LA uses same NLDS rotation for NLCS  —  Against Phillies, Lowe will be followed by Billingsley, Kuroda  —  PHILADELPHIA — Not messing with success, Dodgers manager Joe Torre on Wednesday named the same starting pitchers for the first three games of the National League Championship Series …

Dodgers / Phills  —  Rob Neyer and David Cohen both make convincing cases that Philadelphia is every bit the team Los Angeles is and then some.  Here's Rob: … And here's David: … Ok, let's dig a little deeper now.  Here are some relevant numbers for the final few months of the season.

Facts About Manny Ramirez  —  Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver joined the chorus-well, actually he stepped in front of the chorus, grabbed a mike, waved down the band and called for a spotlight-Wednesday, slamming Manny Ramirez based largely on the same secondhand stories that have passed around for more than two months.

Armstrong opens up about club's future  —  President expounds on GM search, direction of Mariners  —  SEATTLE — Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said this week that an intense determination to get the Mariners back on course via a “collaborative and inclusive” management style that worked …

Reds clear three off 40-man roster  —  Cabrera refuses Triple-A assignment, becomes free agent  —  CINCINNATI — The Reds have moved three players off their 40-man roster this week.  —  Utility player Jolbert Cabrera and pitchers Adam Pettyjohn and Jon Adkins were sent outright to Triple-A Louisville.

RUSSO: BELTRAN/CANO DEAL IN THE WORKS?  —  Frank Russo, on New York Baseball Digest Radio's Yankee Special, mentioned that his connections have shared that the Mets are accepting inquiries for Carlos Beltran.  And, further, according to Russo, his sources have also shared that there's a rumor …

Transcript: Terry Francona's Wednesday press conference  —  On ALCS pitching rotation  —  We're going to go, Daisuke, Becket, Lester, Wakefield now.  We reserve the right if something crazy happens in the middle to make a change but that's the way we're set up to go.  The reasoning is actually pretty simple.

Cubs pick up Harden's '09 option  —  Led Major League pitchers with .183 batting average against  —  CHICAGO — The Cubs took care of one offseason project Wednesday and picked up the $7 million option for pitcher Rich Harden for 2009.  —  If the Cubs had not picked up the option …

A Prayer for the Tampa Bay Rays  —  SURE, CUBS SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN SUFFERING LONGER, BUT RAYS FANS HAVE IT MUCH, MUCH WORSE.  —  Throw a rock in Chicagoland these days, and you're liable to hit a mourning Cubs fan who's old enough to remember Gabby Hartnett's spry youth.