ALSC: Detroit takes a 3-game lead  —  DETROIT (AP) — The Big Hurt has been a big bust in the AL championship series.  —  Same with Nick Swisher and Marco Scutaro.  —  Frank Thomas and Swisher were the top home-run hitters for the Oakland Athletics this season.

Bochy enters Cubs mix  —  Padres manager may be front-runner  —  Cubs' general manager Jim Hendry has met with all five managerial candidates on his original list, but his final choice may be "none of the above."  —  In what could be a fast-moving chain of events, San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy …

A-Rod OK After Plane Skids Off Calif. Runway  —  Agent Scott Boras Confirms; No Injuries Reported  —  (CBS/AP) BURBANK, Calif. A private jet, carrying Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and six others, overran a runway at Bob Hope Airport on Friday and was brought to a halt by an arresting system.

Selig ponders postseason changes  —  Baseball might consider reward for division winners  —  While the first round of the playoffs is likely to stay a best-of-five series, Wild Card teams might find a tougher road next season, commissioner Bud Selig said Friday.

Flat Albert  —  Rips Glavine, despite taking 0-fer  —  Albert Pujols was less than impressive in last night's NLCS opener.  He was even less impressed with Mets starter Tom Glavine.  —  A peeved Pujols snapped at reporters following his -for-3 outing that included a costly baserunning blunder …

Former Phillie Johnny Callison dies at 67 … PHILADELPHIA // Johnny Callison, the strong-armed outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies who won the 1964 All-Star game with a ninth-inning homer, died at 67.  —  He died Thursday at Abington Hospital following an illness, Phillies spokesman Larry Shenk said Friday.

Anderson undergoes elbow surgery  —  Vet has bone chips removed, expected to need three weeks  —  LOS ANGELES — Dodgers outfielder Marlon Anderson underwent arthroscopic surgery this week to remove bone chips from his right elbow.  He is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

Bringing in the Lefty  —  One facet that I highlighted in my NLCS preview at Baseball Prospectus was the vulnerability of the Mets' two big sluggers, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado, to lefthanded pitching.  Last night, with Jeff Weaver beginning to falter in the sixth inning …

A meeting of the minds  —  Belichick hits it off with La Russa  —  NEW YORK — I was shelling peanuts and hardly paying attention as Tony La Russa delivered a rambling answer to a pregame question regarding the expanded format of today's baseball playoffs.

Friday's MLB Transactions  —  BALTIMORE ORIOLES-Claimed SS Luis Hernandez off waivers from Atlanta.  Sent RHP Julio Manon, RHP Winston Abreu and INF Angel Chavez outright to Ottawa of the IL.  —  CHICAGO WHITE SOX-Announced the contract of Tim Raines, bench coach, will not be renewed.

Floyd available for pinch hitting for Mets  —  NEW YORK (AP) - Mets left fielder Cliff Floyd wasn't in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the NL championship series Friday night after reinjuring his left Achilles tendon in the opener against St. Louis.  —  Floyd, who hobbled off after two innings …

Crosstown successes (cont.)  —  Boss refused Torre's offer  —  During a phone call that might have saved Torre's job, Torre apologized to Steinbrenner for the Yankees' pathetic postseason showing and told Steinbrenner that if he didn't trust him, he could fire him, which turned out to be Torre's best strategy of the year.