MAINE SINKING FAST  —  METS: 'HE'LL BE FINE'  —  John Maine's earned run average continued its ascent toward ordinary-pitcher territory yesterday.  —  After arguably deserving a spot on the NL All-Star team for his first-half accomplishments, Maine's summer nosedive continued with his third defeat …

Nats win behind Hanrahan's arm, bat  —  Rookie right-hander smacks key double, earns victory  —  SAN FRANCISCO — It's a story about two players.  One could be sent down to the Minor Leagues as early as next week, while the other has a clear mind to play the game of baseball the right way.

Ankiel propels Cardinals to win  —  Right fielder hits three-run homer in first game since 2004  —  ST. LOUIS — When it was all said and done, after his team beat the Padres 5-0, Rick Ankiel stood in front of his locker with the sweat still dripping down his face and a smile that just wouldn't go away.

Sweeney now in Dodgers blue  —  First trade between Los Angeles, San Francisco since 1985  —  ST. LOUIS — Only hours after manager Grady Little hinted at roster changes, the Dodgers made one after Thursday's game, acquiring left-handed pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney from the Giants.  —  That's right, the Giants.

Clemens Is Handed Five-Game Suspension  —  After hitting Toronto's Alex Rios in the back with a fastball on Tuesday, the Yankees' Roger Clemens did not try to claim innocence.  It was clear that Clemens was retaliating for the Blue Jays' actions toward Alex Rodriguez, and Major League Baseball agreed Thursday.

Chipper swats away Mets, N.Y. media  —  New York — Chipper Jones awoke to flaming tabloid headlines Thursday, like "CHIPPER'S A-BOMB" and "A'ROID SHOCKER," which wouldn't have been so bad if they had been paired with stories like, "I CLONED MYSELF AT BREAKFAST" and "ELVIS TAUGHT ME HOW TO HIT A CURVE."

Mr. Met for the Hall of Fame?  —  The Mets announced this week that Mr. Met is one of 12 nominees for induction to the Mascot Hall of Fame this year.  While popular sentiment would dictate that Mr. Met should be voted into the Hall, a fairer way of evaluating his candidacy …

Unfit foundation: Back of Sox rotation must shoulder some of the load  —  The Red Sox [team stats] are built to win with pitching now, and maybe that is a sign of just how far this franchise has come.  But in the here and now, as we wonder how far these Sox can go, a most curious concern has sprouted.

Ortiz is powerless in clutch  —  BALTIMORE — It remains one of the flukiest of seasons, and it was highlighted here.  —  Brady Anderson was the Red Sox minor league outfielder who was traded with a minor league pitcher named Curt Schilling to the Orioles for pitcher Mike Boddicker in 1988 …

A Longer Streak?  —  Scott Johnson writes noting that Bobby Jenks streak of retiring batters is longer than reported:  —  Photo: Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI … I've checked two sources, STATS, Inc. and BIS and both agree with Scott.  However, I almost made the same mistake.

Hairston example of Towers' acumen  —  ST. LOUIS - Kevin Towers blamed the rival Arizona Diamondbacks when the Padres last failed to win the National League West.  Towers said General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. treated the Padres like a "leper colony" when he refused to trade Steve Finley to him.

Ex-Padres farmhand fails drug test in Japan  —  TOKYO (AP) — An American pitcher is the first player to fail a drug test in Japanese baseball history.  According to the league's commissioner, Rick Guttormson tested positive for a banned substance and has been suspended for 20 days.

Positional Rankings - Shortstop  —  Shortstop is normally the crown jewel of the prospect kingdom, but that doesn't seem to be the case this year.  Making things worse is a 2007 draft class that was among the worst in years for the position.  I know there's a lot of negativity in this introduction …