Carter likely has malignant brain tumors

Stricken baseball great Gary Carter has received ominous news from doctors at Duke University, who say that they are "90 percent certain" that tumors on his brain are malignant, according to a Carter family website. Carter, 57, was first diagnosed with four small brain tumors May 21 after experiencing headaches and forgetfulness in recent weeks.

"It was very hard for all of us to hear, as we have been hoping and praying that the tumors would be benign," one of Carter's daughters wrote on the website. "Lots of tears have been shed in the hospital room today, and we are all a bit scared of the unknown."

Carter won't know the official diagnosis until early or the middle of next week. A family source confirmed the grim news last night.

According to the website, the plan is for Carter to begin chemotherapy and radiation as soon as the final test results are known.

Carter, an 11-time All-Star catcher, was inducted into Cooperstown in 2003. He had a lifetime batting average of .262 with 324 home runs and 1,225 RBI in a 19-year career with the Expos, Mets, Giants and Dodgers.

* After the Washington Nationals lost their fifth straight game on Wednesday, Jayson Werth told reporters in Milwaukee, "Things need to change." Werth wasn't specific about the changes. The Nationals are a season-worst seven games under .500 and batting just .229.

Yesterday afternoon before the Nationals began a series with San Diego, manager Jim Riggleman said he met with Werth, who last December left the Phillies and signed a 7-year, $126 million contract with Washington. Riggleman said it was a good meeting and he didn't think Werth was calling him out.

"I guess the short answer is no," Riggleman said.

Riggleman said he had a positive conversation with Werth, though he declined to go into specifics.

"He used the word 'frustrating.' He's been around a lot of winning - and we're not winning right now," Riggleman said. "Other players are frustrated, and Jayson's becoming one of the voices of the ballclub."

Werth, who played in the postseason the last four seasons with the Phillies, was not available for pregame comment, and through a club spokesman, said he'd meet with the press after the game.

*

Giants catcher Buster Posey says it's "highly likely" he will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left leg and ankle in a collision at home plate. Posey, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, broke a bone in his lower left leg and tore three ligaments in his ankle when Florida's Scott Cousins scored the winning run Wednesday night.

* At Chicago, Kevin Correia (7-4) pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before the Pittsburgh Pirates held on to beat the Cubs, 4-2.

* At Washington, Michael Morse hit a homer on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Nationals to a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres. The win broke Washington's five-game losing streak.

* At Atlanta, Mike Leake returned from the minors to give Cincinnati's depleted rotation a boost and the Reds beat the Braves, 5-1, for only their second win in 10 games. Leake (4-2) gave Cincinnati its first win by a starter since May 16.

* At Milwaukee, Brandon Crawford hit a grand slam in his first game as a big-leaguer, giving the San Francisco Giants the lead in a 5-4 victory over the Brewers.

* At Houston, Juan Miranda hit two two-run homers, and Chris Young's two-run infield hit in the seventh inning rallied the Arizona Diamondbacks from a 6-0 deficit to a 7-6 win over the Astros.

* At Denver, Colby Rasmus went 4-for-5 and drove in three runs with two triples and the St. Louis Cardinals kept Ubaldo Jimenez winless this season with a 10-3 win over the sinking Colorado Rockies. Jimenez, last year's NL All-Star starter, fell to 0-5 and watched his ERA jump to 5.86.