A's take series against Red Sox, win finale 4-2  —  Brandon McCarthy beat an AL East opponent once again, holding Boston to one run over 6 2-/3 innings as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Red Sox [team stats] 4-2 Wednesday night.  —  Seth Smith drove in a pair of runs for Oakland.

Shields K's 11, helps Rays hold off Mariners … ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sean Rodriguez and Luke Scott homered for Tampa Bay, helping Rays right-hander James Shields become the AL's first five-game winner with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.

Omar Vizquel pondering retirement  —  Apr 15, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays pinch hitter Omar Vizquel (17) bats...  TORONTO  —  Omar Vizquel's last multiyear contract expired in 2007.  Ever since, baseball observers have speculated about when the Venezuelan marvel will retire as a player.

Yankees Sign Cuban Outfielder Adonis Garcia  —  The Yankees have signed Cuban outfielder Adonis Garcia.  —  Garcia, a 26-year-old righthanded hitter, is only 5-foot-7, 180 pounds and doesn't have any standout tools, so it's hard for scouts to see him fitting in as a big league regular.

Arrieta Shuts Down Yankees, O's Send Nova to Loss  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Arrieta pitched eight innings of five-hit ball Wednesday night, and the Baltimore Orioles ended Ivan Nova's 15-game winning streak with a 5-0 victory over the New York Yankees.  —  Matt Wieters homered and hit an RBI double …

Harper steals show as Nationals beat Diamondbacks  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Bryce Harper made a tumbling barehanded catch in centerfield and then led off the ninth inning with a double to set the stage for Ian Desmond 's two-out game-ending home run that gave the Washington Nationals a 5-4 victory …

Chavez exits with whiplash after diving play  —  NEW YORK — Third baseman Eric Chavez left in the middle of a fifth-inning at-bat during Wednesday night's game with a whiplash injury and a possible concussion.  —  He was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital for head and spine scans.

Ventura: Player/manager role ‘too much work’  —  CHICAGO — Before Robin Ventura was officially hired as White Sox manager, general manager Ken Williams spoke of considering Paul Konerko as the rare player/manager candidate.  —  While Konerko certainly possesses the baseball acumen to handle the job …

Astros complete sweep with 8-1 win over Mets  —  HOUSTON—Chris Johnson had a pair of homers among his four hits and drove in a career-high six runs to back up another solid outing by Wandy Rodriguez, and the Houston Astros beat the New York Mets 8-1 on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.

Rockies send Jhoulys Chacin down to Triple-A  —  The Rockies optioned struggling right-handed starter Jhoulys Chacin to Triple-A Colorado Springs this afternoon.  —  The Rockies will make a corresponding roster move before the club's game Friday vs. Atlanta.

Jason Giambi's walk-off homer leads Rockies over Dodgers  —  The Rockies do nothing without drama.  After blowing a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth, the Rockies beat the Dodgers 8-5 this afternoon at Coors Field with a three-run, pinch-hit home run by Jason Giambi in the bottom 0f the inning.

Athletics throw wet blanket over Sox  —  Felix Doubront emerged from a large pack of contestants to earn a spot in the Red Sox rotation during spring training, the 24-year-old lefthander impressing the judges with his improved fitness and consistency.  —  Keeping that job could be a tougher task.