Major League

PHILADELPHIA - There's a chance the American League East could begin to change when the Red Sox begin a three-game series against the Orioles Monday night at Camden Yards. Not that a sweep would allow the Sox to overtake the Orioles, but they could tighten things up and send a message to the team that kept them out of the playoffs last season. Fact is, the Sox are coming together as a team. Something has clicked. They are different now. "People were saying Josh Beckett was a cancer," said David Ortiz after Beckett tossed 7 ⅔ innings and allowed one run in a 5-1 win over the Phillies...

Bob Melvin has little to explain about Oakland's losses the past two days: Four hits in two games is not going to amount to much. Jarrod Parker had his strongest outing yet for the Athletics in a 3-1, 11-inning defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, yet he didn't get enough support from the offense. "We're not stringing hits together and getting guys on base," Melvin said. "We have to swing the bats better. We're going to face a lot of good pitchers. There's no excuse.

What Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wants is what he now might be getting - competition. Valentine wants his starting rotation to fight in every inning of every game, with the message that if the pitchers do that they have the best chance to remain in the rotation when Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from his Tommy John surgery rehabilitation. That could be as soon as May 22, after Matsuzaka makes his next, and most likely last, rehab start for Pawtucket Thursday. The Sox could extend that one more start if Matsuzaka stumbles, because his rehab time doesn't run out until May 23. But if he...

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff BALTIMORE — It's a day game after a night game and the 20th game in 20 days for the Red Sox. There was no batting practice on the field but, as always, there are bits of news to report. Let's press on: ߦ Scott Podsednik is starting in center field. It's his first start in a major league game since Sept. 9, 2010. You have to give the guy credit. He's 36 and has had a nice 10-year career. But he went back to the minors with three organizations and here he is, back in a major-league lineup.

ANAHEIM, California — Ed “Spanky’’ Kirkpatrick, who played seven seasons for the Angels during a 16-year Major League career, has died. He was 66. The team said he died Monday. No immediate cause of death was available. Mr. Kirkpatrick was signed at 17 out of high school and played for the Angels from 1962-1968, mostly as a right fielder and pinch hitter. After the ’68 season, he was traded to Kansas City. He later played with Pittsburgh, Texas, and Milwaukee before retiring in 1978.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Frank "Pig" House, a catcher who played 10 major league seasons with Detroit, Kansas City, and Cincinnati and later served in the Alabama Legislature, has died at 75. Mr. House died Sunday and was buried Wednesday in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Mr. House signed with the Detroit Tigers out of high school in 1948 for one of the biggest bonuses of the time -- $75,000 and two automobiles, according to news reports. He played six seasons with the Tigers, beginning in 1950, and his best season with Detroit was in 1955, when he hit .259 with 15 homers and...

NEW YORK - Longtime umpire Harry Wendelstedt, who worked five World Series and made a call involving Don Drysdale that became one of baseball's most disputed plays in the late 1960s, died Friday at 73. Mr. Wendelstedt died at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach, near the umpiring school he ran for more than three decades in Ormond Beach. He had been diagnosed several years ago with a brain tumor. Mr. Wendelstedt called seven National League Championship Series and four All-Star Games, and was behind the plate for five no-hitters.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to start for Pawtucket Thursday night in Durham, N.C., and again Tuesday in Norfolk, Va. That would give the righthander six starts in his minor league rehabilitation assignment, the equivalent of a full spring training. But Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine isn't sure that will be enough to get Matsuzaka ready. "I don't think he's all that close," said Valentine. "He might be, but I don't think he is. I don't think he's all that close to pitching in the major leagues.

When Daniel Nava was sent to Pawtucket out of spring training, he accepted his assignment with the knowledge he had made a favorable impression on Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine . "We called him up at the end of spring training and he played really well," Valentine said of Nava, who spent all of last season in Triple A after playing 60 games with Boston in 2010. "Of all the guys that were on the radar, he wasn't one of them. "There were some questions that we had at the time, and he made a good impression in a couple of games he played in spring...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to start for Pawtucket Thursday night in Durham, N.C., and again Tuesday in Norfolk, Va. That would give the righthander six starts in his minor league rehabilitation assignment, the equivalent of a full spring training. But Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine isn't sure that will be enough to get Matsuzaka ready. "I don't think he's all that close," said Valentine. "He might be, but I don't think he is. I don't think he's all that close to pitching in the major leagues.

