Dodgers deal Alomar Jr. to White Sox  —  CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox acquired veteran catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor-league pitcher B.J. LaMura on Sunday after designating backup Chris Widger for assignment.  —  A six-time American League All-Star …

Sox can't get handle on Seattle  —  SEATTLE — Manny Ramírez may have done the smartest thing any Red Sox outfielder did yesterday afternoon when he took advantage of a break in the action in the sixth inning — reliever Craig Hansen was trotting in to pitch — to grab a seat in the Sox bullpen.

Girardi: Willis won't be traded  —  MIAMI GARDENS - Expect pitcher Dontrelle Willis to finish the season with the Marlins, and expect his teammates to stick around all year, too.  —  "I really believe we're done trading for the year unless something happens in the off-season," …

Rodriguez Is All Smiles as His Mistakes Mount  —  TORONTO, July 22 — The video board at Rogers Center is 33 feet high and 110 feet wide.  Each time he struck out Saturday, Alex Rodriguez turned his head toward it to watch the replay as he walked back to the dugout.

Wallace Matthews  —  What's booing about?  —  The Mets might be running away with the NL East, but they still have a long way to go before they catch the Yankees.  —  The Yankees have 26 world championships, the Mets two.  The Yankees have retired 15 numbers, the Mets three …

Paul's rule of thumb: play hurt  —  While Paul Lo Duca thinks he may have a broken bone or an injured ligament in the hand he slips into his catcher's mitt, he has no intention of finding out exactly what the problem is anytime soon.  —  "It doesn't matter," Lo Duca said.

Pirates Notebook: Littlefield expects more than one trade  —  MIAMI — Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield expressed confidence that he will make more than one deal before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, reiterating that his counterparts covet the veterans he is offering.

Johjima's Play Bridges the Communication Gap  —  When he was signed by the Seattle Mariners to a three-year contract for $16.5 million before this season, the concern about Kenji Johjima was whether he could communicate with the pitchers as the first Japanese catcher in the major leagues.

Sharp Garland pilots throwback thumping  —  Fails to plunk Kinsler but still razes Rangers  —  It was a game for throwback jerseys and throwing back at the opposition.  —  The White Sox went 1-for-2 Sunday.  —  They wore throwback jerseys from the 1906 World Series championship team …

Road getting rougher  —  Marmol latest starter to leave early as Nats rout slumping Cubs  —  WASHINGTON — The Cubs played Washington in the series finale Sunday at RFK Stadium, but after a 7-1 loss, it's debatable whether they actually showed up.  —  Nationals right-hander Tony Armas Jr. …

Radke, struggling with pain, plans to retire after season  —  Brad Radke has compiled an outstanding record of 7-1 in his past eight starts even though he is pitching with a right shoulder that would need surgery after the season if he continues to play baseball.

No storybook ending for folk hero Fasano  —  Backup catcher Sal Fasano's magical ride in Philadelphia has come to an end as the Phils designate the 34-year old journeyman for assignment.  —  Fasano became the first player since Rollie Fingers to gain recognition for ironic facial hair.

Nats Win, Soriano Watch Escalates  —  Kasten Weighs In On Slugger's Status : Nationals 7, Cubs 1  —  He draws the loudest cheers, hits the longest home runs, smiles the brightest smile.  When Alfonso Soriano launched a ball deep toward left field yesterday at RFK Stadium …

Padres-Giants Preview  —  The San Francisco Giants have surged their way back into first place in the National League West thanks to their longest winning streak of the season.  —  They try to keep it going and extend their lead when they wrap up a four-game series with the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park.

McGwire's Path Could Foreshadow Bonds's  —  Barry Bonds is the second-most-prolific home run hitter, but his eventual place in baseball history will be difficult to predict.  How much will he be remembered for hitting more than 700 homers and how much will he be remembered for how he might have accumulated some of them?