But if Houston somehow earns the National League wild-card berth - it trailed the Giants by 6 1/2 games entering Saturday - it will have done so without its prized offseason free agent signee.

Pettitte, who had never been on the disabled list more than once in any season until this year, will undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow.

"I'm just very disappointed to not be able to give this team what I wanted to give (them) this year," said Pettitte, who suffered the injury while batting in his April 6 debut. "I was never able to do that, and it's extremely, extremely disappointing.

"I tried as hard as I could and I pushed my arm to the limit."

The left-hander also missed time this season with a strained muscle in his left forearm. In all, he made only 15 starts this season and went 6-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 83 innings.

But it was Pettitte's last start - against the Mets on Aug. 12 - that led him to the realization he no longer could continue this season.

"I just started having a lot of problems throughout the course of the game," he said. "Other parts of my arm were breaking down. My arm, I pushed it, and I just didn't want to face the reality of it."

MOVE ON DOWN: Convinced it was best for his team, Sammy Sosa volunteered to be moved to fifth in the Cubs' batting order Wednesday.

"He had been thinking about it for some time," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Sometimes a guy has to fail for a period of time before you'll see things a little different."

Among the 52 major-league players with at least 100 at-bats in the fourth spot this season, Sosa's .216 batting average was the worst. Only Montreal third baseman Tony Batista's .238 on-base percentage was lower than Sosa's .283.

VERSATILITY PAYS: Angels utility man Chone Figgins is sure to receive consideration as his team's MVP this season.

Figgins has played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions. Through 108 games, he was batting .292

with 16 doubles, 14 triples, four home

runs, 43 RBI and 26 stolen bases.

"He's played everywhere. He's done everything asked of him," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He'll take a challenge, whether it's playing shortstop one day, third base the next, outfield the next. He's turned out to be a terrific player."

REST EASY: Orioles catcher Javy Lopez has been busier than usual this season. Lopez, who started 115 games with the Braves in 2001, was on pace to start 128 games this season entering the weekend.

"I'd like to see it a lot different (next season)," Lopez said. "I'd like to get more off days early in the season so I'll be fresh, and I won't need as many days off at the end of the season."

XFL INFLUENCE: Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, in an attempt to boost player relations, had a Rockies jersey made with his No. 31 and the name "He Hate Me" stitched on the back.

Former Western Kentucky and current Carolina Panthers running back Rod Smart made the phrase famous during his days with the XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws.

"I will hang it in the guy's locker who's not in the lineup who thinks he should be," Hurdle said. "He can just point to it."

THE LAST WORDS: Trailing by two runs and facing Dodgers closer Eric Gagne in the ninth inning Wednesday, the Marlins scored four runs to hand the 2003 Cy Young Award winner his second blown save and win 6-4.

The big hit, a three-run double with two outs, came off the bat of Lenny Harris, who is in his 17th big-league season and turns 40 years old in October. It extended Harris' major-league record of career pinch hits to 190.

"I was in the on-deck circle and heard some guy - like he was right in my ear - go, 'Hey, Lenny, I thought you retired.' That kind of motivated me. ... I just said, 'I ain't done yet.' "

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Information from other news organizations and submitted by other baseball writers was used in this report.

