Graduation day nearing for Wells … LOS ANGELES — David Wells is planning a trip to Africa in November.  He will pack his bow and arrow and go on a safari to hunt lions, leopards and water buffalo.  —  He wants to shoot golf consistently in the 70s, and climb on a surf board and cut …

Jones, Holliday meet again  —  After Mile High slugfest, they are NL Co-Players of the Week  —  The level of play around baseball always seems to jump up a notch in September, and 2006 is no different.  —  In the second-to-last week of the regular season, play was so strong in the National League …

After Loss, Trachsel Faces Postseason Questions  —  Endy Chávez of the Mets could not reach Brandon Harper's double in the seventh inning.  Harper later scored on a double by Henry Mateo.  —  Asked to sum up his performance in yesterday's 5-1 loss to the Nationals, Steve Trachsel unwittingly assessed his season.

Arias will get his chance this week  —  ARLINGTON — Rangers manager Buck Showalter planned to start Joaquin Arias, the organization's top minor league prospect among non-pitchers, on Sunday, but delayed it for two reasons.  —  First, Showalter likes the matchup of the right-handed hitting Arias …

Salmon Is Getting Ready for His Last 'Stand  —  OAKLAND — The Angels, barring an unprecedented collapse by the Oakland A's, aren't headed to the playoffs, but for veteran outfielder Tim Salmon, who will begin the final homestand of his 14-year career tonight, this week will have a postseason feel to it.

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 …

Gardenhire stuck in classic quandry  —  From the managers-can-never-win dept:  —  If the Twins are still in contention for the AL Central title on the final day of the season, Ron Gardenhire will be damned if he starts left-hander Johan Santana and damned if he doesn't.

D-Backs stifled in finale vs. Dodgers  —  Quentin's RBI double the only score as LA wins on walk-off  —  LOS ANGELES — Say this for the Diamondbacks on the day they were officially eliminated from any postseason contention: They went down fighting.  —  The D-Backs held the Dodgers' hitters …

Only integrity is revealed  —  Judge plays hardball but reporter won't give  —  He has already sat down with his 6-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son and explained that their daddy might be going to jail.  This is the part that cuts hardest at San Francisco Chronicle reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada …

Twins want to capture AL Central crown  —  Wild Card-leading Minnesota aims to win division in final week  —  MINNESOTA — Four months ago, the Twins couldn't really fathom the idea of being in the playoff hunt as they struggled to remain close to the .500 mark.  —  It's amazing how drastically things can change.

The Ballad of Big Mike  —  I. Looking for the Next Anti-Lawrence Taylor  —  As he drove into Memphis in March 2004, Tom Lemming thought that everything about Michael Oher, including his surname, was odd.  He played for a small private school, the Briarcrest Christian School …

Wagner recognized for fantastic season  —  Closer a finalist for the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award  —  NEW YORK — At the time, his preference was to run off a streak of scoreless appearances — 10, maybe 12 of them — and maybe 13, 14 scoreless innings.  That would make for a fine how-do-ya-do, Billy Wagner thought.

Jays within half-game of $120 million Red Sox  —  TORONTO (AP) - Not even another homer by Big Papi could make up for Boston's awful outfield defense.  —  The Toronto Blue Jays overcame David Ortiz's league-leading 53rd homer and took advantage of poor outfield defense to beat the Red Sox 13-4 Sunday …

Team Wins One for Nick  —  Johnson Undergoes Successful Surgery, Nats Down Mets: Nationals 5, Mets 1  —  Nick Johnson noticed the high socks, even on guys who normally pull their baseball pants down over the tops of their shoes.  It is, after all, how he wears his uniform, an old-school look for an old-school player.

Appalachian League Top 20 Prospects List  —  Subscribers can read scouting reports on all 20 players (Click here to subscribe)  —  While Danville and Elizabethton again dominated the Rookie-level Appalachian League and met in a rematch of last year's championship series …