Braun suspended for rest of season  —  Said Ryan Braun: “I am not perfect.  I realize now that I have made some mistakes.”  (Joe Sargent/Getty)  —  MILWAUKEE — Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has been suspended for the remainder of 2013 and came clean Monday about violating Major League …

Rangers Acquire Matt Garza  —  The Rangers aren't afraid to make splashes and add pitching help if they feel they have a shot at the World Series.  In 2010, it was Cliff Lee.  In 2011, it was Mike Adams and Koji Uehara.  In 2012, it was Ryan Dempster.  This season, it's Matt Garza.

Games of the Day  —  The Rays travel to Boston on a roll, 14-2 in the month of July to sit just 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.  Matt Moore starts game one of the four game series against Brandon Workman.  Moore is tied with Bartolo Colon and Max Scherzer for most wins the American League …

Stats 101: Why it's time to re-educate players in meaningful statistics  —  For years, the team-by-team stats in USA Today were the gospel for how players understood their values. … On a recent flight out of LAX, I searched for a copy of the LA Times near my gate.

A plea to stop the obsession with RISP batting average  —  While being tortured by play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman during Saturday afternoon's Fox game in my region — Reds hosting Pirates — I stumbled upon my absolute limit when it comes to one particular “stat.”

CC Sabathia hit hard again in Yankees loss to Red Sox in Boston  —  Sabathia was no ace in Sunday night's marathon 8-7, 11th-inning loss.  He gave up long home runs to Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes, failed to finish off hitters when he got two strikes on them in crucial at-bats and struggled against lefthand hitters.

Mariners Do That Which Has Never Been Done Before  —  Early on, every team and every game in baseball is interesting.  For the first few weeks of the season, things feel so fresh, and things are so unpredictable, that you're thirsty for any kind of action.  As things progress, teams fall off the radar of interest.

Jays look to end slide, begin series against Dodgers  —  The Sports Network  —  (Sports Network) - Fresh off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays continue their homestand with a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mets missed on Michael Bourn but landed Marlon Byrd instead  —  As the season approached, only two teams had shown any interest in taking a shot on Marlon Byrd: the New York Mets and the Cleveland Indians.  —  Then, according to people familiar with the process, the Indians shifted …

A-Rod has Grade 1 quad strain  —  An MRI on Sunday night revealed that Alex Rodriguez has a Grade 1 strain of his left quadriceps.  —  The New York Yankees said Rodriguez would not join the team for its series against the Rangers beginning Monday.  Instead, he is scheduled to return to Tampa, Fla., for rest and treatment.