Phillies back Lee's gem in Game 3 rout  —  Given big lead, lefty fans 10 over eight; Phils take NLCS lead  —  PHILADELPHIA — It seemed everybody but the Phillies wondered how they might recover from Friday's eighth-inning letdown in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.

In CC they trust: Sabathia to start Game 4  —  Big left-hander will take the hill on three days' rest  —  ANAHEIM — CC Sabathia was breaking a sweat at Angel Stadium on Sunday, getting re-acclimated to the West Coast after flying across the country.  He had an assignment to prepare for …

Are these Yanks as good as '98 team?  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — The date was Oct. 10, 1998, noted by Yankee historians as the sea-change moment in what we now recognize as a historic season.  At that point, a great team was gasping for air, down 2-1 against the Indians in the AL Championship Series.

Veteran manager Bobby Valentine a finalist for Cleveland Indians' vacancy  —  CLEVELAND, Ohio — Bobby Valentine, whose New York Mets reached the World Series in 2000, is one of the finalists for the vacant Indians manager's job.  —  Valentine, 59, it has been learned, will come to Cleveland this week for a second interview.

Hawpe Not On Market  —  Brad Hawpe found himself watching more than playing in the post-season for the Rockies.  He, however, rmeans a key part in the Rockies long-range planning.  —  Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd has been surprised by media reports that the Rockies wll look to trade Hawpe …

In the clutch, why does Jeter rise and Guerrero fall in the postseason?  —  Yankees slugger excels time and again in October; admirers say it's because he has ability to relax in pressure-filled situations.  Guerrero leads Angels in postseason hits but has taken ugly swings.

The Biggest Secret of Baseball's Unwritten Rules: They Don't Exist  —  Say this about Erick Aybar's feet: they were a lot closer to second base than the Angels have been to playing crisp baseball.  —  Yes, his feet were in the so-called neighborhood of the bag in the 10th inning of Game 2 …

Non-Tender Candidate: Jeff Francoeur  —  When Jeff Francoeur was traded to the Mets, I figured he would play out the season and be non-tendered.  A massive disappointment for his hometown Braves, this is a player who was one of the top 5 least valuable players in all of baseball in 2008.

Harper: It's all about A-Rod  —  ANAHEIM - Never mind that Angels closer Brian Fuentes threw one of the worst 0-2 pitches in baseball history, right in Alex Rodriguez's danger zone, practically inviting the Bombers' slugger to pop one into Yankee Stadium's short right-field porch.

Stadium open to fans for Game 3  —  Public invited into Great Hall with Yankees in Anaheim  —  Yankee Stadium won't be the site of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.  But that doesn't mean it will be empty.  —  The Yankees announced on Sunday that they will open …

Sunday reading: ALCS Game 2 review, and a Matt Holliday tidbit  —  Well, that was something, eh?  —  The very late night prompted the Yankees to cancel their workout in Anaheim, and that prompted me to push back my departure to Cally until tonight.  Gonna take the day to pack …