Dukes, Lannan help Nats stun rivals  —  Slugger's three-run shot, starter's stellar outing hamper Mets  —  WASHINGTON — What a difference a week makes.  Last Tuesday at Shea Stadium, Nationals left-hander John Lannan allowed the Mets five runs in just three innings of work.

Torre, Santo, Hodges added to veterans' ballot  —  COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Joe Torre, Ron Santo and Gil Hodges are among 10 players on the latest Hall of Fame ballot for Veterans Committee voters.  —  Dick Allen, Jim Kaat and Luis Tiant are on the list, made up of major leaguers whose careers began in 1943 or later.

Henry: Epstein has new deal  —  Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has agreed to a contract extending beyond this season, but the deal has not yet been formalized or signed, according to owner John Henry.  —  “We are all on the same page with regard to our vision for the organization,” Henry wrote in an e-mail this afternoon.

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 …

Lawmaker blasts deal for new Yankee Stadium … ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Taxpayers and ticket buyers are the losers in plans to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in public subsidies to build the new Yankee Stadium, a New York lawmaker said Tuesday.  —  Assemblyman Richard Brodsky …

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.

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 …

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.

The Wheel of Change  —  With the firing of Ned Yost yesterday with less than two weeks to go in the regular season, I thought it would be interesting to continue the errata from It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over: The Baseball Prospectus Pennant Race Book with this tidbit on managerial changes and pennant winners.

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.

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.