Under The Knife  —  A Friend is Gone Today  —  My Sidekick is dying.  After two years, it's almost like a family member, but a mobile phone tied to the two-foot power cord due to a dead battery is hardly mobile at all.  So my calls tonight were made standing at my bookcase here in the office …

Are You Going to Finish That?  —  Combing the internet for nuggets about prior David Wright walk-offs proved to be an unsuccessful journey through the information superhighway, but I did make a nice detour on the information Subway.  —  I think the reason that Willie Randolph likes Wright …

Nats' Rodriguez, Robinson suspended  —  HOUSTON — Washington reliever Felix Rodriguez was suspended for three games and Nationals manager Frank Robinson for one for their roles in last week's game against the New York Mets in which five batters were hit by pitches.

Ortiz gets four-year extension in Boston  —  Deal extends option for 2011 to Red Sox slugger  —  BOSTON — The Red Sox have called a 3 p.m. ET press conference, at which time they will announce a four-year contract extension with an option for 2011 for slugging designated hitter David Ortiz.

Colon Cures Yankee Slump  —  New York tees off on the Angel pitcher, who gives up eight runs in two innings in a 10-1 loss.  —  Bartolo Colon insists the shoulder he injured in October is OK and the groin he tweaked last week is fine.  He doesn't feel he's overthrowing, as his manager suggested Sunday.

1986 World Series Game 6 Re-Enacted in RBI Baseball  —  So last week had the first day since I've been keeping the blog that I missed an entry.  I felt bad about this lack of discipline, and no doubt you were upset as well.  I wanted to post the little project that I was working on that diverted my attention from posting about music.

Rockies' Sullivan ties MLB triples record  —  Cory Sullivan had a case of triple vision for the Colorado Rockies.  Sullivan tied a major league record by hitting two triples during a seven-run fifth inning, helping Colorado rout the San Diego Padres 10-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Beltre on brink of being a bust  —  The World Baseball Classic made many Mariners fans giddy.  Forget the U.S. flop — Adrian Beltre found his stroke!  —  Beltre, whose first season in Seattle was mediocre at best after he signed a five-year, $64 million contract, belted four home runs …

Strike 1 for new Shea plan  —  DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF  —  The Mets' amazin' new stadium plan just got thrown a curveball.  —  The City Council's finance committee is threatening to cancel a hearing on the stadium following a secret 41/2-hour meeting between members …

Opportunity Knocks, But Nats Kick It Away  —  HOUSTON, April 9 — They could have held a slim lead, yet Royce Clayton threw away one ball from shortstop, and Alfonso Soriano had another scoot past him in left, those in the third inning alone.  They might have held the Houston Astros scoreless in the fifth …

Patterson goes for series split  —  Washington (2-4) at Houston (4-2), 2:05 p.m. ET  —  After dropping two of three over the weekend, the Nationals hope to split the four-game series as they take on the Astros at Minute Maid Park on Monday afternoon.  —  John Patterson will take the mound for the Nationals.

New York Yankees and Memorial Sloan-Kettering launch Yankees Universe  —  Proceeds aimed at making a world of difference to children with cancer  —  NEW YORK — The New York Yankees and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have announced a new and unprecedented initiative to raise funds …

Jones suffers sprained ankle, twisted knee  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Atlanta's Chipper Jones went down with a sprained right ankle and twisted right knee Sunday when the third baseman charged in on Mike Matheny's slow roller in the eighth inning of the Braves' 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Bonds' slump shows Giant revelation  —  SAN FRANCISCO - Who needs Barry Bonds?  —  You're right, stupid question.  Point taken.  —  The Giants obviously need him — despite the super sized BALCO baggage he carries, the 24-7 ESPN coverage he commands and the circus that follows him from town to town …

Ex-Baseball Player Billy Hitchcock Dies  —  OPELIKA, Ala. — Billy Hitchcock, a major league infielder during the 1940s and '50s who went on to manage three teams, died at 89.  —  He died Sunday, according to Auburn, where Hitchcock led the university to its first bowl game and its first Southeastern Conference baseball title.

Notes: Young Marlins yearning for home  —  Uggla looks forward to getting to know newborn son  —  NEW YORK — On the road since March 31, the Marlins are eager to return to South Florida.  —  If the road trip has seemed exceedingly long, that's because it has been.

Notes: Brewers look back at the '80s  —  Retro uniforms stir up memories of 1987 club  —  MILWAUKEE — A week remains before the Easter holiday.  —  Still, those in attendance when the Brewers faced the Arizona Diamondbacks at Miller Park on Sunday may have had it on their minds when they gazed out at their undefeated baseball team.