METS' MAINE MAN  —  YOUNG RIGHTY MOVES TO 4-0  —  Four different people came out to the mound to discuss things with John Maine.  Ramon Castro went over.  Julio Franco joined in.  Rick Peterson and David Wright made the trip.  —  Maine had been looking as if he might pitch …

Josh Hancock: R.I.P., Josh Hancock  —  R.I.P., Josh Hancock  —  A week and a half ago, our parents went to San Francisco, ostensibly to visit our sister.  As is always the case with the Leitches, they tied their visit to a Cardinals game; they come to New York once a year too, whenever the Cardinals come to Shea.

Yankee Fans Plumb the Depths  —  Another tough weekend in the Bronx with losses to the Red Sox with Pettitte and Wang pitching.  The team heads to Arlington in search of their bats.  But the fans needn't go so far.  They stay right here, with some soul searching to do.  —  The Sunday Plan

Yanks' pitching, not Torre, is to blame  —  Anyone in Knee-jerk America — that's you, mutinous occupants of the blogosphere, talk-radio land and George Steinbrenner's inner circle — ever imagine what the Yankees might look like without Joe Torre?  —  Didn't think so.  —  Torre shouldn't be fired Monday.

Duque & Valentin share same hospital  —  WASHINGTON - Orlando Hernandez, scheduled to face the Marlins tonight at Shea, flew to New York ahead of his teammates yesterday to be examined for shoulder tightness.  —  Omar Minaya said El Duque had not been scratched, but the GM suggested …

Tulowitzki turns unassisted triple play  —  Rookie shortstop gives Rockies a boost against Braves  —  DENVER — Rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki gave the Coors Field crowd something to cheer about Sunday, once they recovered their dropping jaws.  —  In the top of the seventh inning of a tied game …

Schilling playing his way into payday?  —  Right-hander Curt Schilling always seems to get the last word, and suddenly it's possible that he might regain leverage in his negotiations for a new contract with the Red Sox.  —  The Braves signed John Smoltz to a contract extension last week …

Eyes on other team from NYC  —  This is what the New York Mets' clubhouse has come to: Future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine walks by unnoticed before disappearing through a side door.  —  If not rocked by scandal - former clubhouse assistant Kirk Radomski pleaded guilty to steroids distribution …

Crasnick: Piazza fitting in with youthful A's … The Oakland Athletics' staff is doing just fine with Jason Kendall behind the dish, but longtime catcher Mike Piazza wants the pitchers to know he's available for counsel — on all sorts of matters.  —  Recently, Piazza has been racking …

Under The Knife: Never a Dull Moment by Will Carroll  —  The game within a game is what always intrigues me.  Whether it's something like the A's use of their pitchers or teams trying to figure out how best to get at Daisuke Matsuzaka, the battle plan is almost as much fun as the actual battle.

Four Weeks  —  The 2007 season hit the four week mark yesterday.  So far, the big news remains the reduction in home runs.  Versus the same point last season, runs are down 0.77 per game.  Home runs are down 0.46 per game.  At 1.6 runs per home run this season, the runs lost due …

Jays farmhand hit with 50-game ban  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Toronto minor league pitcher Matt Roney was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a drug of abuse.  —  Roney, a 27-year-old right-hander, is 2-0 with an 0.90 ERA in five relief appearances at Triple-A Syracuse.