Twins showing their teeth  —  MINNEAPOLIS - Some more free stuff came in the mail Saturday morning, and, per usual, it was gone in about 10 seconds.  Long before Ozzie Guillen called them a bunch of piranhas, the Minnesota Twins were scavengers of a different kind.

Tigers tail off in scoring, winning as playoffs suddenly in doubt  —  The Detroit Tigers' extended cold spell has them on the verge of trying to avoid a collapse of historic proportions.  —  On Aug. 7, the Tigers were 40 games over .500 and cruising with a 10-game lead in the American League Central.

A Stealth Swinger Rewrites the Script  —  The day after Freddy Sanchez had surgery to repair his deformed right foot, his mother pulled him through the hallway of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in a tiny wagon reserved for patients who could not walk.  —  Sanchez was 13 months old …

Will Chipper one day get Hall of Fame nod?  —  The Atlanta Braves, after a decade-and-a-half of dominance in the National League, are finally going to miss the postseason.  —  It's been a run that's exhausted the superlatives, and it's worthy of every fan's respect and admiration.  But it's over.

Wells puts Toronto first  —  Vernon Wells has been consistently non-committal when talk turns to his future with the Blue Jays.  —  Given that Wells has not begun discussions with the team about extending his contract which has a year remaining on it, that's understandable.

9/11 helped put sports in its proper place  —  They remain among the most vivid, stirring memories in sports history, those powerful moments that Major League Baseball delivered following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  —  Mike Piazza's majestic home run on the night the Mets returned to New York's Shea Stadium.

St. Paul Saints, Cats take fight from the diamond to the bar  —  Two members of the Fort Worth Cats baseball team were arrested this morning after they and dozens of people got into a fight at a St. Paul bar, police reported.  —  About a dozen officers responded to the fight at the Half …

Notes: Pedro could start on Friday  —  Ace has been sidelined since Aug. 14 with strained calf  —  MIAMI — Manager Willie Randolph said that right-hander Pedro Martinez might return to the rotation on Friday.  —  "He might pitch Friday if everything goes okay," Randolph said before Monday's game against the Florida Marlins.

Buck's stop might end soon if some players' concerns aren't met  —  SEATTLE — About three weeks remain in this Rangers season, the seventh in a row that will end without postseason play.  —  Manager Buck Showalter shares the same disappointment as everyone affiliated with the Rangers …

Koskie will remain out  —  Infielder's physical status uncertain  —  thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com  —  There will be no official announcement by the Milwaukee Brewers but third baseman Corey Koskie is done for the season.  —  Koskie has been on the disabled list since July 6 …

Mailbag: Is Castro ready yet?  —  Beat reporter Bill Ladson answers Nationals fans' questions … With Jose Vidro expected to be traded in the offseason, do you view Bernie Castro as their second baseman of the future?  — Cliff S., Springfield, Va.  —  Not so fast about Vidro getting traded.

Mets stumped by LA's Stults in finale  —  Trachsel unable to get out of third inning; Dodgers split series  —  NEW YORK — The Mets should soon clinch the National League East title, but left-handed starters continue to give them trouble.  Eric Stults, a 26-year-old rookie making …