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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

Kazmir speared by Boston  —  Rays fall into tie with Red Sox for first place in AL East  —  ST. PETERSBURG — A battle for first place in the American League East never materialized on Monday night, as the Red Sox flexed their muscles early and often in a 13-5 route of the Rays in front of a crowd of 29,772 at Tropicana Field.

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.

Guillen's presence could have helped 2008 Mariners  —  I talked briefly with Royals outfielder Jose Guillen before this one started.  —  Guillen has, after a slow start, come on to have a decent (.263, 20 homers, 93 RBIs) season for a Kansas City team that's only claim to fame is that they're …