Toast of the town!  —  The Mets had waited for what seemed like forever, 18 long years and one interminable weekend in Pittsburgh, before the coronation could officially take place last night at Shea Stadium.  —  It was set in motion by the bat of the Marlins' Josh Willingham …

Nomar caps incredible win for LA  —  Four straight homers tie it in ninth; walk-off puts club in first  —  LOS ANGELES — It's a real shame the Dodgers have no more games scheduled with the Padres this year, because after finding all sorts of ways to lose to San Diego while dropping 13 …

Mailbag: Can Soriano go 50-50?  —  Beat writer Bill Ladson answers National fans' questions … What do you think of Alfonso Soriano's chances of being the first player to hit 45 homers and swipe 45 bases or even become a 50-50 guy in baseball history?  — Avi R., Montreal

Guillen, Williams partners in crime  —  You might say karma, the bad kind, is biting Team Reinsdorf in the butt cheeks.  When former White Sox pariah Magglio Ordonez delivers a staggering right-left combination with two home runs, just hours after former White Sox pariah Frank Thomas supplied …

Yanks Finally Find a Spark, and Close in on the Title  —  The Yankees played two games in New York on Sunday, the second one ending just before midnight.  The team spent an hour at the airport in Newark because of an intensive security check, and did not arrive at its hotel here until 4:30 Monday morning.

Notes: Nolasco's health a bright spot  —  Right-hander's knee came through fine after two missed starts  —  NEW YORK — Not all was lost for the Marlins in their disheartening 8-7 loss in 10 innings to the Braves on Sunday.  —  Rookie Ricky Nolasco shook off the rust of skipping two starts …

Cranky shoulder hinders Calero  —  notebook  —  OAKLAND — Although A's reliever Kiko Calero has appeared just once in the last 11 games, his right shoulder was cranky Sunday and he wasn't available to pitch, according to manager Ken Macha.  —  Calero's last appearance was Tuesday in Minnesota …

Mailbag: Can Jays win East in '07?  —  Beat reporter Jordan Bastian answers Jays fans' questions  —  I thought this year would be the Jays' time to shine, but the injuries to A.J. Burnett and Gustavo Chacin really hurt their chances.  If Burnett and Chacin and everyone else …

Cards fall in 9th  —  MILWAUKEE — Sifting through the rubble of a ninth-inning loss, the Cardinals were left to ponder an intriguing question: Can Anthony Reyes pitch for this team in October?  —  The 82-loss Milwaukee Brewers took care of the details Monday when second baseman Tony Graffanino ended …

Matthews continues to haul in accolades  —  ARLINGTON - Gary Matthews Jr. picked up yet another honor Monday, being named the American League player of the week.  —  "When [Rangers media relations director] Gregg Elkin told me about it, I thought it was Rangers player of the week …

Giants pitchers battered by Rockies in 20-8 loss  —  Lowry lasts just 1-1/3 innings as S.F. allows its highest run total since '59  —  DENVER - The last time the Giants gave up 20 runs in a game, Dwight Eisenhower was president, the U.S. flag had 49 stars and an upstart named Fidel Castro had just established Communist rule in Cuba.

Full Play-by-Play Los Angeles vs. San Diego  —  GameCenter  · Full Play-by-Play  · Box Score  · Recap  · Game Chart  · Photos  —  PADRES 1ST  —  Brad Penny pitching:  —  Strike looking, Foul, Ball, Roberts grounded out to second.

This time, Pedro isn't life of party  —  Pedro Martinez was prepared to party before the game even started yesterday, and showed reporters a pair of green-tinted wraparound glasses that he had ready for what he hoped would be a clinching celebration later that night.