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Yankees hoping upon hope
Yankees hoping upon hope As the Yankees try to tackle the task of winning a series against the Mariners at Safeco Field, they can continually find out-of-town results frozen with the time difference from the East Coast.

A lost chance at a sweep and a rally that came far too late left the Yankees realizing any surge they mount over the final few weeks of the season is likely to fall short.

The Yankees lost to Tampa Bay 7-5 Thursday night, scoring all of their runs in the ninth and proving that when you mount a comeback too late it’s destined to go for naught.

With 22 games to play, the Yankees are 7 1/2 behind wild-card leader Boston, which leaves them looking at their first postseason absence in 14 years.

There’s little to do now but count down to the Yankee Stadium finale, which comes on Sept. 21. The Yankees also can begin watching the younger players develop.

And, of course, they can hope no one else gets injured.

Rays start important road trip in Toronto

With their lead atop the American League’s East Division not as comfortable as it once was, the Tampa Bay Rays begin an important nine- game road trip tonight with the first of three consecutive meetings with a …

The Blue Jays are no Rays (Yahoo! Sports)
Despite six wins in a row, Toronto not only trails the Red Sox and Yankees as usual, but also Tampa Bay.

MLB notebook: Sept. 5

Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano has right rotator cuff tendinitis and inflammation, an MRI confirmed Thursday, a potential obstacle to Chicago’s chances of winning the World Series for the first time in a century.

Selig lauds replay debut

Major League Baseball’s first attempt at allowing instant replays to help determine disputed home runs went off without a hitch, commissioner Bud Selig said on Thursday.

Rangers‘ Kinsler having season-ending surgery
Texas Rangers All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler will have season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia.

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Kazmir, Rays send Yanks back a notch

Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees are struggling to get back into the playoff race while the Los Angeles Angels are closing in on another postseason berth.

Broken wrist sidelines White Sox MVP candidate Quentin
Chicago White Sox All-Star left fielder Carlos Quentin, a leading contender for the American League MVP award, will undergo surgery next week on his fractured right wrist, the White Sox announced Friday.

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Uribe goes yard twice as White Sox trample Angels
Juan Uribe homered twice, Paul Konerko added a solo shot and Mark Buehrle pitched six shutout innings to help the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 10-2 in a meeting of division leaders on Friday night.

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Little dynamo: Pedroia cleans up for Red Sox (AP)
Dustin Pedroia is doing it all for the Boston Red Sox. Batting cleanup for the third time in four games, the little dynamo matched a career high with five RBIs to lead Boston’s 14-2 rout of the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. Pedroia had a homer, a double and a single, and is batting .600 (18-for-30) over the last seven games to raise his AL-leading average to .330.

A-Rod’s homer an instant replay first
A-Rod’s homer an instant replay first More than three months after Alex Rodriguez lost a home run on a disputed call, Major League umpires were able to use the new instant-replay system on Wednesday to ensure the Yankees third baseman was credited with one.

Jim Baumbach: Delgado not quite in the MVP race

A major reason why the Mets sit atop the National League East on Tuesday is the stunning — and thoroughly unforeseen — turnaround by Carlos Delgado .

Cliff Lee earns silver lining status in Tribe’s dark cloud season (Yahoo! Sports)
There are few things worse in sports, I think, than a 162-game season filled with bad baseball.

It’s not over until Yanks say it’s over
Yanks keep playoffs in sight Three games into a four-city, 10-game trip across the continent, the Bombers are off to a good start. Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs to pace a Yankees club that outplayed the Rays on Wednesday at Tropicana Field, posting an 8-4 victory and keeping its postseason hopes breathing for another day.

A-Rod homer upheld by instant replay (AP)

Alex Rodriguez made major league history by agreeing with an umpire. The New York Yankees third baseman, a lightning rod for headlines on and off the field throughout his career, saw his ninth-inning home run Wednesday night the same way as third base umpire Brian Runge. So did baseball’s instant replay system.

Nady a fit, in lineup and clubhouse
Nady a fit, in lineup and clubhouse Yankees manager Joe Girardi has been pleased with the production of Xavier Nady since the outfielder was acquired from the Pirates in July. Nady has enjoyed two hitting streaks of at least 10 games since the trade, and even though Girardi hadn’t seen a lot of Nady, the career National Leaguer’s promise has translated well to the Junior Circuit.

Hearing to determine if Pirates-Alvarez contract valid
The Pittsburgh Pirates could be waiting several weeks to find out if first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez is part of their organization. Meanwhile, Eric Hosmer, who already was playing in the Kansas City Royals system, could have his future hinging on the same decision.

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A-Rod’s homer an instant replay first
A-Rod’s homer an instant replay first More than three months after Alex Rodriguez lost a home run on a disputed call, Major League umpires were able to use the new instant-replay system on Wednesday to ensure the Yankees third baseman was credited with one.

Kent undergoes knee surgery, could return this season
Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday and might be able to return to action this month. The Dodgers said the outpatient procedure took 20 minutes, no additional problems were discovered and Kent will be able to begin the rehabilitation process Wednesday.

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Delgado fuels Mets comeback after Sheets exits early
The shadows in late afternoon at Miller Park can be brutal to hitters, but Carlos Delgado made good contact anyway.

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Marlins recall minor-league HR leader McPherson
Baseball’s home run leader joined the Florida Marlins on Tuesday. Dallas McPherson, who hit 42 home runs for Albuquerque, was recalled from the Triple-A team. Playing primarily at third base but also seeing some time at first, McPherson hit .275 with 98 RBI.

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A-Rod ties Schmidt with No. 548
A-Rod ties Schmidt with No. 548 Alex Rodriguez hit the 548th home run of his career on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, tying Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt for 12th place on baseball’s all-time list.

