Bochy tweaks NFL by wearing 49ers hat

Giants manager Bruce Bochy made his own statement Thursday in support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith: He wore a red 49ers cap in the dugout before the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.

That small act of defiance came a day after Smith said the NFL had fined him $15,000 for sporting a Giants hat after Sunday's 49ers game. Although the fine was later dropped, the bitterness remained.

"That's why I'm wearing this hat," Bochy said. "We're having fun with this. It's our way of supporting him for supporting us. We're all 49er fans here."

When told about what Bochy had been up to, Smith smiled and said: "Oh, yeah, sweet. Five's the magic number, right?"

No one had the heart to tell him that as acts of defiance go, Bochy's was pretty mild: He put on his regular cap once the game started.

Although the Tigers are trailing the first-place White Sox in the AL Central by just a few games, the Detroit News is reporting that anything less than a playoff berth will cost manager Jim Leyland his job. And if that happens, Terry Francona is considered the top candidate to replace him.

The Tigers, picked to win the division, have underachieved all season, and on Thursday they got pounded by the Athletics, 12-4.

The News reported that the general sentiment is that Leyland, 67, has no desire to retire, although the bosses have the final say.

What makes Francona so appealing? He has plenty of experience managing a veteran- and superstar-heavy roster after his tenure with the Red Sox, with whom he won World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Athletics lefty Brett Anderson will miss the rest of the regular season because of a strain of his right oblique, manager Bob Melvin said Thursday, a day after Anderson awkwardly fell off the mound.

Melvin said he doesn't know whether Anderson would be available if Oakland reaches the postseason. Anderson is 4-2 with a 2.57 ERA in six games.

Reds manager Dusty Baker underwent another test Thursday and will remain hospitalized at least one more day so doctors can monitor his progress after he was found to have an irregular heartbeat.

If all goes well, the 63-year-old skipper could return Friday, the team said.

Bench coach Chris Speier served as acting manager Thursday for a second straight game, and it went all right: They beat the Cubs, 5-3, to clinch a playoff spot.