MLB power rankings

1. St. Louis Cardinals	Another Big Red machine.
2. New York Yankees	Rumored to have attempted to re-acquire Clemens.
3. Anaheim Angels	Getting healthy, made AL West three-horse race.
4. Boston Red Sox	Cowboying up without Nomar.
5. Atlanta Braves	The Jones boys are getting hot.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers	Trade of setup man Mota looks like a disaster.
7. Minnesota Twins	Took Tribe's best shot.
8. Oakland Athletics	Durazo has three-home run games in each league.
9. San Francisco Giants	Bonds eight homers from 700. Wow.
10. Chicago Cubs	Now, if Prior can start pitching well ...
11. Texas Rangers	Teixeira second Ranger to hit for cycle.
12. Florida Marlins	McKeon pondering return in 2005.
13. San Diego Padres	Peavy-Lawrence-Eaton budding Hudson-Mulder-Zito?
14. Cleveland Indians	In brutal 17-game stretch against contenders.
15. Chicago White Sox	Elvis Tribute Night Friday drew record crowd.
16. Baltimore Orioles	Tejada would be MVP candidate on contender.
17. Houston Astros	One of baseball's biggest disappointments.
18. Philadelphia Phillies	See item No. 17.
19. Detroit Tigers	Exhibit A for how spending a little money helps.
20. New York Mets	Matsui, Reyes, McEwing on DL; wait 'til next year.
21. Tampa Bay D-Rays	Happy 20th birthday, B.J. Upton.
22. Cincinnati Reds	Beating Big Unit oughta count for something.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates	Van Benschoten will be back before it's over.
24. Montreal Expos	Give 'em a home - they're 18-9 since July 22.
25. Colorado Rockies	Prayers to Hamilton product Aaron Cook.
26. Milwaukee Brewers	Setting sights on Reds to get out of cellar.
27. Seattle Mariners	Bucky Jacobson 280 pounds, new M's cult hero.
28. Toronto Blue Jays	What in the world happened to Carlos Delgado?
29. Arizona D'backs	Big Unit loses 200th double-figure strikeout game.
30. Kansas City Royals	Could Mike Sweeney still get through waivers?

Brave old world

For the second season in a row, the end of the Atlanta Braves' division title reign was widely predicted. For the second season in a row, those forecasts were wrong. The Braves, division champions every year since 1991 except 1994, are on the fast track to the NL East title. The names and faces have changed since the "dynasty" started in 1991, but it still adds up to a winner:

1991

Key regulars:

Sid Bream: .253, 11 HR, 45 RBI

Mark Lemke: .234, 2 HR, 23 RBI

Jeff Blauser: .259, 11 HR, 54 RBI

Terry Pendleton: .319, 22 HR, 86 RBI

Lonnie Smith: .275, 7 HR, 45 RBI

David Justice: .275, 21 HR, 87 RBI

Otis Nixon: .297, 72 SB

Starters:

Tom Glavine: 20-11, 2.55 ERA

Charlie Leibrandt: 15-13, 3.49 ERA

John Smoltz: 14-13, 3.80 ERA

Steve Avery: 18-8, 3.38 ERA

Bullpen:

Alejandro Pena, 2.40 ERA, 15 saves

Juan Berenguer, 2.24 ERA, 17 saves

2004

Regular lineup:

Johnny Estrada: .330, 8 HR, 62 RBI

Marcus Giles: .300, 5 HR, 33 RBI

Rafael Furcal: .285, 12 HR, 19 SB

Chipper Jones: .241, 21 HR, 60 RBI

Andruw Jones: .269, 21 HR, 68 RBI

J.D. Drew: .298, 27 HR, 71 RBI

Starters:

Jaret Wright: 11-6, 3.26 ERA

Russ Ortiz: 13-6, 3.49 ERA

Mike Hampton: 9-8, 4.74 ERA

John Thomson: 9-8, 4.49 ERA

Bullpen:

John Smoltz: 1.84 ERA, 32 saves

ODDS AND ENDS

• The Mets continue to be criticized for trading No. 1 pitching prospect Scott Kazmir to the Devil Rays for starter Victor Zambrano, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday and is expected to miss a month. Kazmir, meanwhile, is on the verge of a call-up to the Devil Rays from Double-A Montgomery, where he was 1-2 with a 1.44 ERA in four starts through Thursday.

• Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield, who has been bothered by bursitis in his left shoulder and was contemplating retirement, was told by Dr. Frank Jobe recently that a month of rest should heal the problem.

• Entering Friday, Pirates closer Jose Mesa had blown three of his past four save opportunities. Mesa converted his first 18 save opportunities before blowing his first save this season.

• Tigers outfielder Bobby Higginson last week enjoyed his best series this season. Higginson began using teammate Ivan Rodriguez's bats Tuesday and went 7-for-10 with four home runs and 10 RBI in three games against the White Sox.

• Scott Erickson became the 20th Rangers pitcher to record a win this season. Tuesday marked his first win since Aug. 7, 2002.

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