With the Yankees and Mets less than an hour from first pitch, here's a few things to consider:

On the bump:

Livan Hernandez (5-2, 4.05) hopes to salvage one for the Mets. Hernandez allowed three runs -- two earned -- over seven innings in a loss to the Cardinals in his last start. It was his first loss since April 23. Hernandez has become a real workhorse for the Mets, logging 86 2/3 innings this season -- second on the team. He has never beaten the Yankees in six career starts. He took a no-decision against them on June 12, allowing six runs over 5 1/3 innings.

Chien-Ming Wang (0-6, 11.20) is still in search of his first victory. He threw his best start of the season last time out, holding the Braves to three runs over five innings, striking out four while walking just one. Considering his rough start, Wang was very effective, throwing 42 of 62 pitches for strikes. Wang is 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA in four starts since returning from the bullpen. Wang is 1-1 with a 4.96 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

Back in the lineup:

- Derek Jeter, who missed the two previous games due to a severe headache, fever and cough, is back in the lineup and will leadoff on Sunday. Jeter is enjoying an excellent season, batting .308/.377/.451 with nine homers, 30 RBI, 47 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. He is the all-time leader with a .385 career batting average against the Mets.

The Replace-METS:

- The injury-riddled Mets are just 9-for-87 (.103) with one home run over their last three games.

Yanks take season series:

- The Yankees are 4-1 against the Mets this season. This is the first time they have won the season series against the Mets since 2003.

Fantasy angle:

- Alex Rodriguez is 11-for-19 with three homers and 10 RBI against Hernandez in his career.

- David Wright is ninth in the majors with a .370 batting average this month.

A few random and most likely irrational fun-facts about the now 37-36 New York Mets:

- Only the Giants (45) have hit less home runs than the Mets (46) this season.

- In the first year of a three-year, $36 million contract, the Mets are paying Oliver Perez $12 million in 2009. So far that's good enough for one win. A pretty good win-to-highway-robbery ratio if you can get it.

- While David Wright has whiffed 73 times already this season (on pace for 163), the Mets have struck out less (394) than any team in the majors.

- Gary Sheffield, who wasn't even under contract with the club until April 3, leads the team with just nine home runs.

- Brett Gardner has more hits (5) than the Mets (4) during the first two games of this weekend's Subway Series.

- Bouyed by the strong play of Omir Santos, Mets catchers have driven in more runs (51) than any other team in the majors.

- And finally, according to Mets Today, the team currently has approximately $67,675,000 worth of players on the disabled list. This figure is roughly equal to that of the Twins payroll, while higher than the Rays, Athletics, Nationals, Pirates, Padres and Marlins.

You know, the other night, as I watched Fernando Nieve toss six scoreless innings against the Cardinals and Nick Evans go 2-for-3 with a home run, it was easy to feel pretty darn good about this pack of scrappy nobodies. Unfortunately for Mets fans, nearly every underdog story comes with an expiration date. And after being humbled through the first two games of this weekend's interleague series against the Yankees, I'm afraid we're left rooting for curdled milk.

"What did he say? That he was drunk and got into a fight? I'm not going to comment on it. I'm trying to be professional and I don't really want to get into that. Don't want to make a story out of nothing."

- J.C. Romero reacts to an accusation that he assaulted a fan after Thursday's game.

"The fact I don't think I can help the team like I wanted to, every day on the field. It got to the point it's really painful. My contribution won't be enough to help the team win. Hopefully I can get it fixed and come back 100 percent. I talked to my family, discussed it. I came to conclusion last night I was going to do it, and came in early and told Skip.''

- Adrian Beltre explains his decision to have surgery to remove bone spurs in his left shoulder. The surgery, which will likely end his season, is scheduled for Tuesday. Beltre could have one final appearance on Sunday.

"Terrible. But we got a win, who cares? The guys picked me up."

- Homer Bailey talks about his wild performance against the Indians on Saturday night. The former top prospect walked seven while throwing just 54 of 106 pitches for strikes, but still got his first win in nearly two years.

"It's going to be hard for us to score runs, no doubt about it, with where we are right now offensively. We'll need a break here or there or error or something like that to amass any type of threat at this point."

- A befuddled Jerry Manuel is left looking for answers after the Mets were one-hit by A.J. Burnett on Saturday night.

"There's not much I can do. I just write the line-up ... the rest is up to him. I ain't giving him no bunt sign or nothing."

- Inland Empire 66ers manager Carlos Subero reflects on the unique assignment of including Manny Ramirez in his lineup. Ramirez homered in his first at-bat on Saturday night. Currently serving a 50-game suspension, he is scheduled to rejoin the Dodgers on July 3.

Late Saturday night, the Cardinals acquired Mark DeRosa from the Indians in exchange for Chris Perez and a player to be named later. Bandied about in trade rumors for the better part of the last two months, DeRosa was batting .270/.342/.457 with 13 homers and 50 RBI in his first season with the Tribe. Known for his versatility with the glove, DeRosa will see most of his time at third base.

He figures to be a huge boost to a Cardinal team that has been looking for a solution at the hot corner ever since Troy Glaus went down with a right shoulder injury this spring. This season, Cardinals third baseman have combined to hit just .227/.300/.367 with six homers and 26 RBI. If Glaus somehow manages to return, DeRosa could easily slot in at second base or the outfield.

