Top News:
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
Staff infection — Recent struggles a bad sign for postseason … They tell us all the time: You can never have enough pitching. Yet here we are, with two weeks to go in the marathon that is any baseball season, and the Red Sox [team stats] suddenly look like they do not have enough pitching.
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Rob Bradford / Boston Herald:
Lowell sees NY as fit … Much like teammate Curt Schilling [stats], Mike Lowell also has a list of teams he believes might potentially be a good fit if he hits the free agent market this offseason. — "There are teams I don't want to go to and there are teams I envision myself playing for …
NY Daily News:
Yankees, Red Sox given 'heads-up' — BOSTON - The Yankees and Red Sox were not given official warnings about potential beanballs before the start of their series last night at Fenway, but both teams were given what one baseball official called a "heads-up" to behave over the weekend.
Anthony Rieber / Newsday:
Giambi's glove goes into 'clang' mode for a night — BOSTON - Joe Torre has his fingers crossed every time he plays Jason Giambi at first base. Unfortunately for the Yankees' manager, Giambi played the position Friday night as if he had his fingers, toes and both arms crossed. And his eyes closed.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Blistering Yankee Rally Sounds the Alarm in Boston — The gravity of the situation was obvious to Boston Red Sox Manager Terry Francona. Moments before, his team had a five-run lead over the Yankees, who had done their best to give away the game. — But now the lead was cut to three …
Daniel Malloy / Boston Globe:
Closer couldn't put a stop to it — Papelbon added fuel to the fire — Jonathan Papelbon didn't throw in the towel - he just chewed on it - after his blown save vs. the Yankees. (BARRY CHIN/GLOBE STAFF) — He made his escape from the Red Sox clubhouse quickly after last night's game …
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
START BELIEVING — THIS WIN MAKES ANYTHING SEEM POSSIBLE — The Yankees won, and that just seems impossible if you had seen the first seven innings of last night's game. — The Yankees were not bad. They were rancid. "It was ugly" is how Joe Torre phrased it.
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
Jay Cohen / Associated Press:
Rollins' triple lifts Phillies over Mets — NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Beltran misplayed Jimmy Rollins' line drive into a two-run triple and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat New York 5-3 Saturday for their seventh straight victory over the Mets. — Aaron Rowand hit a tying homer …
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David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Rollins Rolling — Jimmy Rollins hits his eighteenth triple to break a 3-3 tie and put the Phillies up 5-3 in the eighth. … With two more triples, Rollins can join Curtis Granderson with 20 doubles, triples and home runs. — Pedro Martinez pitched six strong innings …
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
Nationals' September Celebration — For the next nine days a ballclub that should, by this time, have become depressed and uninterested will finish its home season in an antiquated stadium that lacks almost any amenities. If you squint, you may decipher the count on the batter on the tiny scoreboards.
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Braves Top Nationals in the 13th — The last homestand in RFK Stadium's tenure as a baseball park began last night in a steady drizzle before a huddled-up crowd, and those who stuck around through a brief rain delay had the pleasure of witnessing what looked like would be a game-winning home run …
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Notebook: New front office removes Armas — HOUSTON — The Pirates' new front office has made its first mark. — After extensive meetings on the team's off day Thursday, upper management — with the blessing of new team president Frank Coonelly — decided that veteran Tony Armas …
Discussion:
Catbird in the Nosebleed Seats
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David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Games of the Day — The Phillies were written off earlier in the week, but they're still in the hunt for the wild card. They'll face a tough opponent today as Pedro Martinez makes his third start of the season. He's only allowed one hit with runners in scoring position this season.
Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times:
L.A. gets a night in driver's seat — Longtime tormentor Davis is chased after 42/3 innings, tagged for six runs in a 7-4 Dodgers victory that moves them within 41/2 games of first. — If there was a time for the Dodgers to humble their tormentor, this was it, in the 147th game of the season …
