Ugly Outing by Mussina Casts Cloud on Future  —  In a different time, when the Yankees were touched by magic, even their horror stories had happy endings.  David Cone went from pillar to punching bag in 2000, but his season ended with a clutch relief appearance that helped win the World Series.

Start of fall  —  Summer's end has been a cruel time for the Orioles, who have suffered dismal finishes the past nine years  —  The humidity thickens, the Ravens' preseason begins, kids prepare for a new school year and the Orioles downshift from mediocre to below bad.

Mailbag: Is Ramirez the NL MVP?  —  Beat reporter Joe Frisaro answers Marlins fans' questions  —  Do you think that Hanley Ramirez is a legit National League MVP candidate despite the Marlins not being in much of a playoff race this season?  —  Players on teams with losing records typically …

A's Loaiza auditions well in loss  —  Esteban Loaiza made his final start of August, and we'll know soon if it was his final start with the A's.  —  Contenders have until Friday, the final day of August, to add players to their rosters and make them eligible for the postseason.

Owner needs to let new hires do their jobs … It was only a matter of time before somebody got tossed overboard by the sinking ship the 2007 Houston Astros have become.  —  And that was so clear to one and all, you can bet your commemorative Jeff Bagwell T-shirt that Tim Purpura …

Angels' Lackey blanks Mariners again  —  SEATTLE (AP) — John Lackey was dominant.  He was nasty.  He was just plain sick.  —  Yes, he really was.  —  Lackey, pitching with a possible case of strep throat severe enough to cause the Angels to form a Plan B in case he couldn't start …

Prospectus Hit and Run  —  Stars, Scrubs, and the Scooter  —  Last week, we looked at Replacement Level Killers as they pertained to contending teams.  We can also demonstrate just how replacement-level production can grind an entire offense to a halt.  —  We'll start with a look …

Howry: Cubs fans better than Boston rooters  —  USA Today recently proclaimed the Boston Red Sox America's team in a front-page article about their rabid fan base and national following.  —  Whether Red Sox Nation is bigger or more fervent than Cubs Nation is a debate that could draw some heated arguments.

MINAYA PLANS TWO WAVES OF SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS  —  The Mets plan to make minor-league promotions in two waves — one on Saturday on the first day permitted, and the second after Triple-A New Orleans' season ends, according to Minaya.  Joe Smith and David Newhan figure to be the first call-ups …

Column: Pirates need to talk to LaCava  —  Bob Nutting says the Pittsburgh Pirates' next chief executive officer will be a baseball man and recognizable to people inside the game.  —  Who the replacement for Kevin McClatchy will be, though, is anyone's guess.  —  Nutting is one of the most low-key owners in baseball.

Irked Wright ejected  —  PHILADELPHIA - David Wright jawed with C.B. Bucknor over disputed strikes in the fourth inning last night.  And when the plate umpire called Wright out on strikes for the third time in the game to end the top of the eighth, Wright had had enough.

Bloodied but unbowed in the NL East  —  After last night's 9-2 loss to the Phillies, Orlando Hernandez was the first one to get his hands on the remote control for the two hanging TVs in the near-empty visitors clubhouse.  Apparently, El Duque was uninterested in Pedro Martinez's start …

Sheffield goes on the DL  —  DETROIT — Gary Sheffield said this was the plan all along, that he would give his shoulder about a week to improve, and if it didn't, the next step would be the disabled list.  —  And that's what the next step was on Monday, when the Tigers placed Sheffield …