Winning hit was child's play  —  Walkoff homer a real throwback  —  I was Tony Conigliaro, with the wide stance and bat cocked high, shaping the No. 25 with duct tape on the back of a white T-shirt.  —  You were Fred Lynn making great catches against an imaginary wall, or Jim Rice hitting sizzling line drives over the Green Monster.

Mets seek more views on Beltran bruise  —  Carlos Beltran could be back in the lineup today, but a return tomorrow is probably a more likely scenario.  —  Beltran had an MRI exam yesterday on the left knee he bruised Saturday making a game-saving catch in Houston.

Notes: Church to stay on bench  —  Logan to start in center field for Nationals for rest of season  —  WASHINGTON — Since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on July 22, Ryan Church is hitting .284 (25-for-88) with four home runs and 16 RBIs.  It looked like he would be the everyday …

Howard's just what MLB needs right now  —  PHILADELPHIA - Only the most feared hitters would be walked intentionally to lead off the ninth inning of a tie game between two teams scrambling for a wild card.  —  This is where Ryan Howard stands as he bears down on Major League Baseball's …

LaRoche Probably Won't Get the Call  —  MILWAUKEE — All it took was sitting for several hours during the flight from L.A. and Chad Billingsley's next start was pushed back indefinitely.  —  As for Andy LaRoche's debut, that apparently will wait as well.  —  LaRoche, a prospect …

Fans missing the magic  —  Amazement is best served suddenly.  As a 100-meter dash is more exciting than a marathon, what impresses most easily in sports is what we can see happening right now — as in one frenetic night at the Orange Bowl, for a totally random example.

Two Bulls stars begin audition  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Two more potential pieces of the Devil Rays' future arrive today with the promotions of catcher Shawn Riggans and reliever Juan Salas from Triple A.  —  Riggans, 26, hit .293 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs and was named the International …

Braves dredge up bravado in face of new reality  —  A dour Chipper Jones sat in the quiet of the Atlanta Braves' clubhouse yesterday, reflecting on the end of his team's unparalleled run of 14 straight division titles.  With Jones out at least a week with a strained left oblique, there is plenty of time to reflect.

Loving it in La-La Land  —  Former Cub Maddux enthused to be part of Dodgers' playoff push  —  MILWAUKEE — Greg Maddux was sitting in the visiting clubhouse Monday when he saw a familiar face from his second tour with the Cubs.  —  "Quiet in here, isn't it?" he said.  —  Yes, it is.

For Mussina, Two Weeks Off Is Just Right  —  Mike Mussina will take the mound for the Yankees on Tuesday in his first start since Aug. 20.  Truth be told, Mussina has not really missed pitching.  He has not even been bored by his time on the disabled list.  —  "I'm a pitcher," Mussina said.

Zambrano: Injury may end my year  —  Cubs' ace exits with lower-back problem after taking a pasting  —  Carlos Zambrano may have gone from Cy Young Award candidate to sayonara on Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field.  —  The Cubs ace lasted 1-1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh …

Angels Squeak by the Orioles  —  Moreno gives full support to Stoneman and offense does just enough to win, 1-0, behind standout pitching of Weaver and bullpen.  —  In this era of democracy gone wild, fans can register their opinion with a call to a talk show, a vote in an online poll or a post on a message board.