Notes: Marlins look to play spoiler  —  Club hopes to knock Braves out of playoff contention  —  MIAMI — Stuck in last place in the National League East, the Marlins are now in position of playing the role of spoiler.  —  The Braves, meanwhile, headed into Monday seven games behind …

Anderson leads Halos past Mariners  —  Left fielder drives in three; Lackey goes nine shutout innings  —  SEATTLE — For their biggest game of the season thus far, the Angels had the right combination to throw at the Mariners.  —  John Lackey — in a diminished condition with a throat infection …

Yankees are losing at this game of catch  —  NEW YORK — For a flickering moment, there was a race in the American League East, when the Yankees cut the margin to four games eight days ago.  But there is no more.  At least not now.  —  The three-game series that begins tonight offers …

Tigers chase Mussina, rout Yankees 16-0  —  DETROIT (AP) — Justin Verlander found his groove on the mound, and the Detroit Tigers rediscovered their stroke at the plate.  —  Verlander shut down the New York Yankees with his best stuff since throwing a no-hitter while Detroit roughed …

NL Central  —  The Chicago Cubs host the Milwaukee Brewers for three games, with the Cubs leading the division by 1 1/2 games.  It's the last time this season the two clubs face each other. … The Cubs lead the season series so far despite Milwaukee out homering them 20-9.

Pedro takes major step toward big leagues  —  JUPITER, Fla. - It was a strategy move, but Pedro Martinez was having none of it.  —  Frank Cacciatore, manager of Single-A St. Lucie, looked at the situation and thought the move was obvious.  Martinez had one out and runners on second and third in the sixth inning of a tie game.

Astros fire manager Garner, GM Purpura  —  HOUSTON — Less than two years ago, the Houston Astros were celebrating their first National League pennant.  On Monday, they were starting over.  —  Manager Phil Garner and general manager Tim Purpura were fired by owner Drayton McLane …

Time Torre throws changeup at rotation  —  DETROIT - A few days ago, Mike Mussina scoffed at any notion that he needed to pitch well last night to retain his spot in the rotation.  —  "Who would they replace me with?"  Mussina asked dismissively.  —  Three innings into a third straight disastrous start …

Presidential hopeful Giuliani weighs in on Bonds' record  —  DETROIT (AP) -Rudy Giuliani wants to be president, but he still thinks like a prosecutor when it comes to Barry Bonds.  —  Giuliani was asked about Bonds' controversial pursuit of the career home-run record while attending Monday …

McReynolds to be missed by many  —  Scout was a major influence in the baseball community  —  You won't find a copy of "Moneyball" in the office of Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan, but you will find a copy of "The Baseball Scout's Notebook" within easy reach of his desk.

Dodgers hold off Nationals, gain in West  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Derek Lowe won despite giving up three homers, Ramon Martinez hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and the Los Angeles Dodgers gained ground in the NL West with a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.