Blanton righting himself  —  A's pitcher wins third straight, avenges earlier outing against Toronto  —  OAKLAND - Plenty has changed since the last time Joe Blanton faced the Toronto Blue Jays on May 10 at Rogers Centre.  —  One of them, apparently, is Blanton.

Hendry: Baker will finish season  —  Cubs players welcomed the pregame news Thursday from general manager Jim Hendry that Dusty Baker will manage at least the rest of the season.  —  While Baker's public demeanor is that of a laid-back Californian, his players know the incessant rumors about his job status were eating him up.

Colletti Looking to Buy, Not Sell  —  Dodgers employees donned bright shirts, lathered on sunscreen and headed for Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes on Thursday for their annual golf tournament fundraiser.  —  Front-office honchos Ned Colletti, Kim Ng and Roy Smith stayed behind …

Nationals Dangle Soriano as Deadline Nears  —  WASHINGTON, July 27 — Alfonso Soriano teased his teammates in two languages, signed bats and baseballs, and packed for the Nationals' nine-game trip Thursday.  This could be Soriano's final trip with the team, but he tried to relax.

Clutch hits vanish; so does mojo  —  White Sox searching for their confidence  —  BALTIMORE — That confident feeling the White Sox's hitters once possessed seems as distant as their 19-inning victory over Boston on July 9.  That was when Jermaine Dye hit a game-tying home run off closer Jonathan Papelbon …

Lee likely trade bait after rejecting deal  —  All-Star left fielder Carlos Lee rejected a four-year, $48 million contract offer from the Brewers on Thursday, dramatically increasing the chances that he will be traded before Monday's non-waiver deadline, major-league sources tell FOXSports.com.

D-Backs loaded with young talent … PHILADELPHIA — When Arizona left fielder Luis Gonzalez banged out his 528th double Tuesday night to tie Frank Robinson for 29th place on baseball's career list, the Phillies' public relations staff briefly cited the accomplishment in the Citizens Bank Park press box.

Penny unable to stop Dodgers' skid  —  Righty allows six runs in five frames in LA's eighth straight loss  —  LOS ANGELES — Having lost 12 of the 13 games they've played since the All-Star break, the Dodgers sent out their stopper Brad Penny on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough to prevent …

R. Lopez is good enough in win … KANSAS CITY, MO. // Rodrigo Lopez took the mound last night, knowing that he could be making his last start as an Oriole.  For the most part, he has able to ignore that possibility even though his name seems to be linked to another team on a daily basis.

Redman drawing trade interest  —  Teams want pitching, but Moore says he doesn't need to deal players.  —  Teams looking to add pitching before the nonwaiver trading deadline — and there are a bunch of them, some increasingly desperate — figure to have Royals general manager Dayton Moore on speed dial over the next few days.

Heilman may get fresh start elsewhere  —  Aaron Heilman was a dual major at Notre Dame, but it is the philosophy half of his education - and not the management information systems part - that is a greater help in these tension-filled hours before Monday's non-waiver trade deadline.

Castilla relishes overdue vacation  —  Vinny Castilla was happy in Colorado again.  Only Thursday, his smile warmed a pool, not his position.  —  The San Diego Padres arrived in Denver without Castilla, having released him last week.  —  Speaking for the first time as his kids played in the background …

Contending Holes: National League  —  Last week, we looked at some the biggest holes on American League contenders; this week, we're back with a look at the National League.  Once again, I looked only at teams within five games of a playoff spot, as of games played on July 24 (ed note …

Wilpon Joins Steinbrenner's Vow of Silence  —  FRED WILPON, come out, come out, wherever you are.  —  Now New York has two owners of baseball teams who are incommunicado.  We know what George Steinbrenner's reason is.  He's aging and ailing, and his ego is too large to let his public …

Marlins begin thinking playoffs  —  In spring training, it would have sounded like a bad joke to suggest that the Florida Marlins - with their puny, $15 million payroll and roster full of rookies - could compete for a playoff spot.  —  Even a month ago, after they rebounded from a horrendous April …