Randolph Goes With Plan B as Mets' A-Minus Squad Wins  —  It took until 2:30 a.m. yesterday for a cleaning crew to scrub and polish and vacuum the Mets' clubhouse until not a trace of the celebratory detritus remained.  —  There were no corks or cigar wrappers lying around, no alcohol stains, funky odors or broken glass.

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 …

Pedro remains key to Mets' hopes in October  —  NEW YORK — The party at Shea was still raging out on the field, with the Mets and family members celebrating the franchise's first Eastern Division title since 1988.  Hundreds of fans hung around to savor the moment on Monday night, too …

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.

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 …

Angels' Moreno: Expect Changes  —  Before team's 5-2 win over Kansas City, owner vows to do `something major' to improve the chances of making a serious run at a championship next season.  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It won't rival Babe Ruth's Called Shot during the 1932 World Series …

WHAT WENT WRONG?  —  Teams that coulda been a contender...  In the Acadamy-Award-winning film, Terry was a prizefighter who felt his brother Charley kept him from being a contender.  This year in Major League Baseball, there are many teams that fit right into Terry's boxing boots.

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.

It's not all smooth sailing for Mets, Yankees  —  It's a good time to be a baseball fan in New York City.  —  FOX Bite  —  Videos  —  Mets clinch in style  —  On Tuesday night, the Mets clinched their first division title since 1988, and the Yankees, whose magic number stands at three …

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.

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 …

Turnstiles have a good year, too  —  When Josh Willingham's lazy fly ball dropped into Cliff Floyd's glove in leftfield Monday night, ending the Mets' 18-year division title drought, the ecstatic crowd of 46,729 at Shea Stadium fittingly set an all-time season attendance record.