Beginning Thursday, fans will be able to vote online for the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award — a prestigious honor given to broadcasters.

With 30 games left on their schedule, the Rays sit nine games out of first place in the American League East — and 7 1/2 games out of the AL Wild Card. Can they possibly make it to the postseason? I've learned to never say never in this game, but it is not going to be easy.

Castro: Verlander for MVP | Gonzo: Not worthy

It was a trade so big that it took more than a few minutes just to sort it all out. In December 2009, the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Tigers worked out a seven-player deal that consisted almost entirely of Major League players. Only one of the seven was a prospect. It was a win-now move and an eye-toward-the-future move, all at once, for all three clubs involved. And it has worked out absolutely beautifully.

If the thunder-and-lightning arms are threatening to affix a label called yet another "Year of the Pitcher" to the 2011 season, the fleet and powerful men who control the vast amounts of green known as center field are making their cases to reword that designation.

As we wait to see whether Ryan Braun, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ian Kinsler can join Matt Kemp in the 30-30 club, just talking about the subject makes one realize how much the once-rare achievement became taken for granted.

Sept. 1 remains a day to celebrate for fans who enjoy following prospects, giving them another reason to enjoy baseball in the final month of the regular season.

More often than not, the MVP and Cy Young should be looked upon as separate entities, simply because an everyday player is set up to have a much bigger impact on a season than any pitcher of this era can even dream.

The D-backs continued their tear on Monday night with a 5-1 victory over the Rockies at Chase Field for their seventh straight win.

Clayton Kershaw added to his Cy Young credentials by tossing his fifth complete game of the year Monday, winning his National League-best 17th game in the Dodgers' 4-1 victory over the Padres.

Blake DeWitt belted a three-run homer and Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Carlos Pena each hit solo shots to help Randy Wells finish August unbeaten as the Cubs roughed up Tim Lincecum and the Giants, 7-0, on Monday night.

With the exception of a five-batter stretch in the fourth inning when he gave up four hits, a walk and three runs, Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez was about as dominant as he could be Monday. And Carlos Lee made sure he got rewarded. Lee hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh to send the Astros to a 7-4 win over the Pirates.

Left-hander Mark Buehrle posted 7 2/3 shutout innings and Tyler Flowers drove in two runs as the White Sox ran their winning streak to four games with a 3-0 victory over the Twins on Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

David Huff threw six shutout innings, and he was backed by Kosuke Fukudome's RBI double and Carlos Santana's solo blast, as the Indians improved their record to 66-65 with a win over the A's.

A young boy's trip to a baseball game took a turn for the worse Monday at Citi Field when he was struck in the face with a foul line drive in the ninth inning of the Mets' win over Florida. The play happened along the first-base line during the first leg of a doubleheader.

Shifted down in the lineup to accommodate Jose Reyes, Angel Pagan drove in the go-ahead run in a 5-1 victory, leading the Mets to a doubleheader sweep of the Marlins at Citi Field.

The most important thing to happen in Monday night in a 3-2 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park was Cole Hamels returning to the mound and returning to form. Shane Victorino's eighth-inning home run gave the Phillies the upper hand.