DeRosa also adds a righty bat to a lineup that sorely needs one. Sure, they have Pujols, but as a team, the Cardinals have a pathetic .228 batting average against left-handers, third worst in the majors. The team has only hit 17 homers against southpaws this season, but keep in mind that nine of them have come off the bat of Pujols. Lastly, the acquisition of DeRosa is a nice jab to the rival Cubs, who are jockeying for position with the Cardinals in the competitive National League Central. It's a great trade for the Cards.

As for the Indians side of things, Perez, a former 2006 first-round draft pick, will enter a bullpen that has been a disaster this season. So far they have pitched to a 4.97 ERA, third worst in the majors, while serving up 35 home runs. Only the Yankees have given up more.

Perez has a 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 71/37 K/BB ratio in 64 1/3 career innings in parts of two major league seasons. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 4.18 ERA, .195 BAA, and 30 strikeouts in 23 2/3 in 2009. He projects as a future closer for the club. As for the player to be named later, since DeRosa was so coveted on the trade market, the Indians will probably get a legitimate prospect, as well. This trade can't possibly be judged from the Indians perspective until we find out who that second player is.

- The Pirates are reportedly mulling a trade that would send Nyjer Morgan to the Nationals. According to the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette the teams were discussing a Morgan for Lastings Milledge swap, but the Nationals balked when the Pirates insisted on including Craig Stammen in the deal. The Nats apparently covet Morgan as a potential leadoff man.

- Albert Pujols launched two home runs in a win over the Twins on Saturday afternoon. El Hombre leads the world with 28 home runs and 74 RBI. He's currently on pace for 60 bombs and 159 RBI.

- J.C. Romero could be in some hot water. He was accused of assaulting a fan who claims he was grabbed by the neck and pushed after asking "How about you get me some juice?" Romero apparently took umbrage to the request.

- J.A. Happ tossed his first career complete game shutout in a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. Even in 97 career minor league starts, Happ never tossed a shutout.

- Jose Reyes jogged and took batting practice before Saturday's game, but there's still no timetable on his return. The Mets leadoff man has been on the disabled list since May 26 because of a right hamstring injury.

- And finally, Roy Halladay is primed for a Monday return against the Rays. Halladay is 10-1 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, but has been on the disabled list since June 18 because of a groin strain.

Scott Kazmir, sidelined for over a month due to a strained right quad, will make his return to the Rays rotation on Saturday against the Marlins. But just how effective he will be is up for debate. The 25-year-old southpaw was awful in his first nine starts, compiling a 7.69 ERA and 35/29 K/BB ratio in 45 2/3 innings. But the Rays were encouraged enough after two rehab starts -- where he allowed just one run over 10 2/3 innings -- to bring him back.

It doesn't take many charts and graphs to tell you that something has been off with Kazmir. Seeing his flyball rate increase to a career-high 48.9% last season, at least he decided to incorporate his slider again in 2009, but a noticeable drop in velocity (average of 80.4 MPH as opposed to 84.8 MPH in 2007) has made the pitch the complete opposite of a weapon.

And it isn't just his slider that has suffered. His fastball has lost over 2 MPH from last season (from 91.8 to 89.7) and almost three MPH from 2007 (92.4). It should come as no surprise that his strikeout rate has decreased every year from 2007 (10.41 K/9) to it's current 6.90. While control has always been an issue for Kazmir, it's become an even bigger one now that he can't put batters away. He's seen that shoot up from 3.88 BB/9 in 2007 to 5.72 this season.

The Rays hope that Kazmir's refined mechanics, namely an effort to shorten his stride, will net better results. We'll see in just over an hour from now.

''You're not a player! You're a piece of sh--!''

- Lou Pinella has had just about enough of Milton Bradley.

"That was awesome. We made him pissed. That's not too hard to do."

- Ozzie Guillen throws in his two cents about Friday's Pinella-Bradley incident.

"I kind of figured that."

- Ryan Ludwick reacts to being out of the lineup again on Saturday. On the heels of a breakthrough 2008 season, Ludwick is batting just .226 so far in 2009, including a .178 mark this month.

"As a pitcher, you know you have a no-hitter. Whoever says they don't, it's a lie. You know you have it. It was pretty cool to be a part of it."

- Ricky Romero talks about holding the Phillies hitless over the first six innings on Friday night. The rookie southpaw's no-hit bid was broken up by a Chase Utley leadoff single in the seventh.

"When I got traded [last] July, it was a surprise, because I thought I was going to be there until the end of the season. When that happened, he called me to the office and wished me the best. He almost cried when he talked to me. For me, that's something I'll never forget. He talked to me as if I was his son when that happened."

- Ivan Rodriguez recalls Jim Leyland's reaction after the catcher was traded to the Yankees last season. Rodriguez and Leyland were reunited when the Astros and Tigers kicked off a weekend series in Houston.

With the Dodgers and Angels less than two hours away from first pitch, here's a few things to consider:

On the bump:

- John Lackey (2-2, 6.10) takes the hill for the Angels. Lackey enjoyed his best start of the season in his last outing against the Giants, fanning a season-high 10 while allowing three runs over seven innings. He's been shaky since missing the first six weeks of the season due to inflammation in his pitching elbow, allowing 52 hits in 38 1/3 innings (.335 BAA). Lefties are batting .422 against him thus far.

- Clayton Kershaw (3-5, 4.13) pitches for the Dodgers. Kershaw blanked the Athletics over 5 2/3 innings in his last start, but suffered a no-decision. He is winless in his last three starts, dating back to May 27. The 21-year-old southpaw has a 70/42 K/BB ratio in 69 2/3 innings pitched this season.

