Mirabelli: One Game At A Time  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — The last time the Red Sox were surrounded by this much negativity was in the 2004 ALCS after the Yankees pounded them 19-8 to take a 3-0 lead.  —  As one of the holdovers from the team that rallied to win the series …

It's Vintage Trachsel: Poor Outing, Ugly Victory  —  If Steve Trachsel were in a gift-giving mood, he may consider presenting a nice vintage from his extensive wine cellar to a few of his colleagues.  —  A complex zinfandel to Chris Woodward for driving in three first-inning runs to give Trachsel a cushion.

Stack 'Em Up  —  It's been a few months since I've done one of these, so let's see how our batters compare position by position to their friends around the league.  —  All stats are by players at that respective position and don't necessarily reflect their total stats.  40 AB minimum

Some advice: Don't look now  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Going into last night's game, the Red Sox had lost six straight, the most since Joe "The Nutty Professor" Kerrigan manned Boston's Southbound Train in 2001.  —  The 2006 Sox had lost 10 1/2 games in the standings since July 4.

Dodgers Feeling Ejected  —  Lugo, Little and Penny are thrown out, but most of the damage is already done, as the Padres complete a sweep with 7-2 victory and cut lead to one game.  —  SAN DIEGO — All it lacked was music and a circle of chairs.  —  A scene as childish as it was surreal played …

WILD HORSES  —  Myers, Howard, Rollins help close gap in race  —  CHICAGO - Even before the first pitch was thrown and the sun began to set on the ancient bricks and ivy of Wrigley Field and the azure expanse of Lake Michigan several blocks beyond the bleachers in right …

Mariners Notebook: A lesson in patience  —  Young Mariners hitters learning to see more pitches  —  If it seems like the Yankees are up to bat every time you look at the television this week, it's not your imagination.  They spend a lot of time at the plate.

Wang Finds His Sinker Against Mariners  —  Jason Giambi was greeted in the dugout after scoring on Robinson Canó's single in the first inning.  The hit also drove in Bobby Abreu.  —  Only one other player, Octavio Dotel, was in the Yankees' clubhouse Wednesday afternoon …

Pedro's boot not kicked yet  —  Pedro Martinez temporarily gave his fashionable footwear the boot yesterday to play catch with bullpen coach Guy Conti in the outfield grass.  —  But the Mets' ace revealed that doctors have told him he'll have to keep his strained right calf immobilized for at least another week.

Lack of key hits puts heat on Espy  —  Milwaukee - In the end, the Rockies' playoff hopes will likely RIP because of RISP.  —  Colorado has hit .244 with runners in scoring position since May 1, second-worst in baseball.  No team has a lower average (.227) after the seventh inning.

Park out at least a month after intestinal surgery  —  Padres pitcher Chan Ho Park will miss at least the next four weeks of the season after undergoing surgery yesterday to halt the bleeding in his small intestine.  —  "We're looking at four weeks at the earliest before he can return …