So now they'll get to spray at Shea  —  Duke blanks Mets for eight, and clinching party will be at home  —  PITTSBURGH — Like millions of other couch potatoes, the Mets found themselves in front of the television on an NFL Sunday.  But instead of beer and salsa chilling in the refrigerator …

Izzy in NY; Eckstein travels; Edmonds stays at home  —  While Cardinals relief ace Jason Isringhausen was headed for New York for the first in a series of consultations relative to his ailing left hip, shortstop David Eckstein accompanied the team to Milwaukee on Sunday.

Notes: Vidro a second baseman first  —  Manager asks veteran to give Johnson a breather  —  WASHINGTON — After Saturday's 8-5 victory over the Brewers, manager Frank Robinson approached second baseman Jose Vidro about starting at first base on Sunday afternoon in order to give Nick Johnson the day off.

Boston's Consolation Prize Is End of Jeter's Streak  —  The Boston Red Sox never recovered from a five-game sweep by the Yankees at Fenway Park in August.  The Yankees' lead was too wide, and the Red Sox' luck was too bad.  But if this is the month for moral victories, the Red Sox scored one at Yankee Stadium this weekend.

Towers acquires busts, then waits for bust-out  —  LOS ANGELES - Brutal truth be told, they were also-rans as players, discards who'd been written off by two of the few major league teams whose next pennant and World Series will be their first.  Given another century or so.

Aftermath: Mets vs Pirates (09/15/2006 - 09/17/2006)  —  Posted on Mon Sep 18, 2006 at 10:43:28 AM EST  —  (Source: fangraphs.com - what's this?)  —  Pedro Martinez's line from Game 1:  —  IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST GS  —  3.0 6 4 4 1 4 0 68-46 34

Where will Soriano land next season?  —  Even before Nationals left fielder Alfonso Soriano reached 40 homers and 40 stolen bases, rival executives were growing increasingly excited by his availability as a free agent.  —  After watching Soriano make several athletic plays against his team …

Pete's signs of his sorry times  —  Boy, is Pete Rose sorry.  —  Baseball's disgraced all-time hit king may have hit an all-time low by signing balls with this shocking inscription: "I'm sorry I bet on baseball - Pete Rose."  —  Thanks to a New Jersey auction house, you, too, can share in Rose's sorrow.

Defeatist attitude rankles O's Mora … Third baseman Melvin Mora recoiled in the far corner of the Orioles' clubhouse before a recent game.  —  He wasn't flitting about, no longer being the silly, goofy effervescent Mora that has been standard issue during much of his time in Baltimore.

Mariners, Rangers looking at tough decisions  —  The Rangers want to keep Buck Showalter as manager?  Fine.  —  The Mariners want to keep general manager Bill Bavasi and manager Mike Hargrove?  Go get 'em.  —  Both clubs, however, should be prepared for possible consequences if they maintain the status quo.

FOX GETS LOST IN THE CROWD  —  IT'S GETTING easier.  Once you get past the stunned wonder stage, and then the anger stage, TV becomes funny.  —  Saturday, top of the first of Red Sox-Yanks, David Ortiz, in the wake of his impolitic remarks about Derek Jeter, came to bat to a hurricane of boos.

Cruz right for right field?  —  ARLINGTON - Nelson Cruz might be the Rangers' right fielder next season.  —  General manager Jon Daniels pushed to get Cruz along with Carlos Lee from the Milwaukee Brewers in the July 28 six-player trade between the two teams.

Xavier struggles against old mates  —  PITTSBURGH - Xavier Nady had a rough series against his ex-teammates, going 1-for-12.  He snapped an 0-for-21 slump yesterday with a sixth-inning double off the right-field wall against John Maine.  —  Nady, sent to Pittsburgh on July 31 for Roberto Hernandez …

At-bats are good medicine for LaRoche  —  First baseman is subject of ESPN report on attention deficit disorder  —  Adam LaRoche isn't sure how much his improved hitting can be linked to taking medication for attention deficit disorder, but producers of an ESPN program decided to pronounce it the direct cause.