Red Sox: No time to bury Bombers  —  Boston won't revel in rival's struggles  —  BOSTON - The Yankees are staggering enough to have everyone in the franchise concerned.  The Red Sox are confident, loose and boast baseball's best record.  And after defeating a solid Atlanta team, 6-3 …

Dempster: Closer to starter and back  —  Ryan Dempster moved from closer to starter back to closer in a 20-minute span Sunday, capping off one of the most bizarre days in his nine-year career.  —  Dempster told reporters after Sunday's game that manager Lou Piniella asked him on Thursday …

Pitch by Pitch, the Yankees' Mood Brightens  —  The tower atop the Empire State Building will glow blue and orange for a few hours this evening.  The Mets earned that honor by winning the first two games of their series against the Yankees, but their supremacy in the city is not quite complete.

Remembering Doug Pappas: 1962-2004  —  1962-2004  —  There are days in all of our lives that we'd like to forget, days we wished had not happened.  Days that place matters in perspective.  Today is the anniversary of one of those days.  And while we might have been talking the sale of the Braves …

Breaking News: MTA, City come to terms on Yankee Stadium Metro-North hub  —  The Yankee Stadium Metro-North hub should alleviate some traffic concerns in the Bronx.  (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  Click the image for a bigger view.)

O's beat Jays 13-7 in Hall exhibition  —  COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Minor leaguer Brian Bock hit a double and two home runs, including the first grand slam he could remember, to lead the Baltimore Orioles over the Toronto Blue Jays 13-7 Monday in the annual Hall of Fame Game.

Monday Morning Ten Pack  —  Aaron Bates, 1B, High-A Lancaster (Red Sox)  —  While Lancaster's weekend was mostly bad (if not downright embarrassing), Bates provided at least one highlight for the club by smacking four home runs on Saturday.  Surprisingly enough, in a circuit known …

NL West: The Plague of Pierre  —  Ever since their team hired Billy Beane disciple Paul DePodesta as GM, traded Paul Lo Duca and acquired Hee Seop Choi and J.D. Drew in 2004, Dodger fans have been split in two camps: Those who believe that statistics predominantly tell the story of a player's value …

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.

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.

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.

BOMBERS WILL FOLLOW MLB'S LEAD ON GIAMBI'S COMMENTS  —  According to Brian Cashman, the Yankees will take their cue from Major League Baseball on what they can do about possibly voiding Jason Giambi's contract.  —  "It's all up to MLB," the GM said last night.

Carlos Zambrano's Lower Arm Slot: cause for concern?  —  I recently wrote an article on Jonathan Papelbon's arm slot issues.  My conclusion: … I had originally intended to write an article in which I discussed both Papelbon and Carlos Zambrano.  The Papelbon article ran longer than I anticipated, so I split them up.

Notes: Losing Crawford would be bad move  —  If the Devil Rays are thinking about trading left fielder Carl Crawford, they should think again, one rival general manager says.  —  "I don't think they will do it and I don't think they should," the GM says.  "He's getting better and better.

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 …

Washington's message getting through to Rangers  —  That is reason to be optimistic for Texas  —  On the way out of the Rangers' clubhouse a couple of weeks ago, still lacking a decent explanation for yet another loss, I finally heard evidence of progress.