Cards no sure thing despite lead  —  ST. LOUIS - Got some good news and some bad news for you Cardinals fans out there.  —  Which do you want first?  —  OK, the good news is your team rallied past the Tigers, 5-4, on a chilly Thursday night at Busch Stadium.

Bochy agrees in principle to become Giants' new manager  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy has agreed to become the new skipper of the San Francisco Giants, and was still working out details Thursday night after meeting with team officials most of the day.

Idle chatter  —  White Sox wanted A-Rod; Yankees monitoring Pettitte  —  ST. LOUIS — Also in this column:  —  The New York Yankees' involvement in trade talks regarding superstar Alex Rodriguez was brief and apparently is over, according to people close to Rodriguez and the team.

Phillies' Howard, Yankees' Jeter win Hank Aaron Award  —  ST. LOUIS — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter were honored Wednesday with the Hank Aaron Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive performer in each league.

Cubs' pitcher search extending to Japan  —  ST. LOUIS — The Cubs are preparing to delve into the Japanese market for the first time this off-season, with two pitchers on their radar.  —  Daisuke Matsuzaka, the 26-year-old right-hander represented by agent Scott Boras, may not be their first choice, sources said.

Rangers resume search for manager  —  After a week-long hiatus, the Rangers' managerial search might be about to recommence.  —  Arlington native Trey Hillman's Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters won the Japan Series on Thursday, freeing him to talk to the Rangers.  The question of how the interview will be conducted still remains.

AFL Showcase an All-Star caliber event  —  Inaugural game takes place Friday in Surprise, Ariz.  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Play to win.  —  That's the in-a-nutshell mindset for Arizona Fall League managers Tony DeFrancesco and Randy Ready heading into Friday night's inaugural Rising Stars Showcase at Surprise Stadium.

Mattingly to replace Mazzilli  —  Don Mattingly will replace Lee Mazzilli as Yankees bench coach, people with knowledge of the situation told Newsday Thursday.  —  The promotion brings Mattingly one important step closer to the manager's seat and solidifies him as the favorite to be Joe Torre's successor.

Nippon Ham earns Japanese crown  —  Club caps title run with 4-1 victory over Chunichi Dragons  —  SAPPORO, Japan — There wasn't much hope for the Chunichi Dragons to get the Japan Series back to Nagoya — not with the way the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters were playing.

Scuffling buddies: Dibble huge fan of Lou  —  Former closer cites Piniella's passion, love of the game  —  ST. LOUIS — Mention Lou Piniella and Rob Dibble in the same sentence, and ''The Scuffle'' immediately comes to mind.  It was one of those caught-on-tape moments that helped shape Piniella's public image — good or bad.