Jays manager Gaston extended 2 years  —  TORONTO (AP)—Cito Gaston signed a two-year contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays before their home finale Thursday night against the New York Yankees.  —  Toronto has a 48-36 record since Gaston replaced John Gibbons on June 20.

Unconventional Wisdom: Breaking down the Mets bullpen … If the Mets miss the playoffs this year, they'll remember Aug. 2 as the day their season irrevocably turned.  In the ninth inning of a game against the Astros, interim manager Jerry Manuel summoned Billy Wagner to protect a 4-2 lead.

Rivera Is Aching, but Yankees Can't Agree Where It Hurts  —  TORONTO — Mariano Rivera pitched four times in five days before the Yankees were eliminated from playoff contention this week.  On Thursday, he left the team to return to New York for a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his right shoulder.

White Sox trying lock up GM Williams  —  NEW YORK — White Sox general manager Ken Williams is discussing a new contract with club owner Jerry Reinsdorf, SI.com has learned.  —  Williams is said to be amenable to an extension, and people familiar with the talks expect a new deal to be consummated fairly soon.

Part 2: Winter moves may hit M's hard at plate  —  There is one distraction Raul Ibanez has been unable to block out as he puts together one of his finest seasons.  —  Ibanez compares himself to “a racehorse with blinders on” because of the way he can focus on nothing more than the task ahead.

postGame: Mets 7 Cubs 6  —  My heart, hairline and sanity can't take much more of this but somehow Carlos Beltran's line drive in the bottom of the ninth went threw Micah Hoffpauir's glove and the Mets came back to defeat the Cubs 7-6 at a very soggy Shea Stadium tonight.  —  For a recap, boxscore and stats, click here.

Baseball's playoff teams start to map strategies  —  For the five teams already in the playoffs, this final weekend of the regular season is about preparation, strategy and auditions.  —  Managers of the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox …

Weather may upset baseball schedule  —  Much of the East Coast is expected to get heavy rain over the next few days, and that could complicate pivotal games involving the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, two teams that with the Milwaukee Brewers are in the National League playoff hunt.

Cakes on Moose  —  We debated last week, right here at The School of Roch, whether Mike Mussina belonged in the Hall of Fame.  —  Who better to ask than a Hall of Famer who's seen him pitch plenty of times?  —  I just got off the phone with Jim Palmer, not realizing that he's on the West Coast …

Cabrera greases his exit by calling out teammates  —  MINNEAPOLIS — Give Orlando Cabrera credit: Between hands of Texas Hold 'Em, playing dominoes and mastering the art of the five-minute change, shower and dash after games, the White Sox shortstop has found time to set the stage for his exit from the South Side.

Red Sox win, trail Rays by 2 in AL East  —  BOSTON (AP)—Jon Lester flirted with a no-hitter in his final tuneup before the playoffs, finishing with six innings of two-hit ball on Thursday night and leading the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians.