Phils bolster bench, acquire Conine  —  Orioles to receive player to be named later in return  —  NEW YORK — Jeff Conine's final at-bat with the Orioles is precisely what the Phillies hope he'll provide for them.  —  The veteran outfielder smacked a game-tying double in the bottom …

Players show their support for Girardi  —  MIAMI GARDENS — Owner Jeffrey Loria won't say it, but Marlins players will: They like the job manager Joe Girardi is doing, and they want him to return next year.  —  But players are trying their best to not take sides in the feud between Loria …

Yankees' Giambi makes early exit  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jason Giambi told Joe Torre before the game that his battered body felt well enough to play first base.  —  But after going 1 for 2 with a two-run double, Giambi left the game in the seventh inning with body-wide cramps, the result of dehydration and being tired.

Former draft pick dies in Comair crash  —  A former pick in the First-Year Player Draft was among 49 passengers who perished Sunday in the Comair Flight 5191 plane crash.  He and his new bride were bound for their honeymoon following a lavish wedding the night before in his home state of Kentucky.

Call-ups could rotate Rangers' Volquez out  —  Addition of other pitchers in September may sideline rookie  —  ARLINGTON - The Rangers will push rookie right-hander Edinson Volquez as far back in the starting rotation as possible.  —  That is, if they keep him in the rotation at all.

Lee's stint on DL finally at an end  —  He'll return Monday; wrist feeling stronger  —  ST. LOUIS — Derrek Lee will return from the disabled list Monday in Pittsburgh, hoping to salvage something from a season in which nothing has gone right for him.  —  Lee said his right wrist felt …

Tigers to call up No. 1 pick  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — The Detroit Tigers optioned right-hander Colby Lewis to Triple-A Toledo and outfielder Brent Clevlen to Double-A Erie on Sunday after their 7-1 win over the Cleveland Indians.  —  General manager Dave Dombrowski said lefty Andrew Miller …

Snyder aims to snap skid  —  Boston (71-58) at Seattle (60-69), 4:05 p.m. PT  —  After losing the first two games of this series to the Mariners, all the Red Sox can hope for is to go sweepless in Seattle.  —  The Red Sox suffered an agonizing 4-3 setback on Saturday, a game they led with six outs to go.

Notes: Vazquez won't rock the boat  —  Owens recalled from Minors; Thome could be a few days away  —  CHICAGO — Javier Vazquez has absolutely no intention of creating any sort of trouble on the White Sox team or putting the focus on anything but his crew's day-to-day playoff battle.

Ramirez not in lineup again; Lester to miss start in Oakland  —  SEATTLE (AP) — All-Star Manny Ramirez was out of Boston's starting lineup for the third time in four games Sunday as the Red Sox closed out a series against the Seattle Mariners.  —  Ramirez played in Saturday night's 4-3 loss to the Mariners and was 0-for-3.

Howard making strong case for MVP  —  The race for the National League Most Valuable Player award isn't simply between Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.  —  Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, the NL leader in home runs and RBIs …

Pitching With No Pain, Glavine Is Feeling Giddy  —  Tom Glavine pitched a bullpen session without pain yesterday and said he was on target to start Friday against the Astros in Houston.  —  "I feel great," Glavine said last night before the Mets faced the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium.

Mets see things they like in Perez  —  Lefty shows flashes of dominance in erratic outing  —  NEW YORK — For weeks, the Mets had guarded against looking too far ahead.  They had dealt successfully with the temptation to think about October before finishing August.