Rain could scramble Mets' schedule  —  If there is anything harder to predict than how the National League wild-card race will end, it is when it will end.  An ominous forecast for New York for Friday night could mean a doubleheader Saturday — and another rainout then could bring a new meaning to “wild.”

Cranky, cranky, everybody is cranky  —  I'll try to explain this as simply as I can.  —  Before the game, Joe Girardi told us that Mariano Rivera went back to New York to get his standard end-of-the-season physical.  He wasn't going to pitch anyway, the manager said, because he had a “cranky body.”

Giambi wants to re-sign with Yankees  —  TORONTO - Jason Giambi's seven seasons in pinstripes have run the gamut.  He had 40-homer, 100-RBI seasons his first two years before being diagnosed with an intestinal parasite and a benign tumor and testifying to a grand jury that he had used steroids.

Marlins relish spoiler role  —  WASHINGTON — The Marlins didn't plan on missing the playoffs again this season, but they're at least hoping their season ends like it did in 2007 - by going to New York and eliminating the Mets.  —  “Anytime you have a chance to knock a big team …

Brace yourself for wild weekend in baseball's homestretch  —  IMAGINE THE drama.  Imagine the collective mass of several million lumps very high in several million throats.  —  Imagine the not-quite-final National League East standings showing that after 162 games the Phillies and Mets are tied for first place with 91-71 records.

Baseball's Luckiest Team  —  The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the team with the best record in baseball, have much worth admiring.  A dominant bullpen.  A strong pitching rotation.  A first-rate farm system.  —  What they truly lead the league in, though, is luck.

Halladay goes distance for No. 20  —  Ace gives vintage performance in Jays' final home game  —  TORONTO — It seemed fitting that Roy Halladay would be on the mound for the Blue Jays' final home game this season.  With Rogers Centre's dome open to welcome in the warm Toronto night on Thursday …

Twins take first on Casilla's walk-off hit  —  Second baseman singles in 10th to complete sweep of Sox  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The jubilant way that the Twins jumped into a pile following Alexi Casilla's game-winning single on Thursday night made them look like a team that had just clinched a playoff spot.

Brackman Kicks Off HWB  —  2007 first-rounder makes pro debut, finally  —  Out in Hawaii Winter Baseball, Yankees' 2007 first-round draft pick Andrew Brackman already has his eyes on grabbing a surfboard and hanging 10.  —  Well, that and finally launching his pro career come Saturday night.

Nats Are in Danger of Losing More Than Just Games  —  It's hard to lose 100 games.  The St. Louis Cardinals haven't done it since 1908.  The lousy Montreal Expos, after their initial expansion season, only did it once in their remaining 35 years in Canada.

To Pilots, Shea Is Less Ballpark Than Landmark  —  For 44 years, the procession of planes from nearby La Guardia Airport has contributed to an unusual ballpark soundtrack at Shea Stadium, the roar of jet engines a thousand feet above blending with the cracks of bats and the cries from hot dog vendors.

Ozzie fires back at Cabrera  —  MINNEAPOLIS — White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen wouldn't fault Orlando Cabrera for the shortstop's latest finger-pointing.  —  As Guillen said Thursday, that's what happens when a player “thinks he's better than what he really is.”