Yankees see no sense in juggling lineup  —  BOSTON — Once upon a time, when the Yankees weren't sure whether Jason Giambi was healthy, (and were convinced he would forever wound them in the field), there was a Plan B at the ready: Giambi would be eased into the DH spot …

MAINE EVENT ON SHEA HILL  —  May 2, 2006 — MET NOTES With rookie Brian Bannister on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the first pitcher to try to fill that hole in the Met rotation will be John Maine - tonight at Shea against the Nationals.

When Someone Offers You a Gift, Take It  —  Mets 2 - Nationals 1  —  It wasn't pretty, but it looks the same in the standings as all the other wins.  The Mets accepted Washington's generosity and won a game they really didn't deserve on a walk-off error in the bottom of the ninth …

Mariners Notebook: The joke's on Hargrove  —  Latin players get manager to bite on boycott prank  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Hargrove didn't have a heart attack Monday.  —  But some of his players, intent on playing a practical joke on him, thought he came close.

Padres-Giants Preview  —  One week after suffering through a season-worst five-game skid, the San Diego Padres try to win three straight contests for the first time this year when they conclude a two-game series with Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants .

This card costs 'cause you aren't supposed to have it' … Alex Gordon has yet to play a single game in the major leagues and yet his rookie card is the hottest in all of baseball, selling for as much as $2,550 in recent weeks.  —  Is Gordon the Kansas City Royals' next great player?  Could be.

Daily Dish: May 2  —  Double-A Jacksonville center fielder Matt Kemp extended his hitting streak to 16 games and his on-base streak to 19 as he came a single shy of hitting for the cycle in the Suns' 9-3 win against West Tenn on Monday.  —  Kemp is hitting .406 during the streak, and all four of his homers have come during that span.

Prospectus Hit List  —  Week of April 30  —  Kill the Ump!  It's a sentiment nearly as old as the game itself, and while it's not meant to be taken literally, it's nevertheless true that the men in blue are the outlet for a good deal of the frustration we fans express.

Broxton Gets Elevated as Carter Is Demoted  —  PHOENIX — Attention minor league pitchers.  Want to be called up to the big leagues?  Follow the formula of Jonathan Broxton.  —  Don't allow a run the first month of the season.  —  And it doesn't hurt when a pitcher on the major league club …

Bannister delivers  —  Injured pitcher a hit as SNY voice  —  When Brian Bannister looks back at 2006, he will remember it as his rookie season with the Mets - and in broadcasting, too.  —  Such is life when the team you play for also owns a network.  —  On Friday, when the pitcher went …

Giambi and Contreras named American League Player, Pitcher of the Month  —  New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi and Chicago White Sox right-hander Jose Contreras have been named the American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for April.

Notes: Cards stick with thin 'pen for now  —  La Russa has just six relievers, only one lefty at his disposal  —  CINCINNATI — The Cardinals are sticking with 11 pitchers for the time being, but that's far from a permanent arrangement.  With a trip to Houston following the current series in Cincinnati …

Ask Anthony  —  Newsday's Anthony Rieber answers your e-mails on the Mets, Yanks and the rest of MLB  —  One observation after spending the better part of last week at Yankee Stadium: Boy, do Yankees fans love Bernie Williams.  —  Unless the first 20-odd games of the season are a mirage …