Top News:
Sam Borden / NY Daily News:
A-Rod & Yanks just looking — Series swings as Tigers strike — The last pitch whizzed by Alex Rodriguez at 101 mph, his swing a futile hack. As the boos began to tumble down from above, Rodriguez leaned over and said a few words to home plate umpire Laz Diaz before trudging slowly out toward third base.
Discussion:
El Lefty Malo
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Jack Curry / New York Times:
Struggling in October, Rodriguez Finds It's All a Blur — Alex Rodriguez swung and missed, feebly, at Joel Zumaya's 101-mile-an-hour fastball and then behaved like a 7-year-old who had to put away his toys before dinner. He neatly placed his batting gloves and elbow guard inside his helmet and gave them to a batboy.
Discussion:
The Soxaholix
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Lost in Shadows, Yanks Now Turn to Johnson — Alex Rodriguez, striking out to end the eighth, was 0 for 4. He struck out three times and left three runners on base. — All of his career, Randy Johnson has been a beacon to his teams. He helped save a franchise in Seattle and helped build one in Arizona.
Sports Illustrated:
Lost Opportunity For A-Rod — As if we Derek Jeter-loving media types didn't have enough time to genuflect on his transcendent Game 1 performance, we were blessed with another half-day to recall his heroics thanks to last night's rainout. In Game 2, however, Captain Clutch didn't get it done.
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Glavine Pitches Like an Ace, Small Ball Does the Rest — José Reyes, who was 1 for 3 with a walk, after he hit a single in the sixth inning. Reyes also had two runs batted in. — As the Mets started confronting life without Pedro Martínez and Orlando Hernández, a 290-game winner lurked in the background.
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Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:NLDS: Dodgers vs. Mets: Game of Attrition
Discussion:
Amazin' Avenue
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats Contact Braves About Pendleton — The Washington Nationals' search for a replacement for ousted manager Frank Robinson has turned to Terry Pendleton, a former batting champion and the hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves, where he once played and worked under Nationals President Stan Kasten.
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Josh Suchon / Contra Costa Times:
A's need one victory to end 0-9 skid of losing clinchers — Terrence Long lost a ball in the sun. Jeremy Giambi didn't slide. F.P. Santangelo muffed a routine grounder. Practically the entire team contributed to the worst defensive inning of all-time. — Billy Koch served up a back-breaking, ninth-inning home run.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Kranitz may stay if he chooses — Joe Girardi is gone, but the Marlins want the pitching coach he brought to stay. — New manager Fredi Gonzalez spoke with Rick Kranitz on Wednesday, and indications are the Marlins want him back. First-base coach Perry Hill and hitting coach Jim Presley are strong holdover candidates.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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NY Daily News:
Time stops, not Franco — This is how the Mets know all is right again. Julio Franco, a few days removed from blowing out the candles on his 48th birthday cake, huffed and puffed his way down the first base line, and by the time he reached the bag, time had stood still.
Discussion:
Cliff Floyd's Playoff Blog
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George Willis / New York Post:
COMIN' UP SMALL IS BIG — WE ALL like home runs, the towering tape measure blasts like the one the Mets' Carlos Delgado launched over the center field wall in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers on Wednesday night. The crowd goes crazy, the Apple rises in the distance and the opposition feels abused.
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
Postseason Insider, Oct. 6 — SAN DIEGO - The first two games of the NL Division Series haven't been kind to San Diego, and its general manager, Kevin Towers. — Little else, however, has gone awry for Towers this year. — It's been one of those seasons in which even when Towers …
Discussion:
Ben Maller's Sports …
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Associated Press:
Twins' hopes resting on Radke's shoulders — OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Ron Gardenhire figured he had seen Brad Radke's final major league pitch six weeks ago when his player's injured right arm could barely throw 80 mph. — Radke had a torn labrum and stress fracture in his shoulder …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic — Q: Fred-dy! Fred-dy! — David Sculley of Sewickley — KOVACEVIC: Yeah, this just in: Freddy Sanchez is good. — Welcome, one and all, to the season-ending Q&A — a little longer than usual, so that it can be spread over several of the next few Fridays …
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Rob / 6-4-2:
The Hunt For The Precioussss: Division Series Day 3 — Victory Through Superior Tigerpower: Tigers 4, Yankees 3 — The Kittycats did that which the Dodgers could not, chasing their opponents off the field on the road with a victory in hand, ensuring a split going home to Detroit.
Andrew Marchand / New York Post:
A DIAMONDBACK IN THE ROUGH — SNAKES' BYRNES A TV HIT — The Diamondbacks' Eric Byrnes came across like a future TV star in his guest appearances on ESPN's Baseball Tonight this week. Now the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins steps into the TV batter's box as a guest analyst on Fox Sports' weekend studio show.
Discussion:
WasWatching.com
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Martínez undergoes rotator cuff surgery — NEW YORK — Former Red Sox doctor Bill Morgan was present as an observer when pitcher Pedro Martínez underwent surgery yesterday to repair a torn rotator cuff. Mets doctors David Altchek and Struan Coleman repaired the supraspinatus tendon …
