Citi Field

Two congressmen want Citigroup out of Citi Field. Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Ted Poe are urging the Obama administration to demand that Citigroup drop its $400 million, 20-year naming rights deal for Citi Field, the New York Mets' new stadium scheduled to open in April, because of $45 billion the bank received in government aid. "At Citigroup, 50,000 people will lose their jobs. Yet in the boardroom of Citigroup, spending $400 million to put a name on stadium seems like a good idea," said Kucinich, an Ohio Democrat.

NEW YORK - Mark Ellis isn't flashy. While his ability to make difficult defensive plays appear routine has earned him the reputation as a ballplayers' ballplayer, it's often made him an afterthought in the minds of fans. But Ellis forced his way onto center stage Tuesday, blasting two home runs in the Dodgers' 7-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. The first of Ellis' home runs was the 100th in a career spanning 11 seasons. "Fortunately, a fan threw it back on the field," Ellis said of the ball.

For most major leaguers, the annual All-Star break is a time to rest and recuperate, to revive flagging batteries. That also goes for the giant apple that rises above the outfield fence at Citi Field whenever a New York Met hits a home run. The Home Run Apple was actually booed Sunday when it failed to rise from its shell after Fernando Tatis homered. First the fans chanted "We want apple!" and then they jeered when the apple failed to respond to their cries.

New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey hit a major milestone Thursday afternoon and he did so in spectacular fashion. With 13 strikeouts to tie his career high, the 10-year veteran reached the 20-win mark for the first time in his career with a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Mets' final home game of the season. The most games he had ever won in a season before this was 11 back in 2010. Dickey, 37, is the first Mets pitcher to notch 20 wins since Frank Viola did it in 1990 and the first knuckleballer to do it since Houston's Joe Niekro way back in 1980, according to STATS LLC. In reaching double digits in strikeouts for the seventh time this season, Dickey also increased his strikeout total to a National League-best 222. He allowed three runs and seven hits with two walks in 7 2/3 innings.

Reporting from New York As much as the Angels have struggled on offense — they scored three runs or less in 11 of 14 games through Wednesday — the last thing Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to do was take his best hitter out of the lineup against the New York Mets on Friday night. But one look at the expansive outfield in Citi Field was all Scioscia needed to start the speedy and athletic Peter Bourjos in center, a decision that pushed 37-year-old Bobby Abreu, who is hitting .407 since May 29, to the bench.

I propose that the name for the Mets' new stadium be changed from Citi Field to Taxpayer Park. After all, our $45-billion payment to Citi Group more than covers their $400-million contractual obligation over the next 20 years to the Mets. Ruthanne Rozenek Los Angeles

A masterful pitching duel turned ugly after David Wright was hit in the helmet by a pitch from Matt Cain, and Bengie Molina homered in the 10th inning to give the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday. Cain and fellow All-Star Johan Santana were locked in a scoreless matchup at Citi Field until the fourth inning, when Cain nailed Wright with a 94-mph fastball. Seemingly rattled, Cain gave up a run before settling down and pitching into the eighth, when the Mets tied it at 4-4. Molina, who'd been hit by Santana in retaliation, led off the 10th with a drive to left off Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez (2-4)

San Diego 6, at New York 5: Chase Headley tied a career high with four hits as the Padres won the first regular-season series at Citi Field and won for the sixth time in seven games. Florida 6, at Atlanta 2: Cody Ross hit a three-run homer to break out of an early slump, and the Marlins finished their first three-game sweep in Atlanta. Florida (8-1) is off to its best start since 1997. Houston 6, at Pittsburgh 3: Lance Berkman hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Astros overcame a two-run deficit.

A.J. Burnett combined with two relievers on a one-hitter, Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada hit home runs, and the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets, 5-0, Saturday. Alex Cora got the Mets' only hit, lining a single to center field leading off the sixth inning. He had been 0 for 21 with eight strikeouts against Burnett. The Mets, playing with center fielder Carlos Beltran, shortstop Jose Reyes and first baseman Carlos Delgado on the disabled list, didn't reach base after Cora.

Reporting from New York Another name was added to the list of wounded Dodgers on Tuesday, as Rafael Furcal was held out of the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets because of hamstring problems that arose in the opener. Manager Joe Torre said he was doubtful Furcal would be available for the series finale at Citi Field on Wednesday. According to Torre, Furcal felt something in his leg as he ran down the first base line on a double-play groundout in the seventh inning of their 4-0 loss to the Mets.

