-The Yanks continued to play well out of the All-Star Break edging the A’s 2-1 on Jason Giambi’s seventh inning solo shot (20th) sweeping the three-game set in the Bronx allowing Joe Girardi’s club to get within four and a half of the Rays, who fell at home to the Blue Jays 9-4. Andy Pettite continued his turnaround outdueling AL All-Star Justin Duchscherer going eight innings allowing just one earned on four hits while not walking a batter and fanning nine to pickup his 11th victory.

The rival Red Sox are currently knotted at two apiece in the sixth looking to avoid a sweep in Los Angeles versus the Angels. A loss would allow the Bronx Bombers to pull within three of the wild card.

Giambi finished a perfect 2-for-2 reaching base all four times with a couple of walks along with the deciding home run to right off Duchscherer, who entered 10-5 with a 1.82 ERA. Once a key late inning reliever for Oakland, the 30 year-old out of Aberdeen, San Diego has made a seamless transition to the rotation becoming the team’s most reliable starter. Before this season, he had only started five games in his career with a couple coming with Texas back in 2001. A couple of years ago, he even saved nine games while fanning nearly a batter per inning (51 in 55.2). Now, he’s the ace of their staff with Rich Harden (Chc) and Joe Blanton (Phi) dealt to NL contenders for more prospects.

If only his team had a semblance of an offense. Somehow, they’re four over .500 (51-47) but trailing the Halos by eight and a half pending the game out West.

Maybe the A’s were just what the doctor ordered for the Yanks, who haven’t hit the way expected with Hideki Matsui possibly needing knee surgery and leadoff man Johnny Damon on the DL for the first time in his career pushing to return. It’s not like they scored a ton of runs the past two days following a 7-1 win in the opener. But they did what they had to to set the tone for another second half October drive.

Only with two teams in their division ahead of them making it an even more difficult challenge over the next couple of months.

-Meanwhile in Cincinnati, the Mets avoided losing three straight to the Reds by coming back to pull out a 7-5 10 inning win. Their hottest starter Mike Pelfrey didn’t have it today giving up three homers (entered with only four allowed all year) including Edwin Encarnacion’s tying fourth inning blast rallying the Reds from 4-1 down and All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips’ sixth inning go-ahead solo shot. But resurgent first base slugger Carlos Delgado drove home the tying run the next half inning with a runscoring single making extras a possibility.

Though the Amazin’s blew a chance in the top of the ninth with Carlos Beltran caught stealing third, they took advantage of the only miscue of the game committed by Encarnacion, whose throwing error allowed call-up Robinson Cancel, who doubled as a pinch hitter to score the winning run. It also let Jose Reyes advance to third and score an insurance run on a Delgado sac fly.

Billy Wagner struck out the side in the 10th including blowing an elevated heated past rookie center fielder Jay Bruce for his 24th save allowing the Mets to tie the Phils for first once again because they fell to Florida 3-2 on a Jorge Cantu walkoff base hit.

The Mets will host the Phillies for a huge three-game series at Shea starting Tuesday with ace Johan Santana going against new Phillie pickup Blanton. The other series match-ups include returning Brett Myers from a Triple-A stint facing John Maine and a battle between old and young lefties with crafty vet Jamie Moyer taking on Oliver Perez.

Winning the last two games, the Marlins sit half a game back and will play host to the struggling Braves for three beginning tomorrow.

-With four hits, his 33rd stolen base and 11th triple of the season, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes now has a club record 63 three-baggers for his career surpassing Mookie Wilson. Forty have come in the past three years.

-It’s too bad about Greg Norman shooting a 77 to finish tied for third in the British Open after making a bid to become the oldest PGA player to win a major. Oh well. The dream ended but he still has had a good year marrying former American tennis star Chris Evert. Padraig Harrington might’ve repeated as British champ but the comebacking 53 year-old part-time golfer was the story of the weekend. He made it interesting without Tiger.

-Interesting story written in today’s Sunday News by Filip Bondy on David Beckham’s MLS impact where attendance and jersey sales are up and included more than 46,000 at Giants Stadium to check out the second-year British star’s Galaxy battling the Red Bulls to an entertaining 2-2 tie last night. It’s a good read.

-I hope when I see Dark Knight this week, I’m as blown away as everyone else was by the late and gone too soon Heath Ledger’s Joker.

-You know. All the talk about Ledger’s performance and then dying sort of reminds me of Brandon Lee in The Crow. Only difference was he died while shooting a scene when they discovered that those weren’t blanks near the dramatic conclusion of one of the better movies I’ve seen. What ashame that Sarah played by the promising Rochelle Davis never returned to another set again following his tragic death. As good as the acting was by everyone in the only Crow there should’ve been made, she was great as the victim’s younger sister and looked to have a bright future. Such was the impact of Lee’s death on the young actress.

-With the Knicks playing in Las Vegas for their usual summer tournament, this is the high for Knick fans. Where running the table last year and winning the championship was universally celebrated. Not exactly the vision of a third NBA title every normal local hoop fan had in mind.

-It’s already been a week too long without Bobby Murcer.