Girardi: Yankees “definitely considering” a three-man rotation  —  Joe Girardi just did a conference call with the beat writers and said that while the team won't have its roster/scouting meeting until tomorrow morning, “We are definitely considering going to a three-man rotation in this round.”

Wagner eyes retirement, not 400th career save  —  Billy Wagner may have thrown his last pitch in the major leagues.  —  The former Mets pitcher told The Post yesterday he's planning to retire rather than pursue a closer's job — and 400 career saves — next season.

Scioscia far from being an ‘Angel’  —  HE HAS been a menace to us for damn near 30 years now, the thorn in our side, the cloud in our coffee, the bee in our bonnet, the fly in our ointment, the clouds on our sunny day.  He has been our nemesis, our arch-enemy, our tormentor, our antagonist and our antagonizer.

Arizona Fall League begins  —  It's hardly a footnote to the American League Championship Series, but it's worth mentioning that the Arizona Fall League begins today.  —  The Yankees have Ian Kennedy, Mike Dunn, Zach Kroenke, Grant Duff, Colin Curtis, Brandon Laird and Austin Romine playing for the Surprise Raftors.

Official ALCS start times  —  Game 1: Friday, October 16, 7:57 p.m. (Angels vs. Yankees)  —  Game 2: Saturday, October 17, 7:57 p.m. (Angels vs. Yankees)  —  Game 3: Monday, October 19, 4:13 p.m. (Yankees vs. Angels)  —  Game 4: Tuesday, October 20, 7:57 p.m. (Yankees vs. Angels)

Done playing, Sox go to work  —  Offseason issues begin with Bay  —  As many times as Jason Bay was asked the question, he never quite answered it.  —  With the left fielder set to hit free agency this winter, and the Red Sox facing a gaping hole in left field and their lineup without him …

‘Amazin’ debt for Miracle Met Ron Darling  —  Tax agencies in two states and the IRS have former New York Mets pitcher and TBS analyst Ron Darling caught in a squeeze play.  Darling, who helped call the Yankees-Twins game Sunday, owes $544,197 in state and federal taxes, records show.

Playoff Prospectus  —  Completion  —  If you followed last night's in-game roundtable, you got the visceral reaction to Jim Tracy's decision to allow Huston Street to face Ryan Howard in the ninth inning with the tying runs on base and two outs.  (You got something similar if you follow my Twitter account, @joe_sheehan.)

2009 Catcher Defense: Filling in the Holes (yet again)  —  More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP  —  That Minnesota pretty boy might be in the playoffs, but he's go nuthin on One Man, Five Tools.  —  Browse more photos »  —  Even if you aren't a FanGraphs junkie like myself …

Braves lose scouting director to Nationals  —  The Braves are losing scouting director Roy Clark, who accepted a job with the Washington Nationals after 20 years in the Braves organization.  —  After interviewing Monday in Washington, Clark told the Braves Tuesday that he had accepted a post …

Torre doesn't anticipate extension … LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joe Torre says he doesn't plan to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers after his contract expires.  —  “I have one year on my contract and I don't anticipate it being more than that,” he said Tuesday, two days before the Dodgers open the NLCS against Philadelphia.

Tom Verducci: Here's why it's so hard to close out a game in October … 1. How is Mariano Rivera looking right about now?  Not that we didn't already know that the Yankees closer is the best all-time at what he does, but the Division Series, in which closer after closer blew up in the ninth inning …