Martin ends drought:

- Russell Martin connected for his first home run of the season in the 6-4 win on Saturday night. The third-inning blast ended a 217 at-bat drought.

Figgins red-hot in June:

- Chone Figgins leads the majors with a .403 batting average since May 15.

Manny Who:

- The Dodgers are an NL-best 24-16 since Manny Ramirez was suspended.

Fantasy angle:

- Juan Rivera is batting .431/.508/.902 with six homers and nine RBI against left-handers this season

- Jonathan Broxton returned to the mound on Saturday after missing three games with a sore toe. He allowed his first home run of the season to Gary Matthews Jr., but still managed to notch his 16th save.

- Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to right shoulder weakness. An MRI showed no structural damage, but manager Terry Francona mentioned that he likely won't return anytime soon, saying, "We have a lot of work ahead of us to get him back to being Daisuke."

- Jeremy Guthrie tossed seven innings of one-run ball as the Orioles completed a sweep of the first-place Phillies on Sunday. The defending World Champions are now just 13-22 at home.

- Paul Konerko drove in the 1,000th run of his career on Sunday as the White Sox topped the Reds 4-1.

- Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd squashed rumors that Brad Hawpe might be on the trade block.

- Albert Pujols homered twice -- including a grand slam -- and drove in six as the Cardinals cruised past the Royals 12-5. Pujols now leads the majors with 26 home runs and 68 RBI. With the win, Tony LaRussa joined Connie Mack (3,831) and John McGraw (2,763) as the only managers to reach 2,500 wins.

- Brad Lidge is likely to be activated from the disabled list this week.

- David Ortiz homered again on Sunday, but the Red Sox defeated the Braves 6-5 in walk-off fashion behind the unlikely Nick Green, who wrapped the ball around the Pesky Pole to secure the victory.

- And finally, the future of Steven Soderbergh's "Moneyball" is in doubt.

After surrendering a career-worst nine runs in a 15-0 loss to the Yankees last Sunday, Johan Santana had to face the questions all week whether his recent struggles and loss of velocity were due to an injury. Former pitching coach Rick Peterson even resurfaced this week to stir the pot, telling ESPN 1050 that his surgically repaired left knee may be bothering him.

Well, Santana answered those critics on Saturday afternoon, hurling a season-high 7 1/3 innings in a 3-1 tough-luck loss to the Rays. Santana was solid despite the loss, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three and walking three. And those pesky questions about his velocity? Answered them too by reaching 91-92 MPH with regularity.

After the loss, Santana addressed the media, still peeved about how things played out this week:

"You guys made a big deal out of it. You even have people that don't belong to this team talking and telling what's going on with me. What am I supposed to do? I think it's not professional. If you look around, you got professional players and professional people on this ballclub that know exactly what they have to do and what it takes for us to do our jobs."

"And then to have someone that doesn't belong here say something and you guys believing what they're saying. I think it's bad. But I know what I have to do to keep myself in the game, and I hope you guys don't forget that -- because I know myself well enough and better than a lot of people around here. So next time you guys want to ask something, I'll be more than happy to answer questions. But don't believe what people are saying around here. I don't play that game."

"Mentally and physically I am exhausted. One of the most ill-felt victories ever. It wasn't easy for either of us."

- Jeff Weaver, after outpitching his brother Jered in a 6-4 win over the Angels on Saturday night. They became the first siblings to pitch against each other since Andy and Alan Benes did it in 2002.

"People make assumptions about what our activity would be, which is probably not unreasonable, but at the same time, I never thought we're required to be the rest of the league's farm system."

- Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail tells Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that the club is not in "salary dump mode." A number of players, including Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora and George Sherrill figure to draw interest as the trade deadline approaches.

"Baseball is an expensive sport. That's why a lot of African-Americans don't play it. You gotta have a bat, a ball, a glove, a catching glove, cleats -- so many things. The fields. If you look at all those commercials on TV, you never see a baseball commercial. You see LeBron [James]. You see Terrell Owens. You don't see that in baseball. Kids think it's boring. I thank my parents for that, that I had one of those old Flintstone Wiffle ball bats. Big, fat bat. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have played baseball."

- Brandon Phillips, commenting on the lack of African-Americans in the majors. The Reds fell to the White Sox 10-8 in Saturday's third annual Civil Rights Game. The event attracted a sold out crowd of 42.234 and names like Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron, Bill Cosby, former President Bill Clinton, and Muhammad Ali.

"It's just a matter of competing. Do I think he could play without embarrassing himself? Yes. But it's best just to play games and get acclimated. I think that's important. He doesn't need to put up numbers."

- Manager Joe Torre comments on Manny Ramirez, who agreed to start a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday. He is eligible to return from his 50 game suspension on July 3 in San Diego.

"The big deal is probably that a lot of people aren't familiar with what he went through, how serious of a surgery he had and the fatigue that he went through. Everything is always (bigger) when it's Alex."

- Manager Joe Girardi does his best to downplay Alex Rodriguez's two days off. A-Rod may have needed a breather, but according to the New York Post, that didn't stop him from attending a private party with Kate Hudson in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday.

- Kerry Wood blew his second save in as many days against his former team. The Cubs defeated the Indians 6-5 in 13 innings on Saturday afternoon for their third consecutive walk-off win.

