BLUE JAYS RELEASE DESIGNATED HITTER FRANK THOMAS  —  The Frank Thomas era in Toronto has come to an end.  —  TSN has learned that the 39-year old designed hitter has been released by the Blue Jays, one day after being benched as the teams' starting designated hitter.

Another Growing Pain in Yanks' Young Arms  —  BALTIMORE — Brian Cashman did not count on the injuries, the suspensions or the offensive struggles of the Yankees' powerful lineup.  But Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, said he expected all along that the team's young starters would wobble early on.

Schneider sore, OK after injury scare  —  X-rays negative after backstop's left arm struck by foul tip  —  PHILADELPHIA — The Mets could exhale when Aaron Heilman extricated them from danger in the eighth inning on Saturday, but in the ninth and for nearly 90 minutes after they completed …

Madden: Payback is a pitch  —  When Kyle Farnsworth fired that “I was only trying to throw inside” haymaker pitch that actually almost conked Manny Ramirez on the back side of his head Thursday night, you could almost hear the collective “it's about time!” chorus from Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez & Co.

Bannister digs into stats to pile up pitching feats  —  It had to happen sooner or later.  —  All those new-wave statistics that are taking baseball far beyond earned-run average, runs batted in and batting average.  All the cutting-edge research into what really is meaningful — and what isn't — in judging player performances.

METS PLAN ON EDDIE TO BE THERE IN END  —  RELIEVER COULD GO FROM AA TO SHEA  —  THE Mets' top pick in last June's draft was for more than a re liever.  With their selection of Eddie Kunz, the Mets envisioned him eventually becoming Billy Wagner's successor.

Orioles' Burres, Johnson shut out Yanks  —  BALTIMORE (AP)—Ian Kennedy struggled to find the strike zone, and it cost the New York Yankees.  —  Brian Burres started and pitched 5 2-3 innings for the Orioles in a 6-0 win Saturday night, while Kennedy couldn't get past the third inning.

Fukudomania  —  Be it t-shirts, headbands or jerseys, Cubs fans wear their love of Japanese outfielder on their sleeves  —  The sidewalks surrounding Wrigley Field are always hopping on game days, as barking vendors and boisterous fans converge in an outdoor market filled with Cubs gear.

The World Series the Cubs (maybe) gave away  —  The odometer has turned here in Chicago, where, as readers of just about any sports section know, the Cubs are in Year 100 of their World Series chase.  Or, as a local T-shirt entrepreneur puts it, the Cubs are going for their “Century Peat.”

Phillies Notes: Recovering Lopes pays a visit to team  —  Davey Lopes showed up at Citizens Bank Park yesterday, a little more than a month after undergoing successful surgery for prostate cancer.  —  Lopes said he hopes to rejoin the team as its first-base coach possibly before the end of the month.

Joba to return tonight  —  Word here at Camden Yards is that Joba Chamberlain will rejoin the team in time for tonight's game against the Orioles.  —  He has not pitched since April 10 but did throw to a catcher twice while he was in Nebraska attending to his father.