Bullpen can thank Garcia for time off  —  ANAHEIM — The biggest beneficiaries of Freddy Garcia's eight-inning masterpiece in Thursday's 9-0 White Sox victory are the club's weary relievers.  —  They got a day to recover from an array of setbacks before an off day.

Yankees Win, but Lidle's Postseason Pitch Misses  —  Among the subplots of last night's 8-4 Yankees victory over Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium was the audition for the fourth slot in the postseason rotation.  Cory Lidle, the starter, had a chance to make his case.

Sampling the bigs  —  Top-prospect Hughes works out at Stadium and gains experience  —  A year from now Phil Hughes very well could be on the mound for the Yankees pitching meaningful games.  But for now he's been watching from the stands, in the family section.  —  Understandably, he hasn't been recognized once.

In Nats' Loss, Former Mates Use Old Tricks on Each Other  —  Brian Schneider had never been in such a situation, so intimately familiar with a subject yet completely unsure of how to approach it.  For 3 1/2 seasons, Schneider was Livan Hernandez's catcher, his sounding board, one half of his brain.

Waiting nothing new to Randolph  —  The names of the teams are no longer important to Willie Randolph.  One is the same as another now.  Being told for years that he wasn't good enough, wasn't qualified enough, that is another matter entirely, and something you never forget.

Cubs pitcher Rusch out for season with blood clot  —  CHICAGO - Cubs reliever Glendon Rusch was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung and will miss the rest of the season.  A team trainer said the condition was not life-threatening.  —  Rusch was sent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital …

Three AL Central teams fight for two spots  —  Here's the rub in American League Central: three very good teams, two playoff spots.  —  The Tigers, Twins and White Sox are on pace for, respectively, 97, 96 and 93 wins, but one of them will be shut out of the 2006 postseason fray.

Royals can't just hit it off  —  A scuffle like the one between Buck and Hernandez is not that unusual in sports.  —  CLEVELAND |  Throw a hissy fit if you must, treat it like a civil war if you like.  But understand this: teammates John Buck and Runelvys Hernandez throwing haymakers …

Short and sour for Marquis  —  Monday and Tuesday moved the Cardinals closer to the playoffs.  Wednesday's ugly loss to the Houston Astros reminded them that they still haven't figured out what to do when they get there.  —  Pitching on short rest, Jason Marquis fell deeper into an enigmatic season …

Mariners dismiss two coaches  —  Bench coach Hassey, administrative assistant Rohn released  —  SEATTLE — In a surprise this late in the season, the Mariners released two members of the coaching staff, bench coach Ron Hassey and administrative assistant Dan Rohn, on Wednesday.

Ten Things I Didn't Know Last Week  —  What a great time of year.  We've got close races in several divisions, plus the drama of a couple of young teams (the Tigers and Marlins) heading in opposite directions.  According to SABR-L's Frank Vaccaro (as of September 8) ...

Choice is clear: Jeter  —  What fun would life be without a good old-fashioned baseball MVP argument?  —  I know poor Papi never imagined the consequences of just being a loyal member of Sluggers, Inc. David Ortiz was simply stating the case for his fellow boppers, as opposed to the table setters of the world.

Sox left in Orioles' wake  —  Nothing to show for return  —  BALTIMORE — No one will ever really know, of course, whether the stress fracture in Tim Wakefield's rib cage was the fault line on which the Red Sox' season began to crack.  —  Suffice to say, things looked considerably better …

50 Years in Game Is Enough for Kaat  —  Jim Kaat figures it is time to retire from calling Yankees games, to spend more time with his family, play more golf at home in Stuart, Fla., and tour the country in his recreational vehicle with his wife, Mary Ann, a pursuit inspired by the example of Bill White, a former Yankees announcer.

Padres set for finale with Reds  —  San Diego (75-69) at Cincinnati (72-73), 9:35 a.m. PT  —  Clay Hensley has pitched brilliantly for the past two months with limited results.  —  He has pitched six innings or more in six of his past 10 starts and allowed fewer than three earned runs in eight of those outings.