Red Sox invincible?  Not any more  —  Everyone is starting to realize that this Red Sox team is not the same as the World Series champs of 2007, but it's more than the loss of Manny Ramirez that has lessened their aura of invincibility.  —  In fact, even with a split at Tropicana Field …

Close pitches cause benches to clear  —  Martin plunked, buzzed before Kuroda nearly hits Victorino  —  LOS ANGELES — Tempers flared and benches cleared during the third inning of Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, sparking more than a fair bit of animosity between the Dodgers and Phillies.

GIRARDI SHOULDN'T TRY TO BE THE NEXT JOE  —  LOS ANGELES - To be around Joe Torre again is a reminder of his impressive blend of self-confidence, serenity and stature.  —  Torre exudes a comfort in his own skin and, thus, brings a comfort to those who enter his sphere.

Final Elias Rankings - American League Starting Pitchers  —  More on how these are calculated can be found with the National League rankings.  Again, caveats about the accuracy of my DL data apply, as just being a day off on the DL days can lead to significant changes in the rankings.

Bursting at the seams  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Picked-up pieces from the floor of the Trop Dome while singing Warren Zevon's “I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.”  — Day game today.  What are we going to do with ourselves?  It just won't be the same without a 3 a.m. postgame autopsy.

Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees  —  By Tim Dierkes [October 13 at 11:16am CST]  —  Next up in our Offseason Outlook series, the Yankees.  Their likely 2009 commitments:  —  C - Jorge Posada - $13.1MM  —  C - Jose Molina - $2MM  —  1B -  —  2B - Robinson Cano - $6MM  —  SS - Derek Jeter - $20MM

Harshman to sell final Yankee Stadium home run baseball  —  [oas:casperstartribune.net/news/ wyoming/top:Middle1]  —  Steve Harshman spent about a week soliciting advice on whether to sell the final home run baseball at Yankee Stadium, which he snagged on Sept. 21.

Bay's statement  —  There is no comparing anyone left in the postseason to Jason Bay.  —  His 11 hits lead every batter in the playoffs.  His nine RBIs tie him for first with the Phillies' Shane Victorino.  His three home runs tie him for second behind the Rays' B.J. Upton.

Mailbag: Long-term deal for Hamilton?  —  Beat reporter T.R. Sullivan answers Rangers fans' questions  —  What are the odds that Texas signs Josh Hamilton to an extension this offseason that will keep him here beyond 2012?  —  It will be a priority for the Rangers.

Clutch, heady play helped Rays to badly needed win  —  BOSTON — There were plenty of reasons why the Rays won Saturday/Sunday's marathon 11-inning thriller 9-8, which officially evened the American League Championship Series and theoretically may have tipped the momentum in their favor.

Romo to miss up to one month with broken pinkie  —  IRVING, Texas — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has a broken finger on his throwing hand and could be out for up to four weeks.  —  Romo, who had started 30 straight regular-season games since replacing Drew Bledsoe in 2006 …

Mound Visits By Dusty Baker Are Somewhat Unnerving To Nine-Year-Olds  —  What I learned this weekend: Dusty Baker can mismanage a pitching staff even if it consists of 9- and 10-year-olds.  OK, in his defense, his team was enjoying a 25-3 lead when Baker inserted his son, Darren, in relief in the fourth inning on Saturday.

Playoffs Today  —  It should be a nice afternoon for a game in Boston as Matt Garza and Jon Lester batter in the Back Bay.  Garza lived up to expectations this season, increasing his MLB innings by 100 over 2007 while maintaining nearly the same ERA.  Graza allowed fourteen of his nineteen home runs …