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Martinez ends HR drought, Indians beat White Sox
Victor Martinez hit his first home run in nearly a year to help the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Tuesday night.

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Yankees beat Rays

New York Yankees‘ Mike Mussina delivers a first-inning pitch to Tampa Bay Rays’ B.J. Upton during a baseball game Tuesday, Sept.

Little dynamo: Pedroia cleans up for Red Sox

Dustin Pedroia is doing it all for the Boston Red Sox.

Batting cleanup for the third time in four games, the little dynamo matched a career high with five RBIs to lead Boston’s 14-2 rout of the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

Pedroia had a homer, a double and a single, and is batting .600 (18-for-30) over the last seven games to raise his AL-leading average to .330. A year after hitting eight homers and winning the AL Rookie of the Year award, Pedroia is an MVP candidate with 16 homers and a major league-best 108 runs scored.

Red Sox overcome 4-run deficit to beat Orioles in ninth
AL batting leader Dustin Pedroia homered in the seventh inning to begin Boston’s comeback from a four-run deficit, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 Wednesday when pitcher Jim Miller’s threw away a bunt for a game-ending error.

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Sherpa’s sleepers could be a guide to victory next season
For those in keeper leagues, there’s plenty of time before decisions have to be made, but the process of assembling the best possible roster doesn’t need to wait until pitchers and catchers report next spring.

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McDonald’s clutch hit in extras lifts Jays over Twins
John McDonald singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Minnesota 5-4 on Wednesday night, posting their eighth straight victory over the Twins.

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Chamberlain activated from DL (AP)
Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. Chamberlain was placed on the DL on Aug. 6 with right rotator cuff tendinitis. He left his start Aug. 4 against Texas with shoulder soreness. The right-hander will work out of the bullpen the rest of the regular season.

Postseason chase takes precedence
Mat Gamel is one of several players Milwaukee recalled when rosters expanded Monday. He is a top hitting prospect, but the Brewers are likely to continue using their primary starters while they chase a postseason berth.

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First use of instant replay backs onfield call (AP)

Baseball’s first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. Third-base umpire Brian Runge signaled a home run after A-Rod’s towering, two-run shot off Troy Percival caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field.

A Rod focused on wins and not milestones (AP)
Alex Rodriguez reached another milestone when he moved past Mike Schmidt into 12th place on the career home run list with 549. His focus, however, is on helping the New York Yankees get much-needed wins during a long shot run to make the playoffs. “It’s hard to sit here and talk about anything personal,” Rodriguez said before Wednesday’s 8-4 victory over Tampa Bay.

It’s not over until Yanks say it’s over
Yanks keep playoffs in sight Three games into a four-city, 10-game trip across the continent, the Bombers are off to a good start. Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs to pace a Yankees club that outplayed the Rays on Wednesday at Tropicana Field, posting an 8-4 victory and keeping its postseason hopes breathing for another day.

Mussina quiets Rays for win No. 17
Mussina quiets Rays for win No. 17 Mike Mussina pitched effectively into the seventh inning to log his 17th victory, while Xavier Nady and Alex Rodriguez both homered to help the Yankees defeated the Rays at Tropicana Field, 7-2, on Tuesday.

A-Rod homer upheld by instant replay (AP)

Alex Rodriguez made major league history by agreeing with an umpire. The New York Yankees third baseman, a lightning rod for headlines on and off the field throughout his career, saw his ninth-inning home run Wednesday night the same way as third base umpire Brian Runge. So did baseball’s instant replay system.

Damon Yankees‘ Clemente nominee
Damon Yankees‘ Clemente nominee When Johnny Damon steps into a hospital room to visit a wounded soldier, the patient sees him as a Major League Baseball player, a sports star — an idol. By the time Damon leaves, he is still all of those things, but he’s also a friend.

For A-Rod, milestones take back seat
For A-Rod, milestones take back seat Alex Rodriguez tied Mike Schmidt for 12th place on the all-time homer list on Tuesday, but with the Yankees scrapping to remain relevant in the postseason discussion, A-Rod said it is no time to focus on individual accomplishments.

First use of instant replay backs onfield call (AP)

Baseball’s first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. Third-base umpire Brian Runge signaled a home run after A-Rod’s towering, two-run shot off Troy Percival caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field.

First use of instant replay backs onfield call (AP)

Baseball’s first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of the New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night. Third-base umpire Brian Runge signaled a home run after A-Rod’s towering, two-run shot off Troy Percival caromed off the catwalk behind the foul pole in left field.

Beckett set to return in Texas on Friday
Red Sox ace Josh Beckett is set to rejoin Boston’s rotation on Friday night in Texas.

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Power Rankings: Lincecum moves ahead of Webb
The distinction as the National League’s top pitcher is no longer a runaway. After a pair of subpar outings, Arizona’s Brandon Webb has fallen behind Tim Lincecum of San Francisco in the latest USA TODAY Sports Weekly Power Rankings.

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Lack of close playoff races may provide a September to forget
Major League Baseball will need another wave of historic comebacks or collapses to even come close to the September drama of a year ago.

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Church’s slam helps Mets win 9-2, sweep Brewers
Carlos Delgado had his fun ribbing Ryan Church about his lack of power production. Church hit a grand slam, his first home run since June 1, and Brian Schneider added a homer in a six-run first inning that provided all the offense the Mets needed to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-2 and complete a three-game sweep Wednesday.

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Bautista, Rios homer to lift Blue Jays over Twins
Jose Bautista and Alex Rios both had four hits and hit back-to-back homers Tuesday night and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Minnesota 7-5, their seventh straight victory over the Twins.

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