Giambi, Torre get tough with A-Rod  —  The Yankees' magic number to clinch the AL East is 1.  Fitting, because the defending AL MVP seems to be all alone in the Bronx Bombers' clubhouse.  —  In a story in this week's Sports Illustrated, Alex Rodriguez is portrayed as a loner on the AL's best team …

Tom has plenty left for playoffs  —  You couldn't blame Tom Glavine if he felt a little strange last night when he took the mound against the Florida Marlins.  Not a single Mets regular was in the starting lineup.  There was still a giddy, woozy, slightly hung-over feeling at Shea Stadium …

Firing Buck would be folly  —  ARLINGTON - Dropped by The Ballpark on Tuesday night, probably for the last time this season.  Just to say goodbye to another year, to hopes dashed again...and to Buck Showalter.  —  You know, just in case.  —  I don't think Showalter will be fired, and I know he shouldn't be.

Don't expect Pedro at 100%  —  Pedro Martinez threw a bullpen session on Monday in preparation for his start tomorrow night and said he felt no ill effects from his start Friday in Pittsburgh.  However for the first time, he sounded like he isn't sure what to expect from himself in the postseason.

Peavy, Duncan have early spat  —  LOS ANGELES - Considering what came later, the verbal flare-up between Padres pitcher Jake Peavy and Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan was just the first of many incendiary moments.  It was a bit of gamesmanship, perhaps, in a game that certainly needed none.

A sparring session  —  Towers's remarks set off Mirabelli  —  Doug Mirabelli defended himself yesterday from what he termed an ``assassination directly at my character for unprovoked reasons" by Padres general manager Kevin Towers, who was quoted in Monday's San Diego Union-Tribune …

Notes: Soriano's top feat is off the field  —  Slugger grateful to have won over the Washington fans  —  WASHINGTON — Left fielder Alfonso Soriano finds himself in a 2-for-25 slump that has dropped his batting average to .285, but he's not worried about it.  He believes he will get out of it because he is comfortable at the plate.

Garcia excelling while Verlander struggling  —  Freddy Garcia's brilliance and Justin Verlander's struggles continued Tuesday as the White Sox kept their faint postseason hopes alive by shutting out the Tigers.  —  What you saw in this contest was the difference between a wily veteran and an inexperienced youngster.

Strain halts Johnson's year  —  · Starter Josh Johnson's fabulous rookie season likely is over.  —  Johnson returned to South Florida on Tuesday to have his right forearm examined.  An MRI revealed a strained ulnar collateral ligament but no tear.  The ulnar collateral is the ligament …

Million thanks perfect tonic for Reinsdorf  —  Fan's continuing joy, gratitude for '05 lift owner's mood amid White Sox slide  —  Jerry Reinsdorf opens another letter and says he still can't quite get over it.  —  He tells you of the letter-writer's history, a fan who first ripped him in July …

Twins 7, Red Sox 3  —  On Monday I discussed who the Twins should be rooting for in this week's Tigers-White Sox series, concluding that rooting for the White Sox, as difficult as it may be, is the right move.  After losing the first game of the series Monday night to fall 4.5 games behind …

'One of the luckiest people on the earth'  —  The first clue that my cell towers were intact came right around the trading deadline, approximately a month after my aneurysm.  By that time, I had been transferred from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston to the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and the Islands.

Need playoff tickets?  Go online, not on line  —  This fall signals the end of waiting in line for post-season baseball tickets and the dawn of going online for playoff seats.  —  As the Mets and Yankees move closer to a Subway Series, both organizations are switching to primarily Web-based lotteries …

System works for Minnesota  —  There are unlikely success stories in baseball this year, and the Detroit Tigers would rank near the top of the list.  But what about the Minnesota Twins?  How many of us saw this coming?  Yet again.  —  When will we learn?  The Twins have a system.