Notes: Gotay going great as starter  —  Second baseman thriving in new role as everyday player  —  NEW YORK — It's been a tough summer for Jose Valentin.  The Mets' second baseman has been persistently plagued by a gimpy right knee, an injury that won't fully be healed without offseason surgery.

Boo-birds unite!  Let Bonds have it  —  OK, Cubs fans, it's time to gargle, pack the lozenges and head to Wrigley Field.  —  Barry Bonds, needing 5 home runs to break Hank Aaron's all-time career record, is in town for four games starting tonight.  —  No tickets?  No problem.

On James  —  Bill James will be inducted into the Shrine of the Eternals on Sunday, July 22, in Pasadena, California.  James, Yogi Berra, and Jim Brosnan comprise the ninth class of electees in voting conducted by the membership of the Baseball Reliquary.  All three honorees …

D-backs can't get bats untracked  —  Arizona manages just six hits in loss to Padres  —  PHOENIX — Although the D-backs missed Padres ace Jake Peavy Sunday afternoon, it did not matter the way Justin Germano pitched.  —  Germano, who got the start after San Diego moved back Peavy's turn …

CASTRO'S NO TYPICAL BACKUP  —  Ramon Castro hadn't started a game in nine days, pinch-hitting just once in that time.  But don't confuse inactivity with inability.  Seemingly every time Willie Randolph turns to his backup catcher, Castro comes through.  Yesterday was no different.

Phils handed 10,000th loss  —  Right-hander Eaton allows six runs in four-plus innings  —  PHILADELPHIA — Many of the Phillies' bags were packed and sitting by their lockers before Sunday's game against the Cardinals.  —  It's a standard practice of every road trip …

Sox's old faces could end up in new places  —  BALTIMORE — American League Central "showdowns" with Cleveland and Detroit are looking more and more like a string of spoiler games and auditions for 2008 for the White Sox.  —  The Sox acknowledge that's their unenviable position entering …

Mets pen happy finish  —  Mets relievers know better than to crave attention.  Most of the time when they get it, it's for all the wrong reasons.  —  Now, though, it's for all the right ones.  —  The Mets got three more innings of scoreless relief yesterday - one each from Pedro Feliciano …

Varitek gets thumbs down  —  Injured catcher is given a rest  —  Kevin Youkilis symbolized the Red Sox' day of missed chances when he struck out with a man on in the eighth inning.  (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)  —  With one out in the ninth inning yesterday and the Red Sox trailing by a run, Doug Mirabelli stepped to the plate.

Ichiro smashes yet another barrier  —  Ichiro Suzuki was a revolutionary from the day he sent foot in the major leagues, so maybe it only stands to reason that he now has a revolutionary contract, too.  For all of the money that has been thrown around in baseball in recent years, never has so much gone to a man with so little power.

Lee ends HR drought as Cubs sweep Astros  —  CHICAGO (AP) — Derrek Lee knows the reason why the Cubs are winning now.  —  Lee broke a streak of 126 at-bats without a home run with a three-run shot in the second inning to help the Chicago Cubs complete a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 7-6 win on Sunday.

Pirates Notebook: Maholm tilts starters' scale  —  ATLANTA — Look at Paul Maholm as the swing vote.  —  When he pitches as well as he has in his past nine starts, the Pirates' rotation goes from having two steady contributors in Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny to a majority of three.