Diamondbacks bolster pen, add Rauch

The Arizona Diamondbacks made a major move to shore up their struggling bullpen yesterday by acquiring reliever Jon Rauch from the Washington Nationals for infield prospect Emilio Bonifacio. Rauch, 29, was 4-2 with 17 saves in 22 chances and a 2.98 ERA for the Nationals, with 44 strikeouts and seven walks. He had been filling in at closer for the injured Chad Cordero . . . The Houston Astros acquired pitcher Randy Wolf from San Diego for minor league righthander Chad Reineke. Wolf, a National League All-Star in 2003, is 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 21 starts this season. The 31-year-old is in his 10th season and will play for his fourth team.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed Chris Duncan on the 15-day disabled list with a bulging disk in his neck. It's the latest setback for a player who totaled 43 homers his first two major league seasons but has just six this year. The news was more positive for Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright, who threw his first bullpen session since going on the DL June 8 with a ruptured tendon in the middle finger of his pitching hand. The team hopes he can return in early August . . . Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman agreed to a $16 million, two-year contract extension that takes him through the 2010 season. The Nationals also announced that outfielder Wily Mo Peña had surgery on his left shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season . . . Royals pitcher Jimmy Gobble, who allowed 10 runs in one inning Monday against Detroit, was placed on the 15-day DL with a stiff lower back . . . Injured Mariners starter Erik Bedard got an MRI on his left shoulder, but team physicians found no new causes for the nagging tightness and soreness the lefthander is experiencing . . . Giants manager Bruce Bochy told 41-year-old Omar Vizquel he will play less in the season's second half to make room for rookie shortstops Emmanuel Burriss and Ivan Ochoa . . . Alex Rodriguez signed another big league contract, joining the William Morris Agency in an attempt to extend his brand beyond the diamond.

Candace Parker was one of three players ejected along with Detroit assistant coach Rick Mahorn after an ugly scuffle with 4.6 seconds left in the Los Angeles Sparks' 84-81 WNBA victory over the Detroit Shock in Auburn Hills, Mich. The skirmish started after Parker got tangled up with Detroit's Plenette Pierson and fell to the court. As she was getting up, Pierson intentionally ran into her, setting off the melee. Parker threw a punch at Pierson before being tackled by Detroit's Deanna Nolan. Players and coaches from both teams joined in, and Mahorn knocked Lisa Leslie to the court at one point. Mahorn said he was trying to stop the fight. DeLisha Milton-Jones shoved and punched Mahorn after the incident with Leslie, and was ejected, along with Mahorn, Parker, and Pierson. Detroit's Cheryl Ford sprained her right knee while trying to restrain Pierson, and left the floor in a wheelchair. Her status is unknown . . . Sebastian Telfair will return for a second season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Telfair, who was obtained in the deal that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston, averaged 9.3 points and 5.9 assists last season . . . The Golden State Warriors acquired Marcus Williams from the New Jersey Nets, filling their need for a backup point guard behind Monta Ellis. The Warriors traded a conditional first-round draft pick to the Nets.

Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman (13 goals, 23 assists in 2007-08), whose arbitration case is scheduled for Aug. 1, is expected to sign a long-term extension before the hearing. "It's going to get done," said general manager Peter Chiarelli. "We're tinkering with a couple things." The Bruins also re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who was acquired from Colorado June 24 for forward Matt Hendricks . . . The San Jose Sharks re-signed right wing Mike Morris, the former Northeastern standout from Dorchester, to a one-year contract . . . Daniel Carcillo, who became the first rookie in NHL history to have more than 300 penalty minutes and 15 points, was re-signed to a two-year contract by the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Boston Lobsters ended their World TeamTennis regular season with a 21-13 loss to the Sacramento Capitals, but they'll start the playoffs against the same opponent and at the same venue in Roseville, Calif. The Lobsters finished 7-7 and qualified for the postseason as the wild-card team. Sacramento (7-6) is locked in as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a match to play, and will face Boston again tomorrow night . . . Keegan Fennessy of Minot, Maine, shot a 4-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the New England Amateur at Charles River CC in Newton. One shot back were David McAndrew (Barrington, R.I.), Evan Beirne (North Haven, Conn.), Chris DeJohn (Rocky Hill, Conn.), and Cody Paladino (Kensington, Conn.). Frank Vana Jr. of Shrewsbury finished with a 68 . . . Defending champion Claire Sheldon edged Christina Crovetti, 3 and 2, to advance to the round of 16 in the Women's Golf Association of Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Salem CC . . . Daniela Lendl, of Goshen, Conn., the daughter of tennis great Ivan Lendl, shot even-par 142 to advance to match play in the US Girls Junior Championship at Hartford GC . . . USA Track and Field head Doug Logan sent a letter to President Bush asking him to deny Marion Jones's request to commute her six-month prison sentence . . . Joe Calzaghe postponed his proposed September fight against Roy Jones Jr. because of a sprained right wrist.