Maine pushes NLCS to the limit  —  Rookie throws 5 1/3 scoreless innings to force decisive Game 7  —  NEW YORK — For Mets fans, there is nothing quite so romantic as a Game 6 in October.  —  That flame that reached so many hearts in 1986 with a double dose of Game 6 magic was ignited again …

Agent: Matthews will explore his options  —  Center fielder expected to be hot commodity on free agent market  —  If the Rangers want to re-sign center fielder Gary Matthews Jr., they will have to get in the line.  —  It is expected to be a long line.  —  Matthews' representative …

Busy offseason doesn't appear in store for A's  —  Other than replacing Zito, handling players' contracts is primary focus  —  OAKLAND - Even with the search for a new manager, comparatively speaking, this shouldn't be a super busy offseason for the A's.  It's not like they're trading away …

Birds of Pray  —  ON Oct. 3, the first day of baseball's playoffs, a columnist for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bob Rybarczyk, wrote that he was looking forward to the St. Louis Cardinals' impending postseason "much like a green-legged Civil War soldier watches the guy walking around with the saw."

Rothschild takes blame for poor results  —  But sees better days ahead in return as Cubs pitching coach  —  The hiring of manager Lou Piniella on Tuesday overshadowed Larry Rothschild's return to the Cubs for two more seasons.  —  But as Piniella pointed out repeatedly …

Nats' List of Managerial Candidates Appears to Be Growing  —  The Washington Nationals' search for a manager is likely to continue into November because there are still potential managers involved in the playoffs with whom the team would like to speak, according to sources with knowledge of the search.

NLCS Preview: Game 6  —  Big Macs trump Endy shirts.  —  I went to the same McDonald's, got the same thing, and even sat in the same place.  You don't question the mojo — you just go with it.  Seemed to work.  —  Interestingly, this particular McD's location was all out of Big Mac boxes …

Granderson in demand by family, Tigers fans  —  DETROIT — Detroit Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson, walking downtown for lunch, can't take more than three full strides before his cellphone starts vibrating again.  —  He shuts it off, cringing at the volume of messages that'll be waiting.

Notes: Miller on the mound?  —  Detail-oriented Wednesday workout; Casey, Zumaya improve  —  DETROIT — The last time Andrew Miller was in the Tigers clubhouse, he was finishing out his first taste of the Major Leagues a few months after being drafted.  His fate on the postseason roster …

Not Easy Being Green  —  It's been a tough series for Shawn Green.  He hasn't done much at the plate, producing only one extra-base hit and one RBI in five games.  Last night, he failed to come through with a clutch hit with runners on second and third base in a 4-2 game in the eighth inning.

Notes: Red Sox mum on '07 plans  —  Team keeping quiet about what it plans to do to fill holes  —  BOSTON — Perhaps, as ace Curt Schilling predicted a month ago, the Red Sox will open the vault this winter and pay less attention to payroll and the collective bargaining tax.