No scraps for us to nibble on  —  There was serious anticipation at Fenway Park last night.  Were the Yankees and Red Sox going to revert to old-school ways?  Was there a possibility that a night at Fenway could turn into the Jerry Springer show or a free Rolling Stones concert with Hells Angels providing security?

Einhorn seeks route to full Mets ownership  —  Hedge-fund titan David Einhorn wants a clear path to becoming principal owner of the Mets.  —  Einhorn is pushing Major League Baseball baseball to pre-approve him as an owner of the baseball franchise, even though it will be five years …

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.

Shields scatters four hits over eight as Rays beat Rangers  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — James Shields pitched eight shutout innings, Johnny Damon homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the AL West-leading Texas Rangers 4-1 on Wednesday night.  —  Shields (13-10) allowed four hits …

Newberg Report: Alfaro poised behind plate  —  Colombian catcher makes stateside debut with Spokane  —  Part 21 in a season-long series projecting a hypothetical 25-man roster made up solely of prospects from the Rangers' Minor League system.  —  The Rangers were uncharacteristically quiet …

Rios' frustration boils over in sixth inning  —  CHICAGO — Alex Rios took a called third strike from Joe Nathan to end Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Twins, after singling home Juan Pierre in the eighth.  —  But his best connection may have come after a called third strike from starter Scott Diamond …

Jose Reyes tries to avoid talk of batting race with Ryan Braun, scores go-ahead run in Mets' 3-2 win  —  The constant texts from friends, with their real-time updates about Ryan Braun's at-bats, make it impossible for Jose Reyes to forget that he is striving for the first batting title in Mets history.

Bumgarner strikes out 11 as Giants end three-game skid  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner matched his career high with 11 strikeouts, Jeff Keppinger and Pablo Sandoval hit consecutive homers in the fourth inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 on Wednesday to snap a three-game skid and avoid a sweep.

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.

Carp's 2-Run Double in 8th Beats Angels, 2-1  —  SEATTLE (AP) — This time of the season with all that's at stake for the Los Angeles Angels, their 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night stings more than usual.  —  Mike Carp hit a two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning …

Hall of Famer Carter hospitalized due to clotting  —  Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was taken to the emergency room Tuesday after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath, his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers, wrote on a private family website.  —  Carter underwent several tests …

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.

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 …