Jason Isringhausen

Jason Isringhausen continued to undergo tests for a third day yesterday as the New York Mets remained concerned over the condition of the 24-year-old pitcher. The team would not reveal the nature of the tests after initial chest X-rays revealed an irregularity. There were reports that doctors had ordered biopsies of tissue as part of Isringhausen's tests. The Japanese baseball commissioner's office approved the New York Yankees' acquisition of negotiating rights to pitcher Hideki Irabu from San Diego, allowing the righthander to begin contract talks with the Yankees.

It wasn't necessarily how he wanted to return, but Jason Isringhausen will take the win. Isringhausen, overcoming a series of setbacks to make his first major league start in 11 months, got his first win in nearly a year as the New York Mets rallied to beat the visiting San Francisco Giants, 15-6, yesterday. Isringhausen was roughed up for 11 hits and five runs in five innings. It was his first win since Sept. 11 against Florida. Since September, Isringhausen has overcome two surgeries, a broken right wrist and tuberculosis to get back to the majors.

The fans were bundled in blankets, the heaters were running full-blast in the dugouts, and fielders kept moving to stave off numbness. Jason Isringhausen considered the conditions perfect. Pitching in short sleeves on a 37 degree night, Isringhausen held Cincinnati in check for seven innings and contributed an RBI double that helped the visiting New York Mets pull away to a 12-5 victory last night. Todd Hundley hit a two-run homer to give Isringhausen (1-0) some working room early, and had an RBI single in a six-run ninth inning that snapped the Mets' three-game losing streak.

The pendulum has swung for the Chicago Cubs. "The first two weeks of the season, we didn't have any breaks going our way," Cubs righthander Frank Castillo said. "Today, we had some breaks going our way and we took advantage of it. Hopefully, we can keep it going. " The Cubs snapped a season-opening, 14-game losing streak in Sunday's second game of a doubleheader at New York. Yesterday, Chicago won its second straight - and second of the year, downing the Mets, 6-4, also at Shea Stadium.

New York Mets pitcher Jason Isringhausen is undergoing tests after chest X-rays revealed a spot on one of his lungs. Results are expected by tomorrow, according to general manager Joe McIlvaine. The 24-year-old righthander complained of flulike symptoms over the weekend in Florida, where he is rehabilitating a broken wrist. He was flown to New York for further tests and was examined by the team doctor, John Olichney. McIlvaine said the team doesn't know what's wrong. "We'll know something in the next 48 hours," McIlvaine said.

The San Francisco Giants might be mulling a decision whether to trade Barry Bonds to the New York Mets for second baseman Carlos Baerga, outfielder Alex Ochoa and a choice of two pitchers. The New York Post reported yesterday the Mets have put an offer on the table that might also include Mark Clark and Bobby Jones. Executive vice president Joe McIlvaine acknowledged that he has been involved in trade discussions with the Giants. A Mets source said the Giants could have any two starting pitchers other than up-and-comers Jason Isringhausen, Bill Pulsipher and Paul Wilson.

Two recent acquisitions are helping the St. Louis Cardinals turn up the heat. Former Indian Chuck Finley struck out 10 in eight innings and former Phillie Scott Rolen hit a two-run triple as the Cardinals beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1, last night for their 10th win in 12 games. Finley (4-3) has 2,575 career strikeouts and needs six to tie Bob Feller for 20th place on the career strikeout list. "I just keep chugging along, I stay off the operating table and I take my turn every fifth day," Finley said.

Sure . . . Cardinals fans booed Padres pitcher Cha Seung Baek loudly in the fifth inning of Sunday's game. It was bad enough that the light-hitting pitcher had drilled a home run, but Baek was taking his time around the bases, and the fans were quite offended. Baek claimed he was trying to conserve energy with the 90-degree heat bearing down on him. "I thought it was a double, that the ball hit the wall, then I heard the 'ohh,' so I knew it was a home run," Baek told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Suddenly, the National League Central race is getting tight. David Ross hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Jason Isringhausen - Cincinnati's fourth home run of the game - for an 8-7 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals last night. Down to their last two outs, the Reds pulled it out for a 2-1 lead in the series, which concludes today. Second-place Cincinnati moved to 2 1/2 games behind the NL Central leaders. "This team has a flair for the dramatic," Ross said.

