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," …

Series-ly - tix for $10G!  —  It's scalpers' going rate for a Game 7  —  Dreams of a Subway Series are driving postseason ticket prices to insane heights - with Yankees ticket holders already hawking World Series Game 7 ducats for $9,999.  —  Seems crazy, especially since the 10-grand tickets are far from home plate.

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 …

Will his fastball be ready?  —  Pedro fools hitters through four, but gets roughed up in the fifth  —  With his pitches and emotions under better control, Pedro Martinez left his tune-up against the Marlins last night feeling "extremely happy."  Happy is better than weepy …

Notes: Attention doesn't faze Fuentes  —  Midseason stumble hasn't derailed Rockies closer  —  DENVER — Rockies closer Brian Fuentes shed his status as an unknown when he earned 31 saves last season.  All in all, the Rockies believe he has handled recognition well this season.

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.

Mets making New Orleans their Triple-A team  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets are making the New Orleans Zephyrs their Triple-A farm team next season, ending an association with Norfolk that began in 1969.  —  By switching their top affiliate from the International League to the Pacific Coast League …

Pioner League Top 20 Prospects List  —  Subscribers can read scouting reports on all 20 players (Click here to subscribe)  —  The Rookie-level Pioneer League favors hitters, and they dominated pitchers on our Top 20 Prospects list this year, claiming seven of the 10 spots.

MLB INSIDER  —  Spin doctor is in, or is he?  —  At first, there was a look of recognition.  Akinori Otsuka was in the Rangers dugout before the game with Seattle on Wednesday, and when asked the question, he smiled, nodded his head and uttered an elongated: "Aahhhhhhh."  —  So this was it.

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 …

Showalter not dwelling on his '07 status  —  Manager understands speculation comes with the territory  —  ARLINGTON — Rangers manager Buck Showalter and hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo are planning a mid-October trip to the Dominican Republic to see some of the young prospects.

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.

52 pickup  —  Record is in cards as Ortiz (2 HRs) blasts past Foxx  —  Do mythical creatures exist?  David Ortiz pondered as much yesterday afternoon as he sat in front of a laptop in the Red Sox clubhouse, reading an e-mail from a friend who had attached a photo taken in Boca Chica …