared in 25 games for the Texas Rangers in the past three seasons, is the player to be named later in Wednesday's deal that sent Michael Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers, according to an industry source.

Red Sox Beat Yankees 9-5 Behind Beckett, 3 Homers  —  BOSTON (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth inning, Josh Beckett improved to 4-0 against the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox came from behind for a 9-5 win on Wednesday night.

Derek Lowe hits HR, earns win as Braves beat Nats 3-1  —  ATLANTA - Two milestone home runs - Chipper Jones' 450th and Derek Lowe's first - gave Atlanta the early lead and Lowe combined with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Braves beat the Washington Nationals 3-1 on Wednesday night.

D-Backs Top Rockies 4-2 for Ninth Straight Win  —  PHOENIX (AP) — Miguel Montero hit a three-run homer for the second straight game and the Arizona Diamondbacks won their ninth in a row by beating the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Wednesday night.  —  Josh Collmenter (9-8) limited the Rockies …

Alvarez shines as Blue Jays beat Orioles 13-0  —  BALTIMORE—Henderson Alvarez allowed three hits in eight innings to become the youngest Toronto starter to win a game since 1979, Jose Bautista led a four-homer attack with his 39th of the season, and the Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 13-0 Wednesday night.

Dodgers beat Padres, 4-2, for eighth win in nine games  —  Their record improves to 65-70, the first time the team has been within five games of .500 mark since June 12.  Rod Barajas leads offense with a two-run homer; starter Ted Lilly struggles but gets win.

Franco to Piazza for first pitch before game on Sept. 11  —  “John Franco will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mike Piazza during the September 11 remembrance ceremony before the Mets host the Cubs at Citi Field,” the team just announced.  —  The team says they will mark …

Cordero expresses desire to retire with Reds  —  CINCINNATI — There could be a doozy of a decision looming for the Reds this winter, and it carries large financial ramifications.  Will they bring back closer Francisco Cordero?  —  Cordero is in the final guaranteed year of his four-year …

Rangers trying to beat clock with August 31 acquisition  —  Rangers club officials acknowledge they are currently working on a deal to fine tune their roster in advance of the 11 p.m. deadline tonight for having playoff pools set.  In short, anybody acquired after Sept. 1 can't be eligible for the postseason roster.

32 players from D-backs' 2001 World Series team scheduled to return to Chase Field for World Championship Reunion Weekend Sept. 9-11  —  World Championship team to be celebrated during pregame ceremony on Sept. 10  —  PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today that former Managing …

Such a tease: Albert Pujols taunts, denies Brewers fan a souvenir  —  No matter if he's killing the Milwaukee Brewers with another home run, or flashing his Gold Glove at first base, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols(notes) hasn't made a lot of friends at Miller Park over the past decade.