- Following up on an earlier story, Daisuke Matsuzaka's next start will be skipped. He's scheduled to examined by team doctors to determine whether his struggles are due to a physical problem. An MRI on his shoulder is not out of the question. He's a good bet to follow a similar path to that of Chien-Ming Wang and Oliver Perez.

- Joey Votto will resume his rehab with Single-A Dayton on Saturday night. He could join the Reds when they return home on June 30. Votto has been sidelined since May 30 due to stress-related issues.

- Bothered by a sore left calf, Jermaine Dye is not expected to start again until Tuesday against the Dodgers.

- Carlos Beltran plans to get an MRI on his ailing right knee.

- And finally, it's unclear whether anybody actually saw Pedro Martinez pitch in the Dominican Republic on Friday.

Following Magglio Ordonez's "indefinite" benching on Thursday, it didn't take long for his agent Scott Boras to chime in, insinuating that the move had more to do with his $18 million option for 2010 than his poor start:

"Great major league players have periods where they don't perform well. It's befuddling to me, why they've done this. The Tigers are treating Magglio Ordonez differently than they have in the past. Coming off three consecutive years when he played really well for them ... this is unheard of."

It would be one thing if Ordonez was performing somewhat close to the same level of the past three seasons, but he's batting an anemic .272/.347/.343 with two homers and 22 RBI through his first 216 at-bats. He's currently slugging at a lower rate than Coco Crisp and teammate Placido Polanco. Once a hero of the 2006 ALCS, the 35-year-old hasn't gone deep in 38 games.

Jim Leyland publicly defended the move on Saturday, responding to Boras by saying:

"This is about no other issue. This is about Magglio Ordonez and trying to get him right so he can contribute the way he feels good about himself, because, by his own admission, he's embarrassed."

"I'm very respectful of Scott Boras, but I'm not going to listen to his (nonsense). Scott Boras might be better off if he lets Magglio and myself handle this instead of him."

Ordonez's struggles are a convenient excuse to bench him, no doubt, but the best solution for all involved may just be going the "the Gary Sheffield route" by cutting him loose.

Vote in our poll and let us know what you think.

Cito Gaston doesn't dig this whole new-fangled interleague play thing. After losing his closer Scott Downs to injury while running to first base on Wednesday, he encountered more trouble by messing up a double-switch in Thursday's game.

Gaston intended to take out Brandon League and put in Jason Frasor, while swapping out catcher Raul Chavez in favor of Rod Barajas, so that Barajas could lead off in the top of the ninth in the pitcher's spot, but you see, he went ahead and screwed that whole thing up.

"I thought about it, and then after I went to the mound, then you couldn't do it. You have to approach the umpire first before you do that and I went to the mound. If I had the intentions of doing it, I screwed it up -- you couldn't do it."

Even though Frasor came in and allowed a game-tying single to Shane Victorino, the mistake was forgiven when Barajas appeared as a pinch-hitter and launched a solo home run to secure an 8-7 win. Still, the error was eerily reminiscent of another legendary coach who returned to his place of former dominance, only to forget the rules at an inopportune moment. Hey, at least he's not stealing batteries.

- Daisuke Matsuzaka states the obvious after another poor outing against the Braves on Friday night. Dice-K has an 8.23 ERA and 2.20 WHIP through his first eight starts. A decision on his future in the rotation is expected on Monday.

"I'm probably going to lay low for the rest of this year."

- The tech-savvy Tom Glavine, who informed MLB.com via text message that he isn't quite ready to say he's retired, but will likely not pitch this season. The 43-year old left-hander was released by the Braves earlier this month.

"This guy has been battling for a long time to get back on the field. So it's a pretty emotional time for him to have pain in his shoulder again."

- Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch on the news that Brandon Webb required an MRI on his ailing right shoulder on Friday. Word on the 2006 Cy Young award winner's status is not expected until next week. He could seek a second opinion, as well, before opting for surgery.

"It's a step that we had to take. We needed to do something like this."

- Manny Acta, still the manager of the Nationals, after a 2-1 victory in 11 innings over the Blue Jays on Friday night. The win extended their winning streak to three games, matching a season-high.

"We have a responsibility to do our due diligence. I think a lot more is being made of it publicly than really exists."

- Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman comments on the club's interest, or lack thereof, in free-agent Pedro Martinez. The Rays were among several teams in attendance when the 37-year-old pitcher threw in the Dominican Republic on Friday.

With the Cardinals and Indians less than an hour from first pitch, here's a few things to consider:

A pair of aces:

- Chris Carpenter (4-0, 1.23) toes the rubber for the Cardinals. He's coming off his worst start of the season against the Marlins, which is saying a lot, considering that he allowed three runs over six innings. The 2005 Cy Young award winner has limited opponents two runs or less in all six of his other starts. He's holding opposing batters to a .163 batting average and has served up just one home run in 44 innings pitched this season.

- Cliff Lee (3-6, 3.17) starts for the Indians. The defending Cy Young award winner was hit hard by the Royals in his last start, yielding four runs on 11 hits over six innings as part of a no-decision. The four runs were the most Lee has allowed since April 11. Lee has a 2.31 ERA over his last 11 starts, after a 9.90 ERA over his first two starts. Righties are batting .322 off the southpaw.

El Hombre en fuego:

- With his 27th career multi-homer game on Saturday, Albert Pujols has went deep in three consecutive games. He's tied with Raul Ibanez for the National League lead in home runs with 22 and is second to Ibanez with 57 RBI.

