Harper: Yankee failure starts with A.J.  —  ANAHEIM - A.J. Burnett was at his dazzling best Thursday night as long as he was losing by four runs.  When it really mattered, however, he didn't look at all like the guy the Yankees saw as a big-game pitcher when they gambled $82.5 million on him last winter.

Padres to hire Hoyer as GM … The San Diego Padres will name Jed Hoyer as their new general manager later today, a front office source tells SI.com.  —  Hoyer, 35, most recently served as the Boston Red Sox's senior vice president and assistant general manager.

It's all about the leverage (or why Mariano should have pitched the 7th)  —  Leverage is a funny word.  A loaded word, if you will.  —  For one thing, it's more or less responsible for the financial collapse of America.  —  In baseball parlance, leverage refers to an on-field situation …

Sheets planning big return in 2010  —  Former Brewers righty has high school number retired  —  MILWAUKEE — Former Brewers right-hander Ben Sheets returned to his Louisiana high school last week and saw his No. 15 uniform retired.  Sheets intends to be wearing it again in 2010.

Giddy Halos fan takes a dive into the waterfall at Angel Stadium  —  Why is this guy all wet?  Not because Angel Stadium has a pool.  No, he's dripping with “holy” water because he went for a frolic in the ballpark's rocky waterfall.  —  Because an Angels' four-run lead over the Yankees …

For Angels, Thrill of Victory, Then a Rush of Relief  —  ANAHEIM, Calif. — If it was going to end, this was not the way the Los Angeles Angels wanted it to.  Not with Manager Mike Scioscia wondering if he had handled a pitching change like Grady Little.  Not with John Lackey seething about a strike that the plate umpire said was not.

Hudson, Braves talking about extension  —  Right-hander optimistic that he can stay in Atlanta  —  ATLANTA — Tim Hudson and the Braves have started negotiating the contract extension that could enable the right-hander the opportunity to continue pitching in Atlanta.

2009 Players Choice finalists announced  —  Pujols, Mauer highlight potential award winners  —  The 2009 Players Choice Awards will be announced exclusively next week in five daily segments of ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning show.  —  Players in both leagues voted in mid-September …

Scioscia Will Need a Quick Hook in Game 6  —  After rallying for three runs in the seventh inning against the apparently mortal Phil Hughes and holding on by a thread in the ninth, the Angels will head back to New York for Game 6.  The Yankees will start Andy Pettitte, a reliable veteran …

Astros close to making decision on manager  —  As owner Drayton McLane heads into the weekend, Phil Garner, Manny Acta and Brad Mills remain the lone finalists to replace Cecil Cooper, and the Astros' owner expects to have a decision by early next week.  —  “We're just trying to think through this,” McLane said.

Strasburg hit hard in second AFL start  —  Stephen Strasburg, making his second professional experience, dealt for the first time in years with the experience of getting rocked.  In Thursday's Arizona Fall League game between Strasburg's Phoenix Desert Dogs and Phoenix Javelinas …

All about the money  —  The most promising aspect, going forward, is that the Red Sox have money to spend again.  And even if the Red Sox elect to spend it all this winter, the even better news is that they project to have just as much financial flexibility during the winter of 2010.