Late bloomers  —  Never-quit Red Sox score six in ninth inning to win  —  Imagine what must have been going through Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo's head when he turned, the frustration so clear, and slammed something down in the dugout after having watched a six-run ninth-inning Red Sox comeback …

1st-class star for Second City?  —  If Yankees lose A-Rod to free agency, he could wind up at short on North or South Side  —  Alex Rodriguez, once again a brand name and not an eighth-place hitter, is coming to town.  If he had not crawled into such a hitter's zone, he might want to take a little …

Marlins' Julio sent packing in trade  —  Closer dealt to Colorado for Kim  —  · Jorge Julio gave up a two-out, walk-off grand slam to Ryan Zimmerman at 1:42 Sunday morning, giving Washington a 7-3 win.  By the end of Sunday's 6-4 loss, the Marlins had traded him to the Colorado Rockies for Byung-Hyun Kim.

Floyd ready for return to New York  —  Cliff Floyd will return to the Big Apple today with mixed emotions.  —  He'll love seeing the New York fans.  —  He's somewhat indifferent about facing his former teammates.  —  And he hates the thought of going back to play at Shea Stadium.

Germano's stock rises again with strong win  —  So far, Padres' small investment paying off  —  Two months ago, the baseball industry generally deemed pitcher Justin Germano no more valuable than a Nissan Altima.  —  The Padres are grateful for it.  Able to get Germano for a mere $20,000 …

A Growing Gathering of Mets Fans in a Pinstriped County  —  WITH its proximity to Yankee Stadium and the high number of Bronx ex-pats living in the county, Westchester has long worn its pinstripes proudly.  So is it possible that those National Leaguers from Queens — they of the large-headed mascot …

Ten Days, Ten Questions and a Way To Help Out Your Favorite Tiger Website  —  Alright, I've been throwing around ideas in my head regarding this for a while and I think I'm going to finally pull the trigger.  Beginning next Monday, May 21, I'm going to start a ten day Tiger triva challenge.

Pirates Notebook: Armas' rotation status up in air  —  Tony Armas is no lock to remain in the rotation.  —  For the time being, he is listed as starting Thursday in the finale of the four-game series with the Florida Marlins that opens tonight at PNC Park.

Cust saves the day for the A's in finale  —  Designated hitter's three-run walk-off HR leads to series win  —  OAKLAND — It all changed in a blink of an eye.  The A's were down to their last strike against one of the league's top closers.  Two strikes, two outs, game all but over.

Nationals' Sweeping Promises  —  Third Straight Win Highlights Roster Realities, Potential : Nationals 6, Marlins 4  —  When the Washington Nationals filtered out of RFK Stadium for the first time yesterday — under the cover of darkness sometime after 2 a.m. — they did so with the knowledge …

Report: World Series to start midweek this year  —  In an effort to boost sagging ratings for the World Series, Major League Baseball will announce Monday that the 2007 Fall Classic will start on Wednesday instead of Saturday, USA Today reported.  —  A Wednesday start will allow baseball …

Gomez Gives Glimpse of Citi Field Outfield  —  It takes real gall to run a good baseball team, and that's what Mets manager Willie Randolph showed yesterday.  In the decisive game of a weekend series against the team with the best record in baseball, and with a starter seemingly as liable …

Indians trade Davis to Seattle  —  Tribe deals hurler to Mariners for player to be named later  —  OAKLAND — The Indians ran out of patience with and, more importantly, Minor League options on Jason Davis.  —  Now, they're shipping him off to a fresh start with a new club.