Missing Sizemore:

- With Grady Sizemore on the disabled list due to an elbow injury, the Indians first turned to Ben Francisco to lead off, but mired in a 4-for-30 funk, the Indians inserted Jamey Carroll there on Friday. So far, Carroll is 2-for-8 with a walk from the top spot.

Fantasy angle:

- With the Cardinals loading their lineup with right-handed batters against the southpaw Lee, rookie Colby Rasmus takes a seat.

- Kerry Wood hasn't allowed a run in his last nine appearances, spanning 8 1/3 innings.

- Hanley Ramirez wasn't too happy that the Marlins didn't retaliate after he was hit by a pitch during a 11-3 laugher over the Blue Jays on Sunday.

- Johan Santana was torched for a career-high nine runs over three innings in part of a 15-0 loss to the Yankees on Sunday afternoon. His ERA jumped nearly a full run, from 2.39 to 3.29, in the loss.

-- On the strength of a six-run seventh inning, the Phillies took the Sunday finale from the Red Sox.

- Unhappy with a .246 team batting average, good enough for 13th in the league, the Cubs did the old empty gesture by firing hitting coach Gerald Perry on Sunday.

- Eric Chavez will undergo a second surgery on his back that will cost him the rest of the season.

- Corey Hart slugged a pair of solo homers in a 5-4 loss to the White Sox on Sunday. Trevor Hoffman gave up his first run of the season in the ninth inning, taking the loss.

- Bothered by right shoulder tendinitis, Frank Francisco was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday.

- And finally, the Red Sox have fielded multiple calls for Brad Penny. Because he signed as a free agent, the 31-year-old is not eligible to be traded until June 15. Penny is 5-2 with a 5.32 ERA in 12 starts this season.

In case you missed it yesterday, here's what Brian Bruney had to say about Francisco Rodriguez after Friday's game:

"Unbelievable, I've never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school. Couldn't have happened to a better guy on the mound, either. He's got a tired act."

He continued:

"He gets what he deserves, man. I just don't like watching the guy pitch. I think it's embarassing."

The quotes were worthy of some chuckles initially, especially considering the fact that Bruney can't stay on the field, but the two pitchers almost came to blows before Sunday's game. Peter Abraham of the Journal News relays the story:

Francisco Rodriguez tried to confront Brian Bruney during batting practice today and was held back by Jose Veras. The incident attracted enough attention that several Yankees, including C.C. Sabathia, came over to keep the peace. Bruney was in left field as the Yankees were finishing up their BP. The Mets were coming into the field at the same time and Rodriguez went over to Bruney and appeared to be yelling at him.

There were rumors of a video that showed Rodriguez pushing Bruney, but that appears to be false. K-Rod tried to get to him, but was held back by Mike Pelfrey.

When Abraham asked Bruney what happened, the pitcher said:

"We talked about our dinner plans. That was it."

Who said the Subway Series had lost it's luster?

"I don't give two f---s what Joe Girardi says. I'm coming inside. I don't care. Anybody can say that. We can say that about the time they hit our guys. I'm just trying to pitch inside. Maybe he should worry about managing and not trying to be the commissioner."

- Brad Penny responds to Joe Girardi's assertion that he intentionally hit Alex Rodriguez on Thursday.

"We always support everyone here and always will. But, you know, we're all just together trying to win every day, trying to turn it around. And we're going to continue to try until we figure it out. We know the future is bright but we're not waiting for the future to get here. We're going to do everything we can to speed it up."

- Nationals owner Stan Kasten addresses a report that Manny Acta could be fired as soon as Monday.

"Brandon was supposed to be taking on that 3-0. That could have been the ballgame because we had him on the ropes at that time. He said he didn't see the take but in that situation, you have to know you're taking even if you don't see the take. That's a big play in the ballgame."

- Dusty Baker calls out Brandon Phillips for swinging at a 3-0 pitch after Kyle Davies had already walked two batters. He killed the rally with a flyout and the Reds lost to the Royals 7-4.

"I wasn't ready and I'm not going to come back to hurt the team. It is what it is. When it's ready, it will be ready."

- Jeremy Bonderman admits he came back too early from right shoulder surgery. He allowed six runs over four innings in a Tuesday start against the White Sox. He's now a long-shot to contribute this season.

"It's just disappointing, more than anything. I haven't been pitching well at all."

- Manny Parra on being sent down to Triple-A Nashville after being hammered for six runs over 1 2/3 innings against the White Sox on Saturday. Parra is 3-8 with a 7.52 ERA in 13 starts this season.

- Anthony Swarzak pitched seven shutout innings against the Cubs on Saturday, but was promptly optioned to Triple-A Rochester following the game.

- The Red Sox still aren't sure what to do with John Smoltz. His rehab stint comes to an end next Friday.

- Brian Bruney doesn't like what Francisco Rodriguez does on the mound. Brian Who?

- Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida launched two-run homers in a 6-5 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.

- Roy Halladay won't pitch until at least next Saturday after straining his right groin on Friday night.

- "Harry Doyle" will throw out the first pitch of Monday's Brewers-Indians game.

- In an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, among other things, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said there's still no timetable on Joey Votto's return.

