Pen shakeup put on hold  —  Forget keeping a secret.  The Cubs can't even get it right when they finally spill it.  —  In a bizarre postgame sequence Sunday, closer Ryan Dempster confirmed a Sun-Times report that he was moving to the starting rotation, saying he was ''excited'' and planned …

Tumbling Redbirds are swept in Detroit  —  DETROIT — The conclusion is inescapable.  The Cardinals are this bad.  —  Their 6-3 loss Sunday to Detroit capped a three-game series sweep by the Tigers and extended the Cardinals' losing streak to five, the second time this season they have reached that depth.

Jones whiffs 5 times in No. 6 spot  —  Boston — With more than a quarter of the season gone and Andruw Jones' average slipping toward .200, Braves manager Bobby Cox made a move he hoped to avoid.  —  He dropped Jones from fourth to sixth in the batting order, which spoke volumes of the severity of his slump.

KID IS ALL RIGHT  —  BABY-FACED ROOKIE BAILS OUT BOMBERS  —  RON Villone played for six weeks at Triple-A with Tyler Clippard and pretty much liked everything about the lanky right-hander.  —  Before a pitch was thrown in the Subway Series finale, Villone offered a laudatory scouting report of Clippard.

BERNIE: I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE SEEN THE LAST OF ME  —  Bernie Williams remains a man without a team, but the former Yankee hasn't given up on playing again.  —  "I'm trying to stay in shape, working hard and we'll see what happens in the future," Williams told WNBC yesterday.

Up to the task  —  Gabbard gets the call and delivers Sox win  —  By the time Kason Gabbard left the mound yesterday, afternoon had turned into early evening, pouring rain had given way to a sunny, settled blue calm, and the lefthander had changed the day's pitching matchup from a raised eyebrow …

Jenkins hits 200th career homer  —  Milestone jack ties game, sets up game-winning single  —  MILWAUKEE — Geoff Jenkins still remembers standing at his locker after the Brewers' home finale last September, choking back tears after a trying year.  —  With rumors circulating that he might …

Tattooed pitcher may become Marlins' closer  —  ST. PETERSBURG — Justin Miller's body art, those pieces visible in public, led Major League Baseball to rule that he has to wear long sleeves when he pitches.  —  But it's the one seen only inside the sanctity of the major-league clubhouse …

Big Unit dominant in win over Bucs  —  Veteran lefty notches season-high 10 strikeouts  —  PITTSBURGH — There are going to be games when Randy Johnson just doesn't feel good.  —  After all, he is 43-years-old and is less than seven months removed from major back surgery.

YANKS NEED TO MAKE MOVE  —  THE Yankees have always given the impression that rivalry series such as the ones they play against the Mets and the Red Sox are annoyances; interruptions in the routine of preparing for the postseason.  —  The organization gives the impression that the games …

Hit Tracker Interview (Part 1)  —  Hands up who hasn't heard of Hit Tracker?  Right, no one ... no introduction required then!  Well, just in case you happen to be a THT virgin, I'll proffer the one paragraph version.  —  Hit Tracker was, in my opinion, the best thing to come out of the Internet in 2006.

New Marlin happy to escape San Francisco  —  · Considering the Marlins don't play the Giants until late July, it doesn't appear Todd Linden will get to witness Barry Bonds make home run history.  —  "It's all right," Linden said.  "It's a bigger gain than it will be a loss, by far."

Reliever's Spirits Sink After Best Pitch Doesn't  —  Next week, Scott Schoeneweis's wife and three children will join him for the summer, and he can't wait to see them.  —  "At least they don't care if Daddy stinks," said Schoeneweis, a left-handed reliever for the Mets.

Rangers pound Astros to win series  —  egrant@dallasnews.com  —  HOUSTON - The Rangers are coming home today.  Tom Hicks is going to Greece.  —  Hicks spent the weekend catching up with general manager Jon Daniels on Saturday and on Sunday watching his team drub Houston, 14-1, to win its first road series of the season.