Albert Pujols whiffed on his first opportunity to get the St. Louis Cardinals going, striking out on three pitches against Roy Oswalt with two men on to end the fifth inning. His next time up, he gave the team what it has come to expect - a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh to lift the Cardinals over the visiting Houston Astros yesterday, 3-1. "He amazes a lot of people, but to us, it's just Albert," closer Jason Isringhausen said. "We don't know where we'd be without him. " The Cardinals rallied after six fruitless innings against Oswalt, pitching in St. Louis for the first time since the Astros' NL Championship Series clincher last fall.

For eight innings, the story of Friday's game was a great pitchers' duel, with Joe Blanton holding the dangerous Red Sox to two runs on two solo homers, and Jon Lester flat-out dominating the Phillies. Until the bottom of the ninth, when Ryan Howard hit a titanic blast into the right-field seats, tying the game at 2-2 and sending the contest to extras. Then, in the bottom of the 11th, with two outs, Greg Dobbs hit what could have been a home run over the right-field foul pole.

Sure . . . Cardinals fans booed Padres pitcher Cha Seung Baek loudly in the fifth inning of Sunday's game. It was bad enough that the light-hitting pitcher had drilled a home run, but Baek was taking his time around the bases, and the fans were quite offended. Baek claimed he was trying to conserve energy with the 90-degree heat bearing down on him. "I thought it was a double, that the ball hit the wall, then I heard the 'ohh,' so I knew it was a home run," Baek told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Suddenly, the National League Central race is getting tight. David Ross hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Jason Isringhausen - Cincinnati's fourth home run of the game - for an 8-7 victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals last night. Down to their last two outs, the Reds pulled it out for a 2-1 lead in the series, which concludes today. Second-place Cincinnati moved to 2 1/2 games behind the NL Central leaders. "This team has a flair for the dramatic," Ross said.

Albert Pujols whiffed on his first opportunity to get the St. Louis Cardinals going, striking out on three pitches against Roy Oswalt with two men on to end the fifth inning. His next time up, he gave the team what it has come to expect - a go-ahead, three-run homer in the seventh to lift the Cardinals over the visiting Houston Astros yesterday, 3-1. "He amazes a lot of people, but to us, it's just Albert," closer Jason Isringhausen said. "We don't know where we'd be without him. " The Cardinals rallied after six fruitless innings against Oswalt, pitching in St. Louis for the first time since the Astros' NL Championship Series clincher last fall.

The possibility existed, despite how far St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny set up outside home plate. Maybe Jason Isringhausen would make a mistake. "It happens," Phillies first baseman Jim Thome said after yesterday's 5-3 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. "As a hitter, you still have to have the mentality that you're hitting there. Until they put their hands up to walk you, you're always ready to hit. You can't think they're going to walk you. " Thome stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with Bobby Abreu on first base with two outs.

A milestone game for Albert Pujols helped the St. Louis Cardinals avoid a sweep. Pujols reached 100 RBI, scored his 100th run and extended his hitting streak to 21 games in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Florida Marlins last night. "It's good to get it, and it shows what I've accomplished, but it's more important that we won," Pujols said. "We avoided a sweep and that's real big for us. " Brett Tomko pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning as the Cardinals ended a three-game losing streak.

Playoff baseball isn't necessarily synonymous with crisp, clean, the-way-it's-diagrammed-in-the-textbook baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants proved that yesterday with a string of blunders and general sloppiness. In the end, the Giants out-blundered the Cardinals, the Cardinals won the ball game, 5-4, and now the National League Championship Series is a competitive event again. "We knew we had to win this game today and make it a series," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

Two recent acquisitions are helping the St. Louis Cardinals turn up the heat. Former Indian Chuck Finley struck out 10 in eight innings and former Phillie Scott Rolen hit a two-run triple as the Cardinals beat the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-1, last night for their 10th win in 12 games. Finley (4-3) has 2,575 career strikeouts and needs six to tie Bob Feller for 20th place on the career strikeout list. "I just keep chugging along, I stay off the operating table and I take my turn every fifth day," Finley said.

The New York Yankees, retooling after their World Series loss to Arizona, dealt disappointing outfielder David Justice to the Mets yesterday for underperforming third baseman Robin Ventura. The Yankees also added to their bullpen, agreeing to a $22.25 million, four-year contract with righthander Steve Karsay. Juan Gonzalez was given a chance to stay in Cleveland, Jason Isringhausen was set to leave Oakland for St. Louis, and the Athletics quickly filled the upcoming vacancy in their bullpen, acquiring Billy Koch from Toronto in a trade for two minor leaguers.