preGame: Mets at Nationals (Game 2)  —  The Game  —  The first-place Mets (83-66) make an attempt to act like it when they take on the Nationals (67-83) at RFK Stadium this evening, starting at 7:05 pm EDT.  —  The Lineup  — SS Jose Reyes  — 2B Luis Castillo  — 3B David Wright

Postseason Odds  —  Last update: Tue Sep 18 13:16:01 2007 PT  —  Playing the rest of the season a million times  —  See the PECOTA-adjusted version of this report.  —  As well as the ELO-adjusted version of this report.  —  Would you believe this is the second time in a week my fiber-optic internet cable has been cut?

Agent: Cuban slugger Ramirez coming to MLB … Baseball agent Jaime Torres told ESPN that Alexei Ramirez, who led the Cuban league in home runs this season as an infielder/outfielder for Pinar del Rio, has left Cuba and intends to file for residency in the Dominican Republic.

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.

Yanks move within 2 1-2 games of BoSox  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Back on the field in time for the stretch drive, Mike Mussina and Doug Mientkiewicz are helping the New York Yankees try to chase down Boston.  —  Mussina limited Baltimore to three singles over seven innings …

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 …

Padilla suspended 7 games, Swisher 3  —  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Texas Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla was suspended Tuesday for seven games and Athletics outfielder Nick Swisher was given three games for an incident that occurred in the first inning of Sunday's game in Oakland.

Harang, Reds knock Cubs out of 1st place  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Pushing for the playoffs, Cubs manager Lou Piniella went with some risky strategy by calling on ace Carlos Zambrano to pitch on three days' rest, hoping to shape his rotation for the rest of the season.

Inside Pitch: Brewers a contender  —  Milwaukee making run at first postseason berth since 1982  —  Doug Melvin has been here before.  Eleven years ago, as general manager of the Texas Rangers, Melvin helped that franchise reach the playoffs for the first time.

Read the tea leaves with me … Something's been bothering me for a while, so I'm going to throw this out — the broadcast crew operates as a promotional wing of the team.  They're there to sell the product.  But like any propaganda wing, there's a lot of subtext you can read if, like me …

Indians hit 4 HRs to beat Tigers 7-4  —  CLEVELAND (AP) — Above his locker, Victor Martinez proudly taped a poster showing the brackets of a baseball video-game tournament that he recently competed in against his teammates.  —  He won it.  —  And he and the Indians are close to winning something else.

Sheets leaves with hamstring problem  —  HOUSTON (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets left Tuesday night's game against the Houston Astros before the second inning with tightness in his left hamstring.  —  Sheets threw 12 pitches in the first, giving up a double to Josh Anderson and an RBI single to Lance Berkman.

Dodgers drop first game of doubleheader  —  Jeff Kent turns to apply a late tag to Colorado Rockies' Cory Sullivan as Sullivan slides into second base with a leadoff double in the fourth inning.  The Rockies won the first game of a doubleheader, 3-1.  —  L.A. squanders several scoring opportunities while falling to Rockies, 3-1.

No Manny, no Coco, no Youk...no problem?  —  Well, we'll see about that.  But Manny is a no-go again today—he last played 8/28—though he hit again and presumably is getting closer.  —  Coco Crisp is out, too, because his back stiffened up Monday night and it's still not good today.

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.