Rays beat Orioles 5-2 for 5th straight win  —  BALTIMORE - B.J. Upton doubled twice and took two walks to set a Tampa Bay record by reaching base in nine straight plate appearances, and the resurgent Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Monday night for their fifth straight victory.

Lee's HR Leads Astros Over Phillies, 5-1  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer off former teammate Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 on Monday night.  —  Despite the loss, Philadelphia's magic number for gaining at least a wild-card playoff spot dropped …

Jonathan Broxton done for season  —  LOS ANGELES — Although it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks, it became official on Monday that erstwhile Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton won't return this season, a fact that could mean he has pitched his last game for the team …

The Future Of C.J. Wilson  —  For years, the Rangers would have killed — or at least gamed the living hell out of the system — to have just one pitcher like C.J. Wilson wedged into the topmost slot of their starting rotation.  For years, that caliber of pitcher eluded their grasp …

Diamondbacks' turnaround makes Towers my pick for GM of the year … Nobody besides maybe the Arizona Diamondbacks themselves figured they'd sniff the playoffs this year, but here they are, within a whisper of clinching an improbable postseason berth.  Everyone associated with the team …

Yanks C Cervelli out indefinitely with concussion  —  SEATTLE—Yankees backup catcher Francisco Cervelli is out indefinitely with a concussion.  —  Cervelli was examined Monday in New York by Dr. Kirk Roberts, a neurologist specializing in concussion syndromes.

Pirates Rally in 8th to Stun Cardinals, 6-5  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pedro Ciriaco hit a tiebreaking double to cap a three-run rally in the eighth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates stunned St. Louis 6-5 on Monday night, damaging the Cardinals' playoff chances.

Nationals beat Mets 3-2  —  NEW YORK - Steve Lombardozzi made his first big league hit and RBI count, driving in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals beat the New York Mets 3-2 on Monday night.  —  Starters Ross Detwiler and R.A. Dickey (8-12) were locked in early …

Wins and WAR and MVPs  —  I got back-to-back emails last week from Brilliant Readers that pretty much sums up my frustration with so many gripes about baseball statistics.  The first was written to defend the pitcher's win.  I was actually glad to get that because I obviously …

“Wonderfully improbable,” and other thoughts from principal owner Stu Sternberg  —  Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg was at the game, and answered questions about a variety of subjects during a more than 20-minute chat with reporters.  Here are some excerpts:

Arrested for Domestic Violence  —  Former World Series MVP Manny Ramirez has been arrested for allegedly committing domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.  —  Witnesses tell TMZ Ramirez was taken out of his Weston, Florida home at around 7 PM ET in handcuffs.  We're told Ramirez' wife was in the house.

Beckett throws off mound at Fenway  —  Josh Beckett threw off a mound at Fenway Park today, a first for him since he sprained his right ankle one week ago.  —  Under Beckett's usual pre-start routine, he would be ready to start on Thursday.  But the Sox could wait an extra day to make sure he's OK.

Major League Baseball prohibits New York Mets from wearing first responders hats on 9/11 anniversary  —  Ronny Paulino wears an FDNY cap during batting practice.  Former Met John Franco (below, leading first responders at Citi Field) says the Mets should have worn the hats during the game.