Manuel doubts Myers can be Phillies closer  —  Phillies manager Charlie Manuel made it clear he has serious doubts that Brett Myers will be able to help the club as a closer because the righthander is feeling the effects of his long layoff following hip surgery in early June.

Davis Would Return To D'Backs Or Brewers  —  Doug Davis has played his entire National League career with two teams: the D'Backs and Brewers.  Now that he's about to become a free agent, Davis tells Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic that he'd return to either club.

Central intrigue: Twins climb to within 3 of Tigers … MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Michael Cuddyer 's two-run homer was all Brian Duensing needed to beat Detroit and move Minnesota within three games of the AL Central lead, energizing the Twins in a 3-0 victory over the Tigers Friday night.

Reassessing three underachievers and notes around the majors … For most teams, it is time to turn the page on this season.  In a few cases, it has been that way for months.  But one major advantage to being eliminated early is that there is plenty of extra time to assess one's needs …

Street takes big step toward return  —  PHOENIX — Huston Street's 2009 detour is about to end.  —  The Rockies' injured closer threw about 25 pitches in a simulated game today and emerged confident and pain-free.  Street said he's been told he will be activated for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Kazmir notches first win with Angels in key victory vs. Texas  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Scott Kazmir (FSY) pitched six scoreless innings to get his first victory for the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels and Vladimir Guerrero (FSY) homered in a 2-0 victory Friday night over the slumping Texas Rangers …

Marlins save best for last, snap nine-game skid in Cincinnati  —  CINCINNATI (AP) — All those big numbers were weighing on the Florida Marlins, who needed something sensational to keep from slipping farther behind in the NL wild card race.  —  They got it against one of the NL's top closers.

Sunday to be Gallardo's season finale  —  Thanks to MLB.com contributor J.R. Radcliffe, who is covering the Brewers tonight in my wake, for passing along this note:  —  Yovani Gallardo will pitch for the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in what will serve as his final outing of the 2009 season.

Holliday homer gives Cardinals 3-2 win over Cubs  —  ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday homered off Aaron Heilman leading off the bottom of the ninth inning giving the St. Louis Cardinals a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night, reducing their magic number for clinching the NL Central to six.

Homer No. 20 a special one for Gomes  —  Cincinnati (68-79) vs. Florida (78-69), 7:10 p.m. ET  —  CINCINNATI — Home run No. 20 of the season was rife with meaning for Reds left fielder Jonny Gomes, and someone else, too.  —  Gomes went deep in the second inning of the Reds' win over the Astros on Wednesday.

Setback might end Carlos Delgado's tenure with New York Mets  —  NEW YORK — Carlos Delgado might have played his last game for the New York Mets.  —  Delgado  —  The slugger had another setback while rehabbing from right hip surgery and it appears increasingly unlikely that he'll be able …

Yankees' Pettitte eager to test out shoulder Monday  —  SEATTLE (AP) — Andy Pettitte (FSY) just wants Monday to arrive and get a true gauge of how his tired left shoulder is feeling.  —  The Yankees, already looking ahead to the postseason, would like to see a healthy Pettitte as well and put …

BUCHHOLZ BEATS ORIOLES FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT VICTORY  —  The Sports Network  —  Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Clay Buchholz won his fifth straight decision after allowing one run in six innings, and the Boston Red Sox strengthened their stranglehold on the American League wild card race with a 3-1 victory over Baltimore.

Growing up a KC fan, Crow ready to go  —  Royals' first-round Draft pick to pitch in Arizona this fall  —  KANSAS CITY — It's probably premature to expect right-hander Aaron Crow to be pitching along with Zack Greinke and Gil Meche next summer at Kauffman Stadium but, no doubt about it, the Royals have big hopes for Crow.

Can We Let the David Ortiz Injustice Die?  —  Michael Schmidt of The New York Times recounted how he set out to obtain names sealed by court order of 100-plus Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.  He wrote a story on David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

Mortgaging the Future to Pay for the Past: Was It Worth It?  —  More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP  —  From Blez's February 2006 interview with John Sickels: … Opening with the caveat that it's rarely fair to judge past predictions (knowing that hindsight is 20/20) …

Win streak has Atlanta thinking big  —  Braves sweep Mets, welcome Phils for crucial weekend set  —  ATLANTA — While there might be some pessimists and realists who are simply looking at what might have been, the Braves have put their past behind them and provided hope for the immediate future …