Cubs swept out of playoffs by Dodgers  —  Big bats fail again as L.A. completes sweep  —  LOS ANGELES - It's going to take some time for the Cubs second straight playoff disaster to really sink in, but the mood in the clubhouse after Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 …

Script is near perfect  —  Beckett set up as the executioner  —  Josh Beckett, who has been battling a strained oblique, takes a 6-2 postseason record into tonight's start against the Angels.  (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)  —  Before Game 1 of the American League Division Series, Josh Beckett passed along a bit of advice to Jon Lester.

Padres' Peavy could be an option for the Yankees  —  In this baseball winter that will be dominated by free-agent starting pitchers, the most intriguing commodity might be a young, frontline starter who already is signed to a reasonable contract.  —  Whom would you rather have?

White Sox hanging on  —  CHICAGO - In a game delayed by rain for 35 minutes at the outset, the Chicago White Sox, down 2-0 in the American League Division Series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays, are finding U.S. Cellular Field their Home Sweet Home, leading the Rays, 4-1 after five innings in Game 3.

Why White Sox have best chance to comeback  —  Cliff Corcoran breaks down today's Division Series games.  All games are on TBS; all times are Eastern.  —  Phillies at Brewers  —  Series: NLDS, Game 4; Phillies lead 2-1  —  Starters: Joe Blanton (9-12, 4.69) vs. Jeff Suppan (10-10, 4.96)

Speedy Rays expect damp field in Chicago  —  Matt Garza, second from right, gets ready for today's Game 3 start with the rest of the Rays as they work out at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.  —  Times]  —  CHICAGO — The Rays played hard and did a lot right to win the first two games …

Selig receives a standing ovation for this strike  —  MILWAUKEE (AP) — Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig got a standing ovation for a strike.  —  Selig threw out the first pitch Sunday before Game 4 of the NL division series between his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Red Sox try to close out ALDS  —  I'm here at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox are trying to close out a series sweep of the Angels.  The Dodgers have already closed out the Cubs, and the Phillies the Brewers, while the White Sox are leading the Rays right now in an elimination game.

Transcript: Mike Scioscia pregame in the interview room  —  Lineup?  —  MIKE SCIOSCIA: We'll have Figgie, Garret Anderson, Tex, Vlad, Torii, Rivera, Napoli, Kendrick and Aybar.  —  Can you just comment on how Figgins gets this machine going and his capacity as leadoff hitter?

Pregame notes  —  There is no need to be alarmed about the lack of J.D. Drew from the Red Sox lineup, although his ailing back did factor in to why he is sitting to start tonight's game.  Sox manager Terry Francona explained that Drew is sitting partly for health reasons, and partly for baseball reasons.

Three-year deal with Yankees tops Bobby Abreu's wish list  —  Bobby Abreu loves New York.  In the coming weeks, that love will be put to the test.  —  The outfielder will have to decide on his baseball future in the next month or two, as he hits the free agent market for the first time in his 12-year career.