Yanks first club to secure playoff berth  —  Rangers' loss to A's seals entry before rally tops Angels  —  ANAHEIM — On the evening the Yankees became baseball's first team to finalize a playoff entry, they were presented with a refresher course of just how emotional and gratifying the next month could be.

Mets' top official for Latin American talent canned  —  Fred Wilpon may have offered a vote of confidence to Omar Minaya, but the GM's inner circle quietly is being dismantled.  —  The Mets have fired Ramon Pena, the organization's top official in charge of signing Latin American talent, the Daily News has learned.

DIVIDED LOYALTIES: WHY ONE SOX OFFICIAL WILL FIND IT HARD TO ROOT AGAINST ZACK GREINKE … digit from 88 to 96 mph on the radar gun with his fastball.  —  But in 2005, Greinke took his lumps.  He went 5-17 with a 5.80 ERA, marks that were puzzling based on his stuff and his feel for the game.

Sluggish offense wastes Laffey's outing  —  Lefty allows just one run; Cabrera's defense shines  —  CLEVELAND — The Indians have found their way back into the American League Central basement.  Getting out is going to require a better effort than the one the Tribe delivered Tuesday night.

On Jackson and tipping pitches  —  One of the things pitching coach Rick Knapp mentioned Sunday that he and bullpen coach Jeff Jones were working on with Edwin Jackson in his morning side session was a quirk that they believed was tipping his slider, letting hitters know it was coming.

Jeff Francoeur Extension: Locking in Mediocrity or Worse  —  Count me among the skeptics regarding the discussion this week about providing Jeff Francoeur with a three-year, $15 million deal.  Not skeptical of if it will happen, of course; I'd bet decent money in Vegas that it will …

Joba's job on the line  —  Yankees starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain reacts on the mound after giving up a three-run home run on Sunday in Seattle.  —  “It's time for him to step it up,” the manager said.  “He needs to step it up.”  —  As Girardi spoke in the Yankees' dugout before Monday night's …

Safe at Second, but No Stolen Base to Show for It  —  A player takes an unchallenged lead off first base, dashes to second and makes it safely without a throw.  The runner has advanced but because there was no attempt to thwart him, he does not receive a stolen base.

Rockies' Cook to start Friday vs. Cardinals  —  Aaron Cook will be rewarded for a month of tireless rehab, starting Friday at Coors Field against the St. Louis Cardinals.  —  Cook has been out with a strained right shoulder, but has been making steady progress.

More On Cardinals Voiding Mateo Deal  —  Wagner Mateo was the crown jewel of the Cardinals' international signing efforts.  The Cardinals celebrated the signing of the 16-year-old outfielder for $3.1 million with a press conference in the Dominican Republic when the international signing period began on July 2.

Barmes, Hawpe homer as Rockies win wild one over Padres  —  DENVER (AP) — Brad Hawpe (FSY) homered for the first time since Aug. 29 and the Colorado Rockies beat San Diego 11-10 on Tuesday night despite a rare rough outing from lefty Jorge De La Rosa (FSY) and a four-run ninth-inning rally by the Padres.

Game 152: Yankees at Angels  —  YANKEES (95-56)  —  Pitching: RHP Chad Gaudin (1-0 3.68).  —  ANGELS (90-60)  —  Figgins 3B  —  Izturis 2B  —  Abreu RF  —  Guerrero DH  —  Hunter CF  —  Morales 1B  —  Rivera LF  —  Aybar SS  —  Mathis C  —  Pitching: vs. RHP Ervin Santana (7-8, 5.43).

Despite big mistakes, Jim Hendry deserves one more shot  —  (M. Spencer Green, Associated Press / January 8, 2009)  —  Based on 2 division titles, Chicago Cubs GM can turn roster around  —  I'm trying to come up with someone who has had a worse year than Jim Hendry, of course exempting …

Padres Team Report  —  Because Kevin Kouzmanoff has been the Padres' third baseman as long as Chase Headley has been in the major leagues, Headley has been playing out of position in left field.  —  But with Kouzmanoff out of the lineup since Sept. 8 because of a strained left calf muscle …

SANCHEZ HELPS MARLINS EARN DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT WITH PHILLIES  —  The Sports Network  —  Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Anibal Sanchez dazzled the Phillies over eight stellar innings, and Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit solo home runs, lifting Florida to a 3-0 win over Philadelphia in the nightcap of a doubleheader.

Young starters a mystery for Nats  —  Progress still being assessed  —  At the beginning of the year, it was the key to whether the Washington Nationals would be improved enough to reach the realm of respectability.  When that prospect had vanished by mid-May, it became the only reason to extract meaning out of the team's season.