Rangers' Volquez will go again  —  Showalter wants to see plenty of young pitchers in season's final month  —  OAKLAND - The Rangers won't skip Edinson Volquez in the rotation after all.  —  Rangers manager Buck Showalter said Monday that the struggling rookie will pitch Saturday at Seattle.

Another top drawer battle at Fenway  —  Chicago (79-57) at Boston (73-64), 6:05 p.m. CT  —  On July 7, just three days before the All-Star break, the White Sox and Red Sox began an exciting three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field that appeared to many as a possible preview of the American League Championship Series.

A question of mistrust  —  Is Ryan Howard juiced?  —  Don't blame me for wondering.  It might not be fair, but it isn't my (or your) fault for asking before plunging headlong into another home run chase.  —  Blame baseball, blame society, blame a summer that has given us Floyd Landis …

OOOOH!!!  SO CLOSE!!!  —  Ramon Oritz wanted it!!  The Washington Nationals Wanted IT!!  The RFK STADIUM Crowd DEFINITELY WANTED IT!!  Unfortunately, the St. Louis Cardinals defintely DID NOT WANT TO SEE IT!!  —  Ortiz had marched through 8 innings of NO HIT ball this Labor Day in our Nation's Capital.

Loss hurts Astros' Wild Card hopes  —  Rocket strains right groin; Jimerson, Huff homer in defeat  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Astros spent the entire afternoon Monday at the lost-and-found.  —  First, they lost starter Roger Clemens, who strained his right groin and had to leave after the fifth inning.

Notes: Billingsley not yet ready to start  —  Dodgers unsure of Friday night starter against Mets at Shea  —  MILWAUKEE — It's still not known who will start Friday when the Dodgers play the Mets at Shea Stadium on Friday night, but it won't be Chad Billingsley.

Cubs can't overcome Big Z's early exit  —  Theriot hits three-run double in rally effort, but error looms large  —  CHICAGO — Carlos Zambrano tried to be a hero on Monday.  It wasn't a good move.  —  Zambrano, who has been the one constant in the Cubs rotation this year …

Speedy Matsui jets his way into Rockies' future plans  —  Los Angeles - Kaz Matsui continues to play a starring role in "The Fast and The Curious."  He remains in the lineup because of his speed, quick bat and, just as important, contract talks that aren't running in circles.

Notes: Martinez rejoins Mets  —  Ace will continue rehab, could start by mid-September  —  NEW YORK — Pedro Martinez rejoined the Mets on Monday, and though there is still no immediate timetable for his return to the mound, the team is pleased with the ace's progress and expects him back later this month.

Giles has healthy heart  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Tests determined that Marcus Giles has a healthy heart and he can keep playing baseball, a huge relief to the Atlanta Braves and their second baseman after he was told he might have a heart defect.  —  Giles was en route to Shea Stadium …

Steelers sign St. Pierre as appendectomy sidelines Big Ben  —  Minimally invasive surgery expected to cause him to miss two games  —  By Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  The Steelers have signed one of their former quarterbacks, Brian St. Pierre …

Mailbag: Will Buck be back?  —  Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers fans' questions  —  Can we expect manager Buck Showalter to be back next year, or is there a good chance he will be released during the offseason for being unable to lead the Rangers to the playoffs?

Bert red-faced over blue words  —  Twins analyst Blyleven was suspended after obscenity he used Sunday got on the air.  —  Twins television analyst Bert Blyleven has been suspended for two telecasts for accidentally using obscenity on the air before the start of the Twins-Yankees game Sunday afternoon in New York.

Wallace Matthews  —  Don't mean a thing if he ain't got that Oct. swing  —  The lead in the division is nine games, the magic number is down to 18 and the fans have become downright leisurely, wandering in and out of the action like a U.S. Open crowd prowling the outer courts.