Sheffield aims for this week  —  TORONTO - How real is the possibility of Gary Sheffield playing first base for the Yankees in a playoff game?  —  "If we feel confident that he can play the position, I don't envision that being a problem," Joe Torre said.  "But we need to see something to tell us that."

Val's 2 HRs a spark  —  When you have a season like the Mets are having, you need help from unexpected sources.  So give a tip of the cap to Jose Valentin, Mr. Unexpected Source.  —  Valentin was the offensive star of last night's National League East-clinching 4-0 win over the Marlins at Shea Stadium.

Tigers need to recapture early season mojo  —  CHICAGO - Jim Leyland will need to turn into Gene Mauch for the Tigers to blow this sucker now.  —  It's not going to happen.  It was never going to happen.  The Tigers still could finish second in the AL Central, but their 8-2 victory …

Former Orioles VP Thrift dies at 77 … Syd Thrift, the former Orioles top executive whose baseball career spanned parts of six decades, died Monday night in Milford, Del. after complications from knee surgery.  —  He was 77.  An autopsy has been planned.

Wallace Matthews  —  Randolph paid plenty of dues  —  You need more than a MetroCard to complete the journey Willie Randolph made last year, from the Tilden Houses in Brownsville to the manager's office at Shea Stadium, and a manager needs more than a blank checkbook from his boss …

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

Braves capitalize on miscues in extras  —  Five-run 10th frame hands Marlins tough loss in series finale  —  ATLANTA — Sometimes leaving early to beat the traffic just isn't worth it.  —  Fans who began streaming out of Turner Field after the Florida Marlins' four-run outburst …

Towers: 'These guys don't miss (Mirabelli)'  —  LOS ANGELES - Doug Mirabelli won't be getting a Christmas card from Padres General Manager Kevin Towers, but maybe he should.  —  The cranky catcher who was traded to Boston on May 1 after a .182 April is one of the central characters of the Padres' season.

Ramirez's huge night leads Cubs  —  Third baseman's '07 value keeps rising after 2 home runs, 7 RBIs  —  PHILADELPHIA — Aramis Ramirez is so hot, he may hear the sounds of cash registers ringing in his sleep.  —  Ramirez went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high seven RBIs …

Prospectus Hit List  —  Team  —  Overall W-L  —  Week W-L  —  Hit List Factor  —  Trend  —  Despite dropping three out of four to the Red Sox in back-to-back doubleheaders, the Yanks finish the week with the majors' best record, and their magic number to clinch the AL East for the ninth straight time now stands at four.

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 …

Trachsel saves best for last  —  Steve Trachsel wishes he would've walked slower.  He wished he would've soaked up the applause from the standing ovation he received in the seventh inning last night, as much as his T-shirt was soaking up the champagne that his teammates had doused all over him a short while later.

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.