Pudge, Hunter fight in Yankees loss to Angels  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. - One veteran Yankee wondered aloud before Monday's game against the Angels if players had given up on the season.  —  But at least one player showed some fight - literally - in the Yankees' lopsided 12-1 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim last night.

Rays have lost fighting spirit  —  BOSTON — Understand, there is no shame in being caught from behind by the Red Sox.  —  Boston has the bigger payroll and the greater pedigree, and most of the world has probably assumed the defending World Series champions would eventually end up on top of the American League East.

Pujols considering elbow surgery  —  Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, riding what he calls his best wave of offense in a couple of years, raised the specter of his elbow injury Monday, saying in a televised interview that he's considering offseason surgery.

The Story of Billy the Kid  —  Well, as Greg already told you, now it's official: Billy Wagner is facing Tommy John surgery.  —  This sad news doesn't change much about how I feel about this unlikely September and potential October: I never thought we'd get this far, and finding ourselves …

Mets relief pitcher Ambiorix Burgos arrested for beating up girlfriend  —  Mets minor league reliever Ambiorix Burgos has been charged with pummeling his girlfriend at a hotel near Shea Stadium, authorities said.  —  The 6'3", 244-pound pitcher was arrested around 11 p.m. Monday …

At Current Pace, MLB Will Not Have Fifth Consecutive Attendance Record  —  Major League Baseball has enjoyed four straight seasons of record paid attendance, but at the current pace, the league will be coming in just below last year's record figure.  —  As of Saturday, Sept. 6 …

Hoffman wants to return to Padres  —  Closer feels positive after Saturday meeting with GM Towers  —  SAN DIEGO — In case there was any uncertainty about the matter, Trevor Hoffman said on Monday night that he wants to return to the Padres next season and perhaps for a few more seasons after that.

Smoltz airs the possibility he'll play elsewhere in 2009  —  In interviews, it's always the question you toss off that gets you the most interesting responses.  Over the weekend, I was wrapping up an interview with John Smoltz for the upcoming Braves book (The Quiet Dynasty, on sale spring 2009.

Schilling: “The Yankees suck this year ... now they got Tom going down, so New York is excited.”  —  How desperate is Curt Schilling to remain relevant?  The ornery blogger hasn't thrown a pitch this season for the Red Sox, but he went on WEEI radio this morning to opine on Tom Brady's injury, as if his voice matters:

Mets join list of teams eyeing K-Rod  —  With Billy Wagner sidelined for perhaps all of 2009 due to elbow surgery, expect the Mets to be major players in the bidding for Francisco Rodriguez this winter when the premier closer hits free agency.  —  The Angels want the 26-year-old right-hander …

Lee vs. Halladay  —  This is primarily supposed to be a data dump without advocating a position.  I just want to at least put this out there to see if it becomes part of the discussion.  Two weeks ago, I wrote that Cliff Lee would not only be my choice for AL Cy Young, but also for AL MVP.

Brady says Pats not out: ‘I still like our chances’  —  New England QB out for season, but teammates scoff at idea of no playoffs  —  FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The e-mail popped in at 5 p.m.  —  “It will all be OK.  I'm excited to see what our team is made of ... I still like our chances,” wrote Tom Brady.

Rockies' ties to Hampton coming to end  —  Tonight's series opener at Atlanta brings a touch of melancholy for the Rockies.  They can walk across Turner Field and personally wish a longtime employee happy birthday and farewell.  —  Mike Hampton.  —  The conclusion of this season marks …

New home run apple at core of Mets' new ballpark  —  It looks like it will be a fresh apple rising after the Mets belt home runs at Citi Field.  —  The Mets had hoped to keep their intentions quiet for now about whether they would transfer the apple from Shea to their new stadium or commission a new one.

Giants' Lincecum pitches another gem to sink struggling D'backs  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tim Lincecum struck out nine, Bengie Molina hit a three-run homer and San Francisco sent the slumping Arizona Diamondbacks to their fourth straight defeat with a 6-2 victory Monday night.