CALLS MET STAR A 2-TIMING 'SCUM'  —  A sexy Long Island teen revealed in an explosive interview yesterday that she and married Met catcher Paul Lo Duca have been carrying on a steamy affair since April, enjoying secret trysts at his pad and sharing intimate phone calls.

Girardi on market?  Cubs may sniff  —  MILWAUKEE — The aftershocks of Joe Girardi's reported dispute with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria could be felt as far away as Chicago, where the Cubs have yet to decide whether to bring back manager Dusty Baker in 2007.

Judge: Fantasy leagues allowed to use MLB player names, stats  —  ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fantasy baseball leagues are allowed to use player names and statistics without licensing agreements because they are not the intellectual property of Major League Baseball, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

On Piazza night, it's Mets win  —  Former Met cheered wildly each time up, but Wright in charge  —  Shea Stadium never felt more like home to Mike Piazza than it did last night.  From the minute he appeared on the field, Piazza's every move was wildly cheered, and the sound system …

Krivsky: No red flags  —  Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky would not say on Tuesday if the club will file a grievance over the Washington Nationals' failure to disclose that relief pitcher Gary Majewski, who has been sent to the disabled list, took a cortisone shot for tendinitis in his shoulder …

AWOL HoJo puts Norfolk job in jeopardy  —  Howard Johnson's days with the Mets look numbered.  Sources say the Triple-A hitting coach was denied permission to attend his son Glen's competition in a Wilmington, N.C., tournament for rising high school seniors that's heavily scouted by major-league teams.

Yankees Fall After Rivera Blows Save in 9th  —  Ten months later, the Yankees finally made it to Chicago.  They had packed their bags for a trip here last October, and even sent a pitcher ahead of the team.  The Yankees needed only to win the final game of their playoff series in Anaheim …

Edmonds says he's 'in limbo'  —  CINCINNATI — Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds insists he will play next season but says he has resigned himself to the probability that it will be in a different uniform.  —  His playing time diminished against lefthanded pitching …

Astros RHP Hirsh to make much-anticipated debut Saturday  —  HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Houston Astros' season has not been pretty to this point, but the future should be getting brighter real soon.  —  The Astros are expected to recall top pitching prospect Jason Hirsh to make his major league debut Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

Straw, Mets spar over $  —  NEW YORK — Darryl Strawberry and the Mets are no longer on speaking terms, because of a dispute over payment of his deferred salaries, according to a person familiar with the situation.  A recent break-off in negotiations led to Strawberry's decision to boycott the 1986 reunion at Shea Stadium on Aug. 19.

For now, Epstein remains unmoved  —  Criticism comes in many forms when you are general manager of the Boston Red Sox.  It swallowed a great man named Lou Gorman and it no doubt expedited the departure of Dan Duquette.  Being in charge of the Sox makes you a target for nasty newspaper columns …

Trust me, the Nats' future is bright  —  WASHINGTON - When teams are out of the playoff chase, you usually hear the same old cliché: "We're building for the future."  —  Talk is cheap.  —  However, we have already begun to implement our plan for a successful tomorrow.