RANGERS NOTES  —  Slump sends Blalock off course  —  DETROIT — One of Hank Blalock's main goals for this season was to be consistent at the plate from Opening Day to the end of the year.  He has had a tendency to fall off pace in the second half of the season and wanted to change the pattern.

Manny Has It Made In The Fade  —  Seems To Laugh It Off As Sox Plummet  —  BALTIMORE — Even though the Red Sox have fallen out of playoff contention and he isn't playing, Manny Ramirez is having a blast.  He's laughing in the clubhouse before the game.  He's clowning around at the batting cage as the team stretches.

Report: Liriano's MRI shows no new structural damage  —  Minnesota Twins fans can relax a little bit for the moment.  Francisco Liriano's MRI shows no new structural damage to his left elbow, two sources told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  —  Liriano's MRI results were very similar …

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.

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.

The Last Laugh: Q&A with Peter Angelos  —  Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who has always met controversy head-on, sits down with PressBox publisher Stan "the Fan" Charles to answer some of the questions his team's fans are asking after the ninth straight losing season.

Pirates Notebook: Wilson vows to shed weight, improve defense  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  Jack Wilson spent the past winter — five days a week, three hours a day and buckets of sweat — bulking up by 20 pounds in an attempt to stay stronger over the course of the long, hot summer.

Remembering the Ryan Express  —  "God gave Nolan the ability to throw a baseball faster than anybody else."  —Phil Garner, former Astros teammate  —  The recent rant from Joe Morgan regarding radar gun readings while watching Detroit Tigers rookie fireballer Joel Zumaya placed a spotlight …

First pitch, September 14  —  STARTING UP  —  Left-handed pitcher Justin Hampson will make his first major-league start Monday against the Giants at Coors Field.  —  Hampson, who worked as a starter and reliever with Triple-A Colorado Springs, has allowed one run in five innings of two relief appearances.

Garcia nearly perfect in finale win  —  Starter goes 7 2/3 before allowing a single  —  ANAHEIM — During the course of the past 10 days, both White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and pitching Don Cooper have been talking with great enthusiasm and excitement concerning the amazing run …

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.

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 …