According to Ian O'Connor of the Bergen Record, Girardi was telling his players a sad story, and reminding them of their responsibility as agents of goodwill.

Girardi told the Yankees their guest for the day would be a 10-year-old boy from the Bronx. The boy woke up the other day to find his mother unresponsive in bed.

Girardi told his players the kid was far too young to lose a parent the way he did, and delivered this small request: "Please spend some time with him."

Every single Yankees player complied. And when the boy wound up in the clubhouse, Alfredo Aceves took him into the players' lounge and spoke to him in Spanish.

That little boy will remember the day in Yankee Stadium a lot longer than he'll remember the 2009 playoffs.

Milestone in sight

Last year, on the final day of the season, the Yankees' 39-year-old Mike Mussina became the oldest pitcher to win 20 games for the first time. Then he retired.

CC Sabathia is 10 years younger and probably won't retire any time soon. But the burly lefthander can win 20 for the first time tonight when he takes a 19-7 record into his final start of the regular season.

Sabathia has thrown 2271/3 innings and could become the first Yankees pitcher to throw 230 innings since Andy Pettitte in 1997.

The last start for Junior?

Ken Griffey Jr. stroked his 629th career home run in the first inning of Seattle's 7-0 win over Oakland on Wednesday. It came off Clayton Mortensen, the 407th pitcher Griffey has homered against in his career.

Manager Don Wakamatsu, uncertain if Sunday's game will be Griffey's finale, is considering playing him in center field, where he started in Seattle in the 1990s.

"It would be nice to finish it that way," Wakamatsu said. "But I want to honor his wishes, too."

A true team effort

Rookie Matt Palmer (11-2) gave up a leadoff single in the first inning to Texas' Julio Borbon on Wednesday, and that was that for the Rangers. Palmer went five innings then was joined by Darren Oliver, Jose Arredondo, Kevin Jepsen and fellow rookie Rafael Rodriguez, who each pitched a hitless inning in the 5-0 win.

A long way for Bobby A

Bobby Abreu played in his 150th game for the Angels on Wednesday, the 12th straight season he has reached that figure. The only other major leaguers with streaks as long were Willie Mays (who did it 13 times), Billy Williams (12), Pete Rose (12) and Cal Ripken Jr. (12).

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Contact staff writer Don McKee at 215-854-4611

or dmckee@phillynews.com.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.