Stumbling Mets fall as lead shrinks to half-game  —  WASHINGTON - As the Mets go back and forth on the merits of talking or not talking about last September's collapse, they need to keep in mind the most important thing: Making sure it doesn't happen again.  —  So far, the Mets are not doing a very good of that.

Is the clock striking midnight in Tampa?  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Attaboy, Scott Kazmir.  —  Great way to set the tone for your team.  —  First pitch, in the immortal words of Bob Uecker, was “just a little bit outside.”  Nine straight balls later, there were two men on, setting up a three-run jack by David Ortiz.

Holliday pleads his case  —  The Rocks have five home games remaining in a lost season.  Matt Holliday might have that many remaining in his Rockies career.  —  Holliday says he hasn't given it a lot of thought but acknowledges there will be some emotional detritus if that's how it works out.

Brewers fire manager Yost  —  He didn't have the answers for collapse, general manager says  —  Desperately trying to awaken a sleep-walking team that has damaged its chances of making the playoffs after a 25-year post-season drought, the Milwaukee Brewers fired manager Ned Yost on Monday …

Cano on bench for White Sox opener  —  Girardi opts to sit second baseman a day after not hustling  —  NEW YORK — When Robinson Cano misplayed a ground ball against the Blue Jays on Aug. 30, sending an errant flip to Derek Jeter that ignited a Toronto rally, manager Joe Girardi backed up his second baseman.

MLB's feel-good stories (cont.)  —  Maybe CC's initials should be CD (California Dreamin')  —  The latest scuttlebutt heard on Sunday is that Sabathia does not want to go to the Yankees, who are nonetheless expected to make the biggest bid for the free-agent star.

Wrapping it up from the Bronx  —  * Hideki Matsui told reporters after the game that once the Yankees are eliminated, he likely would have his knee surgery.  But he wants to wait until that point and he hopes to play in another game or two.  —  * The Yankees love them some Phil Coke.

Bullpen lets down White Sox  —  Wassermann, Ramirez struggle in seventh inning vs. Yankees  —  NEW YORK — In the midst of talking about a 4-2 defeat suffered by his White Sox before 53,236 at Yankee Stadium on Monday night, Ozzie Guillen might have come up with another catch phrase worthy …

Willis returns and Rogers goes for Tigers  —  Left-hander goes five innings and gets no decision; veteran might be finished in Detroit.  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — A second look at Dontrelle Willis, a last glance at Kenny Rogers and yet another defeat.  —  On the night Willis returned …

Kuroda, Dodgers cruise past Pirates  —  Righty tosses seven shutout innings; Saito, Penny return  —  PITTSBURGH — It would have been fittingly historic had Hiroki Kuroda been allowed to finish out Monday night's 8-2 win over the Pirates, but Dodgers manager Joe Torre needed those last two innings to address two question marks.

PEDRO LIVID OVER POSADA DISS  —  WASHINGTON - Jorge Posada dredged up the past yesterday, and Pedro Martinez didn't appreciate it one bit.  —  Told that Posada had accused him of having “no class” for his actions in the notorious Yankees-Red Sox brawl during Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS …

Papelbon throws some heat at critics  —  Critics of closer get a brushback  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Jonathan Papelbon, one week ago, was surging toward another untouchable autumn, more infield jigs and magazine covers to come.  He allowed zero earned runs from July 21 to Sept. 8 …

Rose vs. Jeter  —  A comment from brilliant reader DJ: … Now, let's me say as kindly as possible that even though the above comment is technically accurate there are about 200 things wrong with it.  But before I get to those I want to say that DJ's main point is exactly right: It's fun to match up Pete Rose and Derek Jeter.

Gulf Coast League Top 20 Prospects  —  Hicks leads off a talented group  —  The Rookie-level Gulf Coast League is where most teenage prospects get their first exposure to U.S. professional baseball, either fresh out of the draft or after playing in the Dominican or Venezuelan summer leagues.

Tony Kornheiser's Awkward On-Air Apology  —  Well after hearing Kornheiser's fourth quarter apology last night, I decided to run back through the game and find the original “laundry” quote.  Here are both that one and the apology spliced together....  “I took high school Spanish …