Top News:
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Notes: Lo Duca goes off duty early — Mets catcher not happy about double-switch move in opener — WASHINGTON — Paul Lo Duca was miffed when he was removed from the game in the sixth inning on Monday night. Teammates said as much following the Mets' unbecoming 12-4 loss to the Nationals.
RELATED:
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets make four errors, blow lead to Nationals — WASHINGTON - Uh-oh. — With all the talk about which starter to bump from the rotation come the postseason, perhaps it's worth noting that the Mets may not be playing in October - leaving SNY with "Street Games" repeats for its programming.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets look to be in serious danger — After falling to Nats, club's NL East lead shrinks yet again — WASHINGTON — The cramped, sweaty clubhouse was filled with an emptiness that the Mets have rarely experienced this season, if ever. A telling near silence existed …
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Sox are left hurting — Thomas's 3 homers sink depleted team — TORONTO - Daisuke Matsuzaka may not know this, because he only dresses as one, but the Teletubbies are known for saying "bye-bye" three times. — Last night, so did Frank Thomas of the Blue Jays.
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Jordan Bastian / MLB.com:
Notes: Jays shutting Overbay down — Second hand surgery to end frustrating season for slugger — TORONTO — Lyle Overbay is about to close the book on his forgettable 2007 season. When the Blue Jays head to Baltimore next week, Overbay is scheduled to have a second operation on his right hand …
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Buchholz gets start tomorrow — Rookie will take Matsuzaka's turn — TORONTO - Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he held off on making the announcement in case he needed to use Clay Buchholz out of the bullpen during last night's 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays, but after the game he announced …
Brian Costello / New York Post:
YANKEES' WIN O SO GOOD — SOAR PAST BIRDS, GAIN ON SAWX — The Yankees' mantra for weeks has been that they're still chasing a division title not a wild-card berth. That goal is starting to look more serious than silly. — After dispatching the Orioles 8-5 last night at the Stadium …
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees top Orioles, gain ground on Red Sox — The Yankees' bullpen phone might have been broken but the scoreboard was working just fine. — As the Yankees muddled through a 3-hour and 54-minute, 8-5 victory over the Orioles at the Stadium last night, their fans, players and manager already …
Discussion:
New York Post
Peter Botte / NY Daily News:Mariano Rivera struck by stray ball in Boston
Discussion:
New York Times
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Sox hammered by Hurt in opener — Thomas cranks three homers as Boston falls in Toronto — TORONTO — Frank Thomas, the 39-year-old designated hitter with a lot of wallop still left in his bat, will retire one of these years. Don't expect the Red Sox to complain whenever that happens.
Discussion:
Red Sox Monster
RELATED:
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:All over in Toronto — Though Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
A dull victory, and Escobar isn't sharp — Right-hander gives up six runs, continuing his late-season struggles, in win over Devil Rays that drags on nearly four hours. — There was nothing crisp about the pace, or the play, at Angel Stadium on Monday night.
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
E-Ian: Rangers drop tough one, 5-4 — egrant@dallasnews.com — MINNEAPOLIS - Here's the thing about an errorless streak: The minute it ends, you have made an embarrassing mistake. — Which was exactly the situation Ian Kinsler found himself in Monday night.
Sean Brennan / NY Daily News:
Derek Jeter moves into 4th place on Yanks' all-time hit list — The names not only are links to the Yankees' fabled past, but they are baseball royalty. Known as much by their nicknames as for what they accomplished on the field. — The Iron Horse. The Babe. The Mick.
Discussion:
New York Post
Tim Marchman / New York Sun:
Most Hated Mets Reliever Since Benitez? — Guillermo Mota is not only the worst relief pitcher on the Mets, but one of the worst in all of baseball. Mota has, for instance, the second worst earned run average of any National League reliever who's pitched at least 40 innings …
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Mulder suffers setback — Cardinals lefthander Mark Mulder may not pitch for the remainder of the season after alerting the team's training staff Sunday to discomfort in the front of his surgically repaired left shoulder. — Mulder, activated Sept. 5 after making four rehab appearances …
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos
Mike Votta / Yahoo! Sports:
Pittsburgh (66-83) at San Diego (81-67) — The San Diego Padres opened their 10-game homestand with a bang over the weekend. — They'll be looking to build on a three-game sweep and move closer to the top of the NL West when they open a four-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday.
