Prospectus Today  —  Good D  —  You have to give the Mets this: they're not boring.  —  Last night, they blew a pair of early leads, allowed five home runs and seven runs total, but hung on for a 9-7 road win over the Phillies.  It was the Mets' 21st win by two or fewer runs and the seventh …

Aces go 1-on-1: Schill, Santana duel  —  MINNEAPOLIS - The way Johan Santana was striking out Red Sox batters last night, memories of two historic pitching performances by Roger Clemens came to mind.  —  Curt Schilling?  —  He wasn't nearly as dazzling, but that didn't mean he wasn't as effective as the Twins southpaw.

Teixeira working on glitch in swing  —  ARLINGTON - With an assist from hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo, Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira said he's identified the mechanical issue in his swing that has caused a significant drop in run production.  —  Now comes the tough part: fixing it.

Dodgers-Padres Preview  —  Brad Penny looks to win his sixth straight decision for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they continue a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday.  —  Penny (7-1, 2.34 ERA) is 5-0 with a 2.03 ERA over seven starts since his lone loss of the season at Arizona on May 1.

Weaver Gives a Little Bo Peek  —  Jered is the first Angel to win his first four starts since Belinsky with a 4-1 victory over Kansas City.  —  If this was goodbye, then it's probably only for a little while.  —  On the same day the Angels announced that Bartolo Colon would rejoin …

Bartlett's back; Batista's out  —  The Twins gave their roster a jolt late Tuesday night, designating third baseman Tony Batista for assignment and promoting Jason Bartlett from Class AAA Rochester.  —  Bartlett will join the team tonight and replace Juan Castro as the team's starting shortstop.

Mets vs. Phils: The unrivalry  —  PHILADELPHIA — For 44 years, ever since the inception of the Metropolitan Baseball Club, the two franchises have shared the same league and/or the same division.  A mere 100 miles apart, they remain the closest of neighbors, separated by half the geography …

Alex the not -so-great hears it  —  Alex Rodriguez uses a performance enhancer every day.  His dealer is on the other end of the phone lines, peddling designer stuff that gives A-Rod a needed boost.  —  It's not what you might think.  This elixir is legal, created for captains of industry …

Grimsley fiasco could shake precious balance  —  Here they go again.  —  The tension between major-league players and owners, which had diminished in recent years, is again simmering over the Diamondbacks' handling of disgraced reliever Jason Grimsley.  —  Ken Kendrick, the Diamondbacks …

Billy saves best for former team  —  PHILADELPHIA - Billy Wagner insisted he felt no extra adrenaline rush from pitching in his former home for the first time.  —  The situation - the tying run at first base and playing in a homer-friendly park - provided enough juice.  —  "I've got 10 years in.

Cards Notebook: Ankiel out for season  —  PITTSBURGH — Rick Ankiel, pitching phenom reinvented as an outfielder, will miss the rest of the season after having knee surgery last month to correct an injury sustained in spring training.  —  Ankiel will not play until 2007, Cardinals officials confirmed Tuesday.

Search continues for leadoff hitter  —  Devil Rays' Crawford among possibilities  —  Washington - The Rockies' problems start at the top.  General manager Dan O'Dowd knew this past winter, this spring and this season that the leadoff spot could become an issue.

Away from game, Manny connects  —  MINNEAPOLIS — These days, not many people get up-close-and-personal time with Manny Ramirez, outside of his family, friends and teammates.  That's simply how the Red Sox slugger prefers it.  —  A small glimpse inside his life yesterday morning, however …

Notes: Patterson's return delayed  —  Right-hander will start for Class A Potomac on Saturday  —  WASHINGTON — Right-hander John Patterson was hoping to be activated from the disabled list and pitch against the Yankees on Saturday, but after talking to general manager Jim Bowden …

Benitez has Giant issues to resolve Closer unhappy with negativity on team, comment by Miller  —  SAN FRANCISCO — Armando Benitez is unhappy with the Giants and fed up with what he perceives as excessive criticism from the club's broadcasters.  —  In an animated conversation with this newspaper …