Instant replay to begin in series starting Thursday  —  MLB Instant Replay To Start On Thursday  —  NEW YORK — Major League Baseball reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check video on home run calls in series that start Thursday.

YANKS FACING ‘WILD’ PLAYOFF ROAD  —  EVEN SWEEPING THE SOX MAY NOT BE ENOUGH  —  Sweep dreams?  How about sweep and still weep?  —  With the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium's third base dugout for the start of a three-game series tonight, everybody is jazzed over the resumption of the greatest rivalry in baseball between blood rivals.

RBI Algebra 101  —  Predicting RBI totals is a tough challenge for fantasy team owners.  —  Hitting ability plays a large part in driving in runs, the offensive context also matters.  A less powerful hitter with more opportunities may drive in more runs than someone batting behind poor offensive players.

Morrow's first start for M's will be against Yankees  —  Brandon Morrow, who pitched Tuesday night for Triple-A Tacoma as part of the Mariners' quest to make him a starting pitcher, will get one more start early next week.  —  After that, the Mariners will be able to promote him thanks to roster expansion …

Kenny Rogers placed on waivers, could be traded soon  —  His experience in postseason is a plus  —  If a trade involving Tigers left-hander Kenny Rogers is going to happen before the end of this season, it likely will occur within the next several days.  —  The deadline to set postseason rosters …

Report: With Maine on DL, Mets may call up Niese  —  NEW YORK — With John Maine back on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, the New York Mets are reportedly eyeing their farm system for pitching help.  —  Newsday reported that the Mets are preparing to call up top pitching prospect Jon Niese …

Lamb's bat won't be silent for long  —  Look for third baseman Mike Lamb, designated for assignment Monday by Minnesota, to land somewhere.  Lamb could be a good fit for a few National League contenders looking for a left-handed bat off the bench.  —  The Twins signed Lamb to a two-year …

Fuentes on bereavement list; Register called up  —  Willy Taveras discussed the standings, and made a proclamation.  —  “We are still in the race,” said Taveras today as the Rockies play the San Francisco Giants while trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks by seven games in the National League West.

From the Basement, It's No Wonder Radio Reception Is Poor  —  Ah, the dog days of summer.  Time to kick back, relax on the porch with a tall glass of lemonade and listen to the quintessential sound of the season: the ballgame on the radio.  —  These days, however, hardly anyone's tuning in.

Marlins face costly offseason with 18 players eligible for arbitration  —  When it comes to stretching a dollar, the Marlins are pretty much the kings of Major League Baseball.  —  Yet their vaunted front office will have trouble making all (or even most) of the pieces fit this winter.  —  Eighteen.

Pirates Notebook: Getting antsy for Alvarez  —  The Pirates are running low on patience with Pedro Alvarez.  —  Ten full days have passed since the team and its first-round draft pick agreed to terms on a $6 million signing bonus, but Alvarez has yet to report for his physical or introductory news conference.

Fukudome still making progress  —  PITTSBURGH —Just like that, Kosuke Fukudome might be on his way back to becoming an every-day fixture in the Cubs' lineup.  —  And if manager Lou Piniella has his way, back to the No. 5 spot in the order.  —  Just one day after Piniella …

Delgado hits two homers as Mets top Astros, 9-1  —  Mets starter Mike Pelfrey delivers a pitch Monday night against the Houston Astros.  (Bruce Gilbert, Newsday / August 25, 2008)  —  The cheers rose out of the throats of 49,791 Mets fans at Shea Stadium last night as Carlos Delgado celebrated among …