- And finally, the Yankees are reportedly the newest potential suitor for infield prospect Miguel Angel Sano. The Pirates, Indians, Twins and Orioles are among the other teams believed to have interest in the 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, citing baseball sources, the Nationals are set to fire manager Manny Acta. The ax could come as soon as an off-day on Monday, with the team preparing to start a series against the Yankees. According to the report, Acta would be replaced by bench coach Jim Riggleman.

The 40-year-old Acta has compiled a 147-231 record in two and a half seasons as manager and has led the club to a league-worst 15-43 mark this season. It's a real shame because Acta never had much talent to work with and guided a far-worse team to a 73-89 record in 2007. But after the firing of pitching coach Randy St. Claire earlier this month, and the selection of Stephen Strasburg this week, the organization seems desperate to carve out a new image. Acta is but a fall guy in a pretty misguided narrative.

The thing I don't understand is that if this story already leaked, why not just show the man some respect and let him go today instead of waiting until Monday? It's akin to firing Willie Randolph after letting him fly out and manage the first game of a West Coast trip. It's not like Riggleman doesn't know the players. He's the bench coach. Let him go already.

To understand the severity of Friday night's costly drop by Luis Castillo, one must first remember that he entered 2009 as one of the more unpopular players on the roster. With his patient, sometimes passive approach at the plate, Castillo became the perfect whipping-boy for frustrated Mets fans, as he batted just .245/.355/.305 in the first year of a truly awful four-year, $25 million contract. Out of shape and hobbled by a bad hip, Castillo appeared in just 87 games, and was at his worst down the stretch, batting just .111 in another lost September.

After the season, Mets fans were ready to see him leave town, much like Scott Schoeneweis and Aaron Heilman were shown the door, however his big contract was largely undesirable around baseball. In November, Castillo had a meeting with team brass, insisting that he would rededicate himself to getting back in shape. And true to his word, he reported to Spring Training at 193 pounds, down from 210 last spring.

This season, Castillo has again been a pretty marginal player at best, batting .277/.376/.335 with 14 RBI and seven steals in 173 at-bats. According to FanGraphs, he has a 0.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and 3.0 (Runs Above Replacement). Still, Castillo has a walkoff-hit to his credit and with the unusual amount of injuries for the team, he's pretty much been given a reprieve from the fans. Until Friday night. Against the Yankees, of all teams. Only a drop against the Phillies could be any worse.

The Mets have no choice but to keep running him back out there, as awful as it was. I mean, who else is left to even play second base? Jerry Manuel knows he can't hide either. That's why he's batting him leadoff today.

"I have to catch that ball. The ball was moving a little bit. I didn't get it. I feel bad. It was a routine fly ball. ... I need to get it. ... I feel so bad. I don't want to make any errors, so I feel bad about myself. I made a mistake -- I feel bad."

- Luis Castillo, at a loss to explain the epic drop that allowed the Yankees to win Friday night's game.

"I just closed my eyes and swung."

- Rick Porcello, on becoming the first Tigers' pitcher to have a multi-RBI game since Joe Coleman in 1972. He was 2-for-3 at the dish. The 2o-year-old Porcello wasn't that bad on the mound either, allowing just a single run over seven innings to improve to 7-4 on the season.

"We're trying to win ball games up here. If they need to make a move to help the team out, I'm all for that. Going to Triple-A is never news you want to hear but I'm going to go down there and try to find out what I need to do to find myself."

- Howie Kendrick reacts to his demotion to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 25-year-old second baseman was hitting just .231/.281/.355 with four homers and 22 RBI in 186 at-bats this season.

"I wasn't embarrassed. I've done a whole lot of things to be embarrassed about. That's water under the bridge. The run was going to score, the fan got a souvenir. Worst case scenario."

- Milton Bradley, after committing the Cardinal sin of throwing the ball into the stands with just two outs. By the way, this might be the most accurate thing Bradley has ever said.

"The difference in this game, with these young pitchers we have, I don't even know if they watch baseball, to be honest with you."

- Jason Giambi, commenting on the excellent pitchers duel between Tim Lincecum and Athletics' rookie Vin Mazzaro on Friday night. Lincecum got the better of him on Friday, hurling a complete-game shutout, but Mazzaro has a 1.37 over his first three big league starts.

With the Phillies and Dodgers less than an hour away from first pitch, here are a few things to consider.

On the bump:

- Antonio Bastardo (1-0, 1.50) gets the start for the Phillies. In his major league debut against the Padres on Tuesday, Bastardo tossed six innings of one-run ball, fanning five and walking one. The only run scored via an Adrian Gonzalez home run. The southpaw went 3-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 11 minor league starts this season.

- Randy Wolf (3-1, 3.21) toes the rubber for the Dodgers. He's coming off a rough start against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, when he yielded a season-high five runs over six innings, but was handed a no-decision. He hasn't lost a decision since his season-debut on April 7 against the Padres. The ex-Phillie has allowed two runs or less in five of his last seven starts.

Going for 40:

- The Dodgers have steamrolled their way through the first half of the season. With a 39-19 record (.672 winning percentage) the next closest teams to their win total are the Brewers, Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers who are tied with 33.

In the clutch:

- Andre Ethier has ended each of the last two games in walk-off fashion, first with a game-winning RBI double off Brad Lidge on Friday and then a 12th inning solo home run that broke a 2-2 tie on Saturday. Ethier was slumping for the better part of a month, but has hits in 10 of his last 11 games.

Road warriors:

- The Phillies are 20-8 on the road this season, the best record in baseball. They are currently 4-2 on their 10-game roadtrip.

Fantasy angle:

- Jonathan Broxton has fanned 30 over 17 2/3 scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium this season. Opponents are batting just .070 (4-for-57) off him there.

- Juan Pierre is batting .455 (20-for-44) against left-handers this season.

- Tommy Hanson didn't allow a hit over the first 3 1/3 innings of his major league debut against the Brewers on Sunday afternoon, but he gave up seven runs -- six of them earned -- including three home runs -- two of them by Ryan Braun -- after that. The strapping right-hander fanned five and walked one over six innings and thanks to a three-run eighth inning by the Braves, he was taken off the hook.

- Roy Halladay became the first pitcher in baseball to reach 10 wins against the Royals on Sunday. He struck out six in a complete game shutout and now has a 2.52 ERA to go along with a stingy 1.02 WHIP.

- In an excellent piece by Tim Kurkjian for ESPN.com, we learn that Princeton graduate Ross Ohlendorf wrote his thesis on the top 100 picks from the 1989 to 1993 Amateur drafts to determine the value of the picks. He found that on average, the player brought twice the return.

- Mariano Rivera would have preferred to pitch to Evan Longoria instead of intentionally walking him on Saturday, but he got him to ground out to secure his 13th save in a 4-3 comeback win over the Rays on Sunday. The Yankees plated three in the eighth inning to push ahead.

- Livan Hernandez hurled seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Nationals on Sunday afternoon. With the win, he moved to 5-1 with a surprising 3.88 ERA through 11 starts this season.

- Clete Thomas connected for an eighth-inning go-ahead grand slam -- the first of his career-- in a 9-6 win over the Angels on Sunday.

- According to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, the Indians have yet to decide if they will be buyers or sellers mode as the trade deadline approaches. The Indians currently find themselves seven games behind the first-place Tigers.

- And finally, D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin put the kibosh on fireworks at Nationals Park.

Surprise, surprise. According to Ed Eagle of MLB.com, during an injury-riddled 2001 season, David Wells said that White Sox teammate Jose Canseco advised him to use human growth hormone. Wells, who was 38 at the time, passed on the advice.

"I didn't need to do that and I wasn't going to do that. That stuff is not good for the game and it is not good for your body."

Wells instead opted for back surgery, quit drinking and underwent an intense offseason workout program that had him lose 30 pounds by Spring Training in 2002. Wells enjoyed one of his best seasons with the Yankees in 2002, going 19-7 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Wells retired in 2007 with 239 wins, tied with Hall of Famer Mordecai Brown for 56th on the all-time list.

Appearing at Yankee Stadium last month for the 11th anniversary of his perfect game, Wells suggested that baseball should give harsher penalties or even lifetime bans to those who test postive for PEDs.

"Just ban them right out of the get-go; I think that would be great. No 50-game suspension. Ban them right away, that would stop it in a heartbeat -- especially with the money they are giving out today. It would be incredible if they did that. You wouldn't have to worry about steroids or HGH."

As he told reporters at Yankee Stadium last month, Wells believes that any player who tests positive or admitted to steroid use should not be admitted to the Hall of Fame. It's almost comical, really, but Wells just might be the perfect leader for an anti-performance enhancing drug movement, proof-positive that a player can have a long-lasting and decorated career without looking like an Adonis.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times reports that the Yankees will be the first team to offer streaming of games within their home market. The deal reached between the YES Network and Major League Baseball Advanced Media will let fans in the New York media market buy a subscription to Yankees games that they can stream on laptops, personal computers or other devices in the office or the home. Fans can expect to see similar models in other media markets before long.

Until now, MLB.tv has limited access of their subscribers to out-of-market games in order to protect the rights of regional sports networks and cable companies. It's likely to be a huge boon for YES, as the New York market expands to New Jersey, Connecticut and even parts of Pennsylvania.

The only annoying catch is that those who purchase the in-market subscription must also be subscribers of the expanded basic service on Cablevision that includes YES Network. The agreement certainly marks progress, as an increasingly mobile society would love the option to watch a Yankees game on their wireless internet connection wherever they may roam.

However, one of the great things about MLB.tv is the ability to have it without also having to purchase a cable subscription. I believe and hope it won't be long before these networks bypass the cable companies and offer these sorts of subscriptions directly to the fans. They can only delay progress for so long.

"That's how you getting back to hitting balls and start hitting well, put a good swing on a ball. Even though you don't get the good luck, it will come."

- David Ortiz on his first multi-hit game since May 20. In the sixth inning of Saturday's 8-1 win over the Rangers he wrapped a line drive around the "Pesky Pole" for his second home run in 194 at-bats this season -- one that wouldn't have left any other stadium in the majors.

"Being honest -- I don't care what he said. I believe we're a better team than them. I don't care what he said."

- Carlos Beltran, as the war of words with Adam LaRoche continues.

"My responsibility as a manager is to 25 guys, and the Florida Marlins, not just one guy. We're trying to get the win for the club."

- Fredi Gonzalez on closer Matt Lindstrom, who was pulled in favor of Leo Nunez after loading the bases with a three-run lead against the Giants on Saturday. Nunez gave up a single Aaron Rowand to cut the lead to one run, but was able to strike out Edgar Renteria to end it. Lindstrom is 11-for-13 in save opportunities this season, but has a 6.17 ERA and 1.84 WHIP.

"He'll always be my guy. His stuff is good. There's nothing wrong with his stuff. His stuff is good. I think it's important for him to keep his confidence. I think the opposite of how some other people think. My way of thinking is if you rest him or do something else with him or put him somewhere else, I think that can hurt his confidence. I'm speaking right from my heart. That's how I look at it because I played 20 years. I think I do know a little bit about it. His stuff is still good."

- Charlie Manuel gives a vote of confidence to his closer Brad Lidge following another blown save against the Dodgers on Saturday afternoon. Lidge has blown six saves in 19 chances this season after going a perfect 41-for-41 last season.

"That first inning I was very excited. I wasn't pitching at all. I was just throwing. After that, I was able to settle down and minimize damage. I hadn't been out there in a long time."

- Kelvim Escobar on his first start since 2007 on Saturday against the Tigers. Escobar struggled with his command in the first inning, allowing two quick runs. He struck out five over five innings, but also walked four and threw just 51 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Escobar missed all of 2008 following shoulder surgery.

Stat of the day: After his latest adventure against the Rays this afternoon, Mariano Rivera has now allowed an un Rivera-like nine runs this season after yielding 11 all of last season.

Of course, it's well-documented that he's already served up five homers in just 23 1/3 innings this season. That's the most he's allowed in a season since 2001 -- but, of course, that was over the course of 80 2/3 innings. Pretty alarming, no? Following offseason shoulder surgery, there were some early and obvious concerns about his velocity, however he was throwing his cutter at about 93 MPH this week, pretty much where it was before the procedure.

Bad outings from relievers tend to inflate statistics -- and after his last blowup against the Rays on May 7, giving up back-to-back homers for the first time in his career, Rivera had a season-high 3.97 ERA. But since then, Rivera had allowed just one run over his last 11 1/3 innings pitched, including five consecutive scoreless appearances leading into Saturday. He entered today's game with a 2.38 ERA, the lowest it's been since April. Also, his trademark control remains intact, with a 28/2 K/BB ratio thus far.

Yeah, I know, the sports-talk radio folk are gonna say Rivera just isn't the same pitcher. And maybe he isn't. It makes for great drama, especially when a fanbase has been spoiled for this long. But in a bullpen full of Tomko's, Robertson's and Coke's, Rivera is the least of their problems.

On Friday, Aaron Gleeman touched on Tom Glavine's first public appearance since the 305-game winner was released by the Braves this week. There was a lot to digest from his comments, but clearly the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer feels misled and betrayed by his former club.

"I didn't realize I was auditioning. That was it. There was no 'If you do this, or your velocity is this ... We'll be evaluating you every step of the way. You're trying out for the team.' None of that. It was 'If everything goes well and you're healthy, you'll pitch June 7'.... I was taking people at their word, and at the end of that day that really didn't seem to mean a whole lot."

Even though Glavine had thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two rehab starts, the team made a "performance-decision" and released the veteran, opting instead for young phenom Tommy Hanson. The 22-year-old right-hander has dominated the minors this season with a sick 1.49 ERA along with 90 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett. He is primed to make his long-awaited major league debut on Sunday against the Brewers.

I don't think many people would question the Braves for taking Hanson -- or even Kris Medlen -- over Glavine. After all, Hanson was already on a rapid rise in the organization, coming off a historic performance in the Arizona Fall League, becoming the first pitcher to win the league's MVP award. And through 11 starts this season, he has shown that he simply has nothing left to prove down there.

However, the way the situation was handled by general manager Frank Wren is just plain slimy. It reeks of penny-pinching and disrespect for a pitcher that won the 1995 World Series MVP with the franchise. I never understood why the Braves brought him back at all, but Wren deserves all the criticism he's getting right now.

Vote in our poll and let us know if you think the Braves were unfair to Glavine.

"After this contract, I'm done. I'm serious. I don't want to play. I want to help this team, I want to do everything possible to win with this team, but after five years or four years, or whatever I have left on my contract, I just don't want to play."

- Carlos Zambrano, after being asked by reporters if he thought he had a shot at 300 wins. Just a reminder that the Z-Man is notorious for saying things one day and forgetting them the next.

"I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism. When somebody says that, they know what they're saying, and they know it's going to get out. He knows we're not going to be real happy about it. If you go and say that to your buddies, it's one thing. If you go to the media and make that public for us to hear? Yeah, that's no class."

- Adam LaRoche, the self-appointed team leader, reacting to what Carlos Beltran had to say after the Mets got swept in Pittsburgh this week. Should we expect fireworks a couple days early when the teams meet again on July 2?

"We'll see how it goes the next couple of days."

- Bruce Bochy comments on the debate of who should bat cleanup for the Giants. With a .306 batting average, .822 OPS and the difference-making two-run homer against the Marlins on Friday night, Pablo Sandoval is threatening to take the spot in the order from the scuffling Bengie Molina.

"I just missed it. I've got nothing more to say."

- Pedro Feliz, who uncharacteristically booted a groundball with two outs in the ninth inning against the Dodgers on Friday night. The error opened the door for a game-winning RBI double by Andre Ethier.

"We've been trying to watch his pitch count. I'm sure he would have liked to have a complete-game shutout but we're trying to take it easy on him a little bit."

- Ken Macha on Yovani Gallardo's two-hit, eight-inning effort against the Braves on Friday night. He was yanked after throwing 110 pitches. Gallardo moved to 6-2 with the victory, and has compiled a sterling 2.84 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 73 innings this season.