CINCINNATI -- Amidst a road trip with many lows, Braden Looper offered up something spectacular. He was as good as Reds starter Johnny Cueto was bad, as controlled as Cueto was wild and as poised as the Cincinnati youngster was rattled. All of that, and

CINCINNATI -- Randy Flores wasn't going to throw a strike to Ken Griffey Jr. until he had to. When the time finally game, it was in the dirt. Flores walked in the go-ahead run and gave up a three-run triple to Brandon Phillips in the seventh inning, and

CINCINNATI -- Early runs have made things easy on the Cardinals as of late. St. Louis has grabbed the momentum before its opponents have taken their first at-bat, and perhaps most importantly, the Redbirds' ailing pitching staff has been able to operate

And here's how it's going for the Cubs at Wrigley Field and the Braves on the road: Atlanta reliever Jeff Ridgway hit Reed Johnson with his first pitch to force in the winning run in Chicago's 3-2 win Thursday. 'It's always hard to win here when you are

Peavy (5-3) combined with three relievers on a five-hitter in his first start in nearly a month since being sidelined by a strained right elbow. The reigning Cy Young winner looked as if he hadn't missed a turn. Peavy gave up a leadoff single to Juan

The House panel that grilled Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire about steroids sent a letter to Major League Baseball and the Players Association on Thursday asking them to explain a gap in steroid testing in 2004. The letter to commissioner Bud Selig and

Sheets drew a walk just before Corey Hart hit one of Milwaukee's four home runs in a 9-6 win over the Houston Astros. While the Brewers brought the offence, Sheets struck out a season-high nine to lead Milwaukee to its ninth win in 12 games. Sheets (7-1)

Joe Smith gave up two runs in the eighth inning, opening the door for the Diamondbacks' ninth-inning rally off Billy Wagner. As Billy Wagner trudged off the mound in the ninth inning to a chorus of boos worthy of John Franco on Thursday, we were reminded

Martinez and second baseman Josh Barfield, just called up on Monday, were both placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Barfield has a strained left middle finger. Already on Cleveland's DL are Jake Westbrook, who had Tommy John surgery on his right

The ball rifled off David Wright's bat and down the third-base line. It seemed destined for daylight, a game-winning hit for the Mets. It was already by third baseman Augie Ojeda when he somehow made a backhanded stab. Minutes later, Damion Easley hit