The stop sign that Texas third base coach Dave Anderson put up was apparently a little too good. In a bizarre and disputed play, Anderson was called for interfering with runner Michael Young for the final out Sunday, giving the Minnesota Twins a 6-5 win over the Rangers. "Bad call by a good umpire," Young contended.

If the Chicago White Sox end up winning the AL Central, Sunday's victory may be a game that's talked about as the key to their late-season run. Gordon Beckham's bases-loaded walk with two outs pushed Chicago ahead in a four-run ninth inning that lifted the White Sox to their sixth straight win and an improbable 7-5 comeback victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

The St. Louis Cardinals handled the Cincinnati Reds again. Small consolation for a team that's seven games back in the NL Central because they can't beat anybody else in the division. Matt Holliday hit a go-ahead, three-run homer to back Chris Carpenter's latest dominant effort against Cincinnati in a 4-2 victory Sunday as the Cardinals took two of three from the division-leading Reds.

Kyle Kendrick went after Brewers slugger Prince Fielder with runners on base. Fielder made him pay with a milestone home run. Kendrick has bigger problems -- like holding his tenuous spot in Philadelphia's rotation after another shaky outing. Fielder hit his 30th home run, Randy Wolf was sharp against his former team and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Sunday to snap...

When a last-place team like the Baltimore Orioles takes a series from the contending Tampa Bay Rays, the players will inevitably be asked about playing the spoiler role. The Orioles have no need for such talk. Their motivation for winning is purely selfish. Corey Patterson homered and had three RBIs, and Baltimore withstood four home runs by the Rays in an 8-7 victory Sunday.

Ruben Tejada hit his first major league homer and drove in five runs, Ike Davis also connected and the New York Mets erupted for 21 hits and pounded the Chicago Cubs 18-5 Sunday to avoid a weekend sweep. The Mets' bats perked up for season highs in runs and hits even though David Wright got a day off and Jose Reyes was still nursing a strained right oblique.

Retiring Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox has received an assortment of going-away gifts this year from other teams, including a Wrigley Field seat and an autographed Stan Musial photo. The Florida Marlins gave Cox a snub. Florida's three-game weekend series against NL East rival Atlanta ended Sunday without any ceremony for Cox, who criticized Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria earlier this season.

Joe Girardi would still rather have Alex Rodriguez in his starting lineup. The Yankees had been riding a season-high eight-game winning streak while their star third baseman was on the disabled list with a nagging calf injury. They'd won 11 of their last 14 and pulled ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays by 2 1/2 games in the brutal AL East.

Bill Mazeroski, an elite fielder who made it to the Hall of Fame because of his many Gold Gloves and one big swing, now has a bronze statue honoring that most memorable moment. Four of Mazeroski's 1960 Pirates teammates tugged away a protective cover Sunday to unveil a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue depicting the second baseman, the only player to end a World Series Game 7 with a home run.

On the 15th anniversary of the day Cal Ripken Jr. tied Lou Gehrig's major league mark for consecutive games played, the Iron Man returned to Camden Yards to celebrate the occasion. Ripken threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Baltimore Orioles faced the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He received a standing ovation as he fired a strike to backup catcher Jake Fox.

The Texas Rangers will take a cautious approach with pitcher Cliff Lee and he will not make his scheduled start Tuesday at Toronto because of a sore back. Lee, who the Rangers acquired earlier this season from Seattle, threw a bullpen session on Sunday and his back loosened up. Lee only threw in the outfield on Saturday and reported some continued discomfort in the area of his back where he...

Red Sox fans won't likely get a chance to show their feelings toward Manny Ramirez in the series finale with the Chicago White on Sunday. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen decided to give Ramirez a day off to keep him fresh after he played both games of a doubleheader sweep over the Red Sox on Saturday.

New York Mets ace Johan Santana's status for his next start remained in question after a bullpen session Sunday. Santana's scheduled start Tuesday at Washington has been up in the air since he left Thursday's win over Atlanta with a strained left pectoral muscle. Santana declined to talk to reporters following the session before Sunday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

Alex Rodriguez was back in the New York Yankees' starting lineup Sunday, batting cleanup and playing third base in their series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rodriguez hasn't played since Aug. 20, though his left calf was bothering him before that. The All-Star slugger walked through the clubhouse nearly four hours before the first pitch and took batting practice in the indoor cage.

Juan Uribe keeps coming up with some of the biggest hits for the San Francisco Giants. Uribe hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Jonathan Broxton in the ninth inning and Brian Wilson escaped a jam in the bottom half to preserve San Francisco's wild 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

The Chicago White Sox are putting the pieces together for a strong stretch run. John Danks and Gavin Floyd each turned in solid starts Saturday as the White Sox posted a pair of 3-1 wins in a day-night doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, moving within 3 1/2 games of the AL Central-leading Twins.

A little heads-up baserunning by one of Philadelphia's role players sent Roy Halladay to his 17th win. Placido Polanco hit a tying sacrifice fly and Wilson Valdez hustled home with the go-ahead run on an errant throw on the same play, lifting Halladay and the Phillies to a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

Buck Showalter has been so busy trying to improve the Baltimore Orioles, the veteran manager didn't know he was on verge of his 900th win until his daughter reminded him in a phone call early in the week. "She made me aware of it. I'd forgotten it a little bit," Showalter said Saturday night after he reached the milestone with an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Clinging to first place, the Atlanta Braves struck out 15 times, went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and had two men thrown out on the bases. Jair Jurrjens more than compensated. The right-hander allowed only three hits in seven innings, and the Braves retained their one-game lead in the NL East by beating the Florida Marlins 2-0 Saturday night.

Neither a pregame players-only meeting nor the Famous Chicken's fowl humor could keep the NL West-leading San Diego Padres from stumbling to a nine-game losing streak, their longest since 2003. Maybe Jon Garland's comments will help end a slump that has changed the Padres' position from the best record in the NL to looking over their shoulders in the division.