Reuters - Major League Baseball will not suspend its season to allow the game's leading players to compete at the Summer Olympics, hitting hopes the sport might return to the Olympic program in 2016.

AFP - President George W. Bush's attendance at the US's opening Olympic match against hosts China on Sunday is expected to drive a shot of patriotism into the team of highly paid NBA superstars.

Reuters - Green Bay have agreed to trade veteran quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets, the Packers confirmed on their website on Wednesday.

AP - Jeff Karstens has given the Pittsburgh Pirates a perfect start. Almost a perfect game, too. The recently acquired right-hander set down his first 23 batters before Chris Young's two-out double in the eighth inning and finished with a two-hitter Wednesday in a 2-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

AP - Carlos Pena's three-run homer capped a six-run rally in the ninth inning that carried the Tampa Bay Rays past the Cleveland Indians 10-7 on Wednesday for one of their most thrilling victories in a wondrous season.

AP - Ryan Ludwick tied a franchise record with a homer in his fifth straight game, Albert Pujols hit a grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6 on Wednesday night.

AP - Brett Favre's journey from retirement and back has finally ended — in New York.

AFP - The ATP Tour on Wednesday expressed relief as a US court threw out a multimillion dollar antitrust case brought by the German Tennis Federation (DTB) against the dropping of Hamburg's Masters Series status.

AFP - Argentina ignited a major international football row on Wednesday by insisting superstar attacker Lionel Messi will make a controversial Olympic Games debut.

AP - Mike Hampton is definitely going to remember this one. Josh Johnson also had a reason to feel good about his victory.