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.

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.

Dr. James Andrews still works on the cutting edge … BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Dr. James Andrews placed the arthroscope in anesthetized Drew Brees, then looked up to view his shredded shoulder on the monitor.  —  "Oh, my goodness," Andrews said in his Louisiana twang to his assisting surgeons.

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 …

Cassel gets first win as Padres register 20th shutout  —  SAN DIEGO - Rookie Jack Cassel pitched six solid innings for his first big league win, Khalil Greene hit a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 Monday night to keep a 1½-game lead in the wild-card race.

Irritable Bradley, cranky Dodgers and other baseball stories to watch  —  The games are remembered individually now, often in great detail, sometimes forever.  As the "grind" of baseball's 162-game season gives way to riveting daily theater, September means David Ortiz risking a chronically sore knee …

Under The Knife  —  Context and Need  —  I've received a lot of emails over the last couple days asking about this player or that player and HGH.  Almost every player that's made a comeback is now being smeared by the doubt that PEDs bring into the game.  Absent any evidence or even the possibility …

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.

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.

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.

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 …