Nomar hurting, but delivers again in clutch  —  If this were July, Nomar Garciaparra probably wouldn't be playing because of a sore left quadriceps that has bothered him for more than a week.  —  Fortunately for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he's helping them battle for a playoff berth.

Hot free agent  —  Soon-to-be-ex-Marlins skipper Girardi has ties to Cubs, Chicago  —  Joe Girardi may be very available when the Cubs start the search for a successor to Dusty Baker, who won't be retained after his contract expires at the end of the season.

Mussina thumped but OK  —  ST. PETERSBURG - Mike Mussina suffered a bruise near his left thumb when he was hit by a line drive yesterday, but said it wouldn't cause any problems in his final start of the season or the playoffs.  —  "My thumb's okay, just a little sore," Mussina said.

Crawford makes history in win  —  Ties league mark with 15 or more triples in three straight years  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Carl Crawford has set his share of records this season, just his fifth in the Major Leagues.  On Sunday, the speedy left fielder made history yet again.

Pirates Notebook: Burnitz, Randa face uncertain futures  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  SAN DIEGO — The Pirates' Jeromy Burnitz spent much of this six-game road trip in an unfamiliar place to see some unfamiliar faces.  —  A place he sometimes calls home.

Case closed: Eyre says he prefers setup role  —  CINCINNATI — Scott Eyre is not interested in taking Ryan Dempster's place if the Cubs go looking for a new closer for next year.  —  "I like pitching the seventh and eighth [innings]," Eyre said.  "Bobby Howry and Demp can figure that out.

Completing the job seems to be a problem for Oakland  —  The A's aren't helping reputation as a team that can't finish off a foe  —  OAKLAND - This isn't helping the A's reputation as a team unable to finish off an opponent.  —  True, those nine straight losses in potential clinching games came in the playoffs.

Cards Notebook: Rolen is back  —  Scott Rolen returned to the lineup Sunday, one day after he considered himself "benched" against Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt.  Rolen, whose left shoulder has been a source of concern since he underwent surgery last year, made certain Sunday that reporters knew …

Notes: Johnson's leg surgery a success  —  Doctors say first baseman should be ready by Spring Training  —  NEW YORK — From his hospital bed, first baseman Nick Johnson, recovering from his right leg surgery, watched on TV as his teammates dedicated their 5-1 win against the Mets to him.

Willie pitches in Trach talk  —  The games have grown so mundane that each passing day at Shea now is spent trying to read between the lines rather than dissecting what's actually happening between them.  —  Will Steve Trachsel or John Maine round out the playoff rotation?

LOU'S ANALYSIS ANYTHING BUT SWEET  —  THE GOOD, the bad, the usual.  Saturday on Fox's Nats-Mets broadcast, analyst Lou Piniella, yet another big-name hire just thrown into a booth, watched Nick Johnson collide with teammate Austin Kearns.  And he watched Johnson go down, stay down and not get up.

Gonzalez could be Girardi's successor  —  CINCINNATI — Joe Girardi's shaky status as manager of the Florida Marlins continues to play a key role in the Cubs' search for a new manager.  —  If Girardi is fired, sources say Atlanta Braves third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez …

Baker, Hawpe heat up right-field controversy … Next year's spring training battle between Jeff Baker and Brad Hawpe for the starting right-field job heated up Sunday on a glorious September afternoon.  —  Baker, a late-season call-up, got another start and hit his fifth homer of the season and the fourth in his past seven games.

Top rookie now a race  —  A convincing case could have been made a week ago for Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.  —  Now, Hanley Ramirez has quite possibly emerged as the frontrunner to win the award, sizzling when Uggla is swooning.