Stephen Strasburg hit his first major league home run and struck out eight in five innings to carry the Nationals past the Baltimore Orioles, 9-3, Sunday in Washington. Strasburg sent an 0-2 pitch from Wei-Yin Chen (4-1) into the Baltimore bullpen in the fourth inning to put the Nationals ahead, 5-3. After returning to the dugout, Strasburg responded to a curtain call by waving to the crowd of 41,918. Strasburg (4-1) allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk, retiring his last 10 batters.

Stephen Strasburg hit his first major league home run and struck out eight in five innings to carry the Nationals past the Baltimore Orioles, 9-3, Sunday in Washington. Strasburg sent an 0-2 pitch from Wei-Yin Chen (4-1) into the Baltimore bullpen in the fourth inning to put the Nationals ahead, 5-3. After returning to the dugout, Strasburg responded to a curtain call by waving to the crowd of 41,918. Strasburg (4-1) allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk, retiring his last 10 batters.

PHILADELPHIA - There's a chance the American League East could begin to change when the Red Sox begin a three-game series against the Orioles Monday night at Camden Yards. Not that a sweep would allow the Sox to overtake the Orioles, but they could tighten things up and send a message to the team that kept them out of the playoffs last season. Fact is, the Sox are coming together as a team. Something has clicked. They are different now. "People were saying Josh Beckett was a cancer," said David Ortiz after Beckett tossed 7 ⅔ innings and allowed one run in...

Bridget Houlihan rifled through her gift bag and pulled out a gray T-shirt with a circular Chicago Cubs emblem on the front and FOLLOWER emblazoned across the back, resting on a row of logos from the top social media websites. "This is awesome," she said. Baseball thinks Houlihan is pretty sweet, too, and major league teams like the Cubs are hoping to entice more fans like her to come out to the ballpark. Social media nights have become a common part of the promotional schedule, and some of the best ticket deals and giveaways can be found on Twitter and...

Gordon Beckham hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning Friday and the Chicago White Sox overcame the loss of star Paul Konerko to beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 in what was the final major league game for Cubs reliever Kerry Wood. Beckham's solo shot and a two-run blast from Konerko in the first were the only runs allowed by Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija (4-2). Konerko suffered a laceration above his left eye and swelling when he was hit by a Samardizja pitch in the third inning and had to leave the game.

Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia each hit two-run home runs, Drew Hutchison won consecutive starts for the first time and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the New York Yankees 4-1 Thursday night, sweeping their two-game series. New York lost its third straight and fell to 0-9 this season when failing to hit at least one home run. The Yankees, who have scored 12 total runs in nine losses this month, dropped a half game behind Toronto and into fourth place in the AL East. Making just his sixth major league start, Hutchison (3-1)

What Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine wants is what he now might be getting - competition. Valentine wants his starting rotation to fight in every inning of every game, with the message that if the pitchers do that they have the best chance to remain in the rotation when Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from his Tommy John surgery rehabilitation. That could be as soon as May 22, after Matsuzaka makes his next, and most likely last, rehab start for Pawtucket Thursday. The Sox could extend that one more start if Matsuzaka stumbles, because his rehab time doesn't run out until May 23. But...

Stephen Strasburg hit his first major league home run and struck out eight in five innings to carry the Nationals past the Baltimore Orioles, 9-3, Sunday in Washington. Strasburg sent an 0-2 pitch from Wei-Yin Chen (4-1) into the Baltimore bullpen in the fourth inning to put the Nationals ahead, 5-3. After returning to the dugout, Strasburg responded to a curtain call by waving to the crowd of 41,918. Strasburg (4-1) allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk, retiring his last 10 batters.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to start for Pawtucket Thursday night in Durham, N.C., and again Tuesday in Norfolk, Va. That would give the righthander six starts in his minor league rehabilitation assignment, the equivalent of a full spring training. But Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine isn't sure that will be enough to get Matsuzaka ready. "I don't think he's all that close," said Valentine. "He might be, but I don't think he is. I don't think he's all that close to pitching in the major leagues.