Matt Kemp was tired. He was tired of losing and tired of not being able to do anything about it. "I had to do something, man," Kemp said. Wednesday, he did. With Mark Ellis standing on first base in the 12th inning, Kemp deposited a pitch by Jake Diekman into Dodger Stadium's right-field pavilion, lifting the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. For only the seventh time in their last 26 games, the Dodgers won. Their losing streak was over at four games.

It almost seemed as though oil drilling rigs were ready to tap into Los Angeles' first petroleum field again. But the workers setting up a pair of derricks south of Echo Park last week were plugging some of the city's oldest wells — not drilling new ones. The sealing of the long-abandoned wells by Allenco Energy to make way for a 45-unit affordable housing project marks the end of an era for the Los Angeles City Oil Field, which sparked Southern California's oil boom 120 years ago. The city's first commercially successful oil well was drilled about 350 feet away, at the corner of Glendale Boulevard and Rockwood Street.

Los Angeles boasts world-class museums dedicated to art, cars and even tar pits. It may soon have an equally prominent showplace for the city's signature industry — motion pictures. In partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it intends to open a sprawling movie museum in as soon as three years. The long-delayed project would be housed in an abandoned Miracle Mile department store near LACMA, the Petersen Automotive Museum and the George C. Page Museum.

Dan Haren can spoil a manager, a coaching staff, 24 teammates and an entire fan base with his efficiency, effectiveness and reliability, which is why games such as Saturday night's, when the right-hander could have used a mulligan, seem so odd, so out of place. Haren was rocked for six earned runs and seven hits in four innings of the Angels' 6-1 interleague loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field, by far his worst start of the season. Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey (4-5) threw his third career complete game, a 123-pitch effort in which he gave up one run, five hits, struck out five and walked none.

It wasn't as impressive as that Aug. 18, 2009, shot of the Cleveland scoreboard showing nine Angels starters hitting .300 or better, but for Tyler Chatwood it was a picture worth 1.000 words. Sitting atop Chatwood's travel bag after Sunday's 7-3 victory over the New York Mets was a picture of the Citi Field scoreboard, taken after the sixth inning, showing Chatwood hitting 1.000. As if throwing seven scoreless innings wasn't enough for a 21-year-old pitching his first game in New York, Chatwood also executed sacrifice bunts in his first two at-bats and singled to center field in the sixth inning.

Reporting from New York Peter Bourjos made a spectacular catch and knocked in the winning run with a double Friday night, and all the center fielder got was a lousy spot on the Angels bench Saturday night. Such is life for a (usually) light-hitting defensive whiz on an offensively impaired team with a hot-hitting designated hitter/outfielder in a National League park. Manager Mike Scioscia decided before the series in Citi Field that Bourjos, who bats right-handed, would start against New York Mets left-hander Chris Capuano on Friday and left-handed-hitting Bobby Abreu would start against right-hander Mike Pelfrey on Saturday.

In the last 12 months, Kobe Bryant's public image has been enhanced by a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, an NBA championship with the Lakers, a few puppet commercials and a very Kobe-friendly film by Spike Lee. But none of that moved Bryant up a notch in the Harris Poll's annual survey regarding the popularity of sports stars. Asking fans to list their favorite sports star, the poll placed Bryant at No. 4, same as last year.

Reporting from New York Peter Bourjos made a spectacular catch and knocked in the winning run with a double Friday night, and all the center fielder got was a lousy spot on the Angels bench Saturday night. Such is life for a (usually) light-hitting defensive whiz on an offensively impaired team with a hot-hitting designated hitter/outfielder in a National League park. Manager Mike Scioscia decided before the series in Citi Field that Bourjos, who bats right-handed, would start against New York Mets left-hander Chris Capuano on Friday and left-handed-hitting Bobby Abreu would start against right-hander Mike Pelfrey on Saturday.

Reporting from New York As much as the Angels have struggled on offense — they scored three runs or less in 11 of 14 games through Wednesday — the last thing Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to do was take his best hitter out of the lineup against the New York Mets on Friday night. But one look at the expansive outfield in Citi Field was all Scioscia needed to start the speedy and athletic Peter Bourjos in center, a decision that pushed 37-year-old Bobby Abreu, who is hitting .407 since May 29, to the bench.

Reporting from New York If you're tired of reading about Andre Ethier, well, sorry. His hitting streak might have ended at 30 games Saturday, but Ethier returned Sunday to hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that secured the Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Ethier had joked after Saturday's game about how he wouldn't be spending nearly as much time speaking to reporters. Faced with the same postgame obligations as in previous days, Ethier smirked and said, "Like I said, it's an awkward breakup.