Catalanotto solves puzzle of Escobar  —  Jays outfielder doubles in winning run off longtime nemesis  —  ANAHEIM — Frank Catalanotto had some homework to do.  Prior to Saturday's game in Anaheim, the Toronto outfielder picked up his book on opposing pitchers and flipped to section "E."

Royals pound staggering Sox one more time  —  The Red Sox may have crossed into the garbage time portion of their season, but there are still evaluations to be made that will affect decisions made in the offseason.  And while owner John W. Henry responded to questions about the