Gwynn's double lifts Dodgers 7-4 over Nats  —  WASHINGTON—Tony Gwynn hit a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 7-4 in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday.  —  Gwynn drove in Jerry Sands and Rod Barajas with a long double to center off Drew Storen (6-3).

Doubting Big Papi gets old  —  + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio  —  TORONTO — A blog post on the indispensable baseball-reference.com caught the eye the other day: “David Ortiz [stats] is having the greatest season by a 35+ DH in history.”  —  The numbers are compelling.

San Francisco Giants update: Brandon Belt will play winter ball after all  —  SAN DIEGO — Brandon Belt wasn't excited when Giants officials broached the subject of playing winter ball.  But the rookie had a change of heart after meeting with manager Bruce Bochy on Wednesday.

Jason Isringhausen wants to pitch in '12  —  New York Mets reliever Jason Isringhausen will be sidelined for at least a few days with a herniated disk in his lower back that is pinching the sciatic nerve and causing tingling in his right foot.  —  But the 39-year-old reliever …

Joe Morgan to lead Oktoberfest chicken dance  —  Reds great and Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan will lead the annual World's Largest Chicken Dance at Oktoberfest next Saturday.  —  Morgan, a 10-time All-Star and MVP in 1975 and 1976 when the Reds won back-to-back World Series titles …

Great photo: Tony La Russa shakes maracas for Carlos Santana  —  ¡Oye como va!  It's not hard to make out the blurry figure with his arms raised behind the percussionst.  That's St. Louis Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa providing a little backup for legendary musician Carlos Santana(notes) at a recent show.

Chipper Jones to Bat 2nd for Struggling Braves  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Chipper Jones is batting second in the Atlanta Braves' lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on Thursday, his first start in that spot since 1996.  —  Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez …

How valuable is Curtis Granderson?  —  Yankees center fielder finds himself right in the middle of AL MVP debate  —  NEW YORK — Most players arrive in a new city and spend their free time looking for a comfortable place to live, enrolling the kids in school, scoping out the restaurant scene …

Morgan takes his taunting of Cardinals to Twitter  —  DOWNTOWN  • Shortly after Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols offered up a complimentary view of Nyjer Morgan as a talented player who “sometimes goes a little overboard,” the Milwaukee Brewers center fielder had something to say about Pujols on Twitter.

Pudge to be in reserve role for rest of season  —  WASHINGTON — It appears unlikely that Ivan Rodriguez will start another game behind the plate this season.  —  Nationals manager Davey Johnson said that he plans to start Wilson Ramos at catcher, with Jesus Flores serving as the backup.

The Continuing Story of Bungalow Phil  —  While his pitch count gently weeps.  (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)  —  As noted in the the Tuesday night game recap, Phil Hughes' continued inability to authoritatively shut down hitters after reaching favorable pitchers' counts …

Chase Utley out at least two days  —  PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley will miss at least two games with what his team believes is a “very mild concussion,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Wednesday night.  —  Utley

Newberg Report: Buckel up to challenge  —  Right-hander sees results upon joining Hickory rotation  —  Part 22 in a season-long series projecting a hypothetical 25-man roster made up solely of prospects from the Rangers' Minor League system.  —  Player comparisons are usually predictable.

Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Pena making a case to stay with Cubs  —  Reds baserunner Edgar Renteria is tagged out at the plate by Cubs catcher Koyie Hill as he tried to score from third base on a fly ball off the bat of Yonder Alonso to end the seventh inning as the Chicago Cubs …

Padres Win Shrinks Giants' Playoff Hopes  —  SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Pitcher Aaron Harang foiled San Francisco's plans of maintaining momentum in the chase for a playoff berth by leading the San Diego Padres to a 3-1 victory over the Giants on Wednesday.  —  The defending World Series champions …