Major league batting leader Josh Hamilton was scratched from the Texas Rangers' lineup Saturday night because of patella tendinitis in his right knee. Hamilton, hitting .362 with 23 homers and 75 RBIs, started in center field in Friday night's 9-7 loss to the Angels. He was shifted to left field in the fifth inning after feeling discomfort in his troublesome knee, and came out of the game...

The Boston Red Sox didn't pick up any new impact players at the trading deadline. Instead, they showed some signs of life thanks to one of their old stars. David Ortiz brought back memories of the team's World Series runs with his first game-ending hit in almost a year, doubling in three runs with one out in the ninth inning on Saturday to lead the Red Sox to a 5-4 victory over the Detroit...

The ball deflected off the green-padded post in the outfield wall and rolled to Melky Cabrera, who whirled and threw. The left hand went forward. The ball went sideways. The race was on. Ryan Hanigan doubled home two runs and kept going when the ball slipped away from the Atlanta Braves center fielder, rounding the bases on the pivotal play of the Cincinnati Reds' 5-2 victory Saturday, one that...

The Atlanta Braves made a five-player deal Saturday to upgrade their outfield and an already formidable bullpen, acquiring Rick Ankiel and right-hander Kyle Farnsworth from Kansas City for three players. The NL East leaders are trying to fend off a charge by second-place Philadelphia, which had cut a seven-game deficit to 3 1/2 entering play on Saturday.

Slugger Adam Dunn is still with the Washington Nationals despite a lot of interest from other teams. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said several clubs called about Dunn before Saturday's deadline for making trades without waivers. Rizzo says the Nationals didn't get an offer worth taking.

Pat Burrell lined a go-ahead two-run homer into the left-field seats with two outs in the eighth inning, and the San Francisco Giants rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday. Chad Billingsley extended his scoreless innings streak to 21 2-3 spanning three starts, but the bullpen couldn't hold a one-run lead for short-handed Los Angeles.

Ned Yost has been through this before. Yost helped turn the Milwaukee Brewers from a perennial loser into a playoff team, and now will have the chance to do the same with the Royals. The ailing franchise gave him a two-year contract extension Saturday that will keep him in Kansas City through 2012. Hired as a special adviser to baseball operations in January, Yost was called up to replace the fired...

The NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals were the prime players in a three-team trade Saturday, getting pitcher Jake Westbrook from Cleveland and sending outfielder Ryan Ludwick to NL West-leading San Diego. "I'm excited to go to a club that's contending for a playoff spot and pitch in some meaningful ballgames," Westbrook said.

The Houston Astros are close to a multiyear contract extension with starting pitcher Brett Myers. General manager Ed Wade says there was "tremendous" interest in the right-hander leading to Saturday's trade deadline. The Astros chose to keep him and make him an "anchor" in their rotation after this week's trade of ace Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia.

The Baltimore Orioles have traded left-hander Will Ohman to the Florida Marlins for right-hander Rick VandenHurk. VandenHurk was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after Saturday's trade, and third baseman Josh Bell was recalled from the Tides. The 32-year-old Ohman was 0-0 with a 3.30 ERA in 51 appearances during his first season with the Orioles.

The New York Yankees acquired pitcher Kerry Wood from the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, the third deal in less than 24 hours for the World Series champions as they beefed up for the stretch run. Wood, a hard-throwing, 33-year-old righty, gives the Yankees another setup option alongside Joba Chamberlain for closer Mariano Rivera.

The Los Angeles have acquired reliever Octavio Dotel from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander James McDonald and minor league outfielder Andrew Lambo. The Dodgers made two deals Saturday. They earlier got left-handed starter Ted Lilly and infielder Ryan Theriot from the Chicago Cubs for infielder Blake DeWitt and two minor league pitchers.

Joe Torre believes his Dodgers can make a playoff run with their latest upgrades. The Los Angeles manager has a familiar face for the push: left-hander Ted Lilly. Lilly was traded to the Dodgers by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday along with infielder Ryan Theriot for infielder Blake DeWitt and minor league right-handers Kyle Smit and Brett Wallach.

The New York Yankees have completed their trade to acquire Lance Berkman from the Houston Astros. The World Series champions sent reliever Mark Melancon and minor league infielder Jimmy Paredes to Houston for the former All-Star first baseman, who will become the Yankees' designated hitter. Houston will pay $4 million as part of the deal.

Second baseman Martin Prado broke the second knuckle on his right pinkie finger while diving into home plate in the Atlanta Braves' latest win, an injury that will sideline the leadoff hitter for at least a week. Prado jammed the hand while sliding hard into home plate Friday night during the 10th inning of a 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Major League Baseball has rescinded a four-game suspension for Braves reliever Jonny Venters, deciding he didn't purposely throw at Milwaukee's Prince Fielder. Venters threw a pitch over Fielder's head, then hit him in the back on July 17. Both teams were warned after the first pitch, and Venters and Braves manager Bobby Cox were ejected after the next pitch hit Fielder.

The Arizona Diamondbacks traded catcher Chris Snyder, minor league shortstop Pedro Ciriaco and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday for former AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby, outfielder Ryan Church and right-hander D.J. Carrasco. The trade was the second of the day for the last-place Diamondbacks, who earlier sent reliever Chad Qualls to the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named.

The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired reliever Chad Qualls from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named. The 31-year-old right-hander is 1-4 with 12 saves and an 8.29 ERA this season, striking out 34 and walking 15 in 38 innings, down from a career-high 24 saves last year.

A person with knowledge of the situation says the Los Angeles Dodgers are exploring a trade with the Chicago Cubs to acquire left-hander Ted Lilly. The Dodgers were looking Friday night for options to upgrade their pitching staff before Saturday's trade deadline. Los Angeles, in third place in the NL West, already acquired new center fielder and leadoff man Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City...

Leading 5-2, the Colorado Rockies were looking for an insurance run with two outs in the eighth. Fourteen batters later they were comfortably ahead. Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Stewart and Dexter Fowler homered and Colorado used a record-setting 12-run eighth inning to rout the Chicago Cubs 17-2 on Friday night.