Giambi powers Pavano past O's  —  Right-hander earns win in return with support from slugger  —  BALTIMORE — Carl Pavano's career in pinstripes has been unique, to say the least.  The right-hander, who has pitched just 20 games in a Yankees uniform over the course of his four-year …

Don't expect Pavano to be consistent help  —  Carl Pavano is still a colossal disappointment, the appropriate butt of countless jokes and hands down the most overpaid athlete in Yankees history.  Heck, he's probably the most overpaid athlete in New York sports history, too.

SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH DANIEL MURPHY  —  The Post's Steve Serby chatted with the 23-year-old rookie who has gone from off-the-radar minor leaguer to key contributor to the Mets' late-season surge.  —  Q: Tell me the story about when you arrived at Jacksonville University and they asked each player for his name, hometown and position.

Bloomquist unlikely to play again in '08  —  Free-agent-to-be would like to return to Mariners next season  —  SEATTLE — Willie Bloomquist walked into the home clubhouse at Safeco Field on Saturday afternoon with a noticeable limp.  —  It has been two weeks since the Mariners …

Thrown a curve, kindness is my buoy  —  I've always thought the real lesson in Jim Bouton's classic book, “Ball Four” was found in its final passage, when he wrote, “you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

Beckett to Miss Tuesday's Start Against Yanks  —  Red Sox RHP Josh Beckett won't be facing the Yankees on Tuesday after skipping a bullpen session yesterday because of continued numbness and tingling in his pitching arm.  —  Manager Terry Francona said Beckett has “inflammation” …

Pence seeks to sharpen mind  —  Outfielder studies chess on day off after baserunning miscue  —  NEW YORK — Hunter Pence sat in his fold-up chair and stared at the alternating blue and white boxes on the page.  He was reading about chess, a game the 25-year-old Astros outfielder has begun …

Drew out of lineup with herniated disc  —  Outfielder misses fourth straight game, awaiting MRI results  —  TORONTO — A clinical examination on Friday revealed that Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew has a herniated disc in his back.  Drew also underwent an MRI exam, which did not reveal anything major.

Teixeira homers, K-Rod closes out Angels' win  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — If anyone thought the Los Angeles Angels were just biding their time until the playoffs came around, they needed to look no further than the efforts of Mark Teixeira and Torii Hunter.  —  Teixeira went 3-for-3 …

Our Conversation With Stan Kasten  —  When Ryan Zimmerman socked out that game winning homer against The Atlanta Braves on March 30th at New Nationals Park, not many watching that crisp cool night believed Our Number 11's Walk Off would be one of the few high level marks for Our Washington Nationals in 2008.

Maine: Offseason surgery needed  —  John Maine (pictured) told The Post after tonight's loss to the Astros that he expects to have arthroscopic surgery after the season to remove a painful bone spur in his right shoulder.  Maine, who gave up a season-high eight earned runs in the 8-3 setback …

Toronto pounds Red Sox 11-0  —  TORONTO — With starting pitcher Jesse Litsch, franchise player Vernon Wells and the rest of the Toronto Blue Jays batters elevating their games, the team had the look of a playoff contender on Saturday.  —  It will take many more games like this one to put …