GIAMBI PLAYING WITH TORN WRIST LIGAMENT  —  Jason Giambi has a torn ligament in his left wrist that may require surgery after the postseason if it doesn't improve.  —  Giambi flew to New York with Joe Torre from Toronto early yesterday and was examined by hand specialist Dr. Melvin Rosenwasser …

Marlins' Girardi not coming back, source says  —  Joe Girardi, who guided the surprising Marlins into playoff contention despite baseball's lowest payroll, will soon be out as manager after just one season.  —  On a scale of 1 to 10, Girardi's chances of returning next year are "zero," …

Orioles protesters walk out on team  —  BALTIMORE — Nearly a thousand disgruntled Orioles fans walked out of Baltimore's game against Detroit en masse on Thursday, culminating a demonstration aimed at team owner Peter Angelos.  —  A majority of the protesters wore black T-shirts that read …

Cy Burgh  —  Probably the only thing more up in the air than the National League playoff race is the run for the National League Cy Young Award.  There have been some very good efforts in the senior circuit this year, but unlike Johan Santana's magic in the AL there hasn't been one hurler who makes you stand up and whistle.

A Change Has Done Him Good  —  "I can see now the benefits of change," Thomas said of his move to Oakland.  "It's like a shot of adrenaline.  It made me hungry to be the player I want to be."  —  The television in the Oakland Athletics' clubhouse was tuned to a mini-drama that Frank Thomas had seen many times before.

Scranton A Yankees Town  —  In the Subway Series for a new Triple A city, it's "Yankees win."  —  The Yankees said Thursday they are moving their Triple A operations to Scranton, Pa., where they signed a two-year agreement to play at Lackawanna County Stadium, after 28 years in Columbus, Ohio.

From Arizona, to Columbus, to the Bronx  —  The first inning Brian Bruney pitched for the Yankees, he struck out the side.  The next night, in a game in which 25 runs scored, he allowed no runs in the heat of a pennant race at Fenway Park.  —  The third day, Bruney was on a plane to Ohio …

Consider This the Beginning of What Will Be a Grind to Finish  —  Now that was a miracle.  —  The Dodgers finally beat the mighty Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, maintaining both their tenuous playoff spot and their slipping sanity.  —  OK, so their starting pitcher barely lasted half the game.

A broken record? … The "natural" home run king.  That's what some would call Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard should he pass Roger Maris' pre-1998 record for home runs in a single season.  —  The title implies that Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were fueled …

Cry no tears for Martinez  —  Looks sharp in Met loss to Marlins  —  There wasn't a wet eye in the house this time.  —  Driven to tears in Pittsburgh after his disappointing return to the mound last week following a one-month absence to mend a right-calf tear, Pedro Martinez breezed through four …

Rocket to start Astros' home finale on three days' rest  —  HOUSTON — Roger Clemens will start Houston's home finale against St. Louis on Sunday.  —  "The Rocket is going to come back," manager Phil Garner said Thursday night after the Astros' 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Freel out for season with broken thumb  —  Milton also done, will undergo season-ending surgery  —  CINCINNATI — Another Reds player is done for the remainder of the season.  —  Tests performed on Thursday revealed that outfielder Ryan Freel suffered a hairline fracture of his left thumb.