Johnny Damon is shaky in center as Yankees fall to Toronto, 2-1  —  TORONTO - The Yankees held a players-only meeting less than an hour before Tuesday night's game in an attempt to reinforce the obvious: Time is running out.  —  The meeting didn't do much to inspire the Yankees' bats …

Reds urge patience in letter to fans  —  CINCINNATI (AP)—Dear fans: Please be patient.  —  The Cincinnati Reds explain why they traded stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn and ask for patience in a letter sent to fans this week.  —  “By executing these inevitable changes now …

METS SIGN AL REYES  —  ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO UPGRADE BULLPEN  —  The Mets today tried another avenue to upgrade their bullpen by signing Al Reyes, who was recently waived by the Tampa Bay Rays, to a minor-league contract, The Post has learned.  —  Reyes was released by the Rays on Aug. 9 …

PELFREY TO PEN PERFECT IN PINCH  —  THE Mets have an aching need in their bullpen, and Mike Pelfrey is the best man for the Joba.  —  Pelfrey does not have the overpowering stuff of Joba Chamberlain.  But he has the best combination of skills to re-enact for the Mets what Chamberlain …

DRUNK HIDEKI IRABU ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING BARTENDER  —  Staff and Wire Reports … Last updated: 2:44 am

Projected Elias Rankings  —  The good news is that I have finally, with reasonable certainty, figured out the disabled list adjustment in the Elias Rankings.  The bad news is that it requires going through every player's transactions data and does not lend itself to quick updating.

Tom Krasovic (Contact)  —  PHOENIX — Greg Maddux, a future Hall of Famer who graced the Padres with his pitching and professionalism, gave them a parting gift when he consented to a trade to the Dodgers that was approved Tuesday by the commissioner's office.

Baseball's Olympic dream teams … In a dream world, the best baseball players on the planet would stop whatever they're doing every four years, pick up their bats and their gloves and their pine tar and make a pilgrimage to the Olympic Games, where national pride and Olympic ideals would combine …

Beckett's next start is delayed  —  Team wants to determine source of arm numbness  —  Josh Beckett's next start has been pushed back.  —  BALTIMORE - Because of the tingling and numbness that Josh Beckett has been experiencing in his right arm since waking up Sunday …

Nolasco pitches, hits the Marlins to win  —  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Ricky Nolasco won a pot of cash for his first career complete game - thanks to the Marlins' nearly two-year drought without a pitcher going the distance.  —  Nolasco pitched a two-hitter for his first shutout and drove in two runs …

Prospectus Hit and Run  —  Park Adjusted Defensive Efficiency  —  Last week, in my look at the Twins' rotation, I made reference to this year's Park-Adjusted Defensive Efficiency statistics, and noted that the Twins were dead last in the American League in that category.

U.S. Tops Japan  —  Team USA to face Cuba in semifinals  —  After 10 scoreless innings, no one could have blamed Team USA manager Davey Johnson if he played for one run in the 11th.  But Johnson decided to go for a big inning, which paid off in a 4-2 win over Japan.

Surging Twins knock off reeling A's 3-1  —  MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—The Minnesota Twins stuffed equipment bags and suitcases to their brims, preparing for two full weeks on the road and a defining stretch of this so-far successful season.  —  Before they left, they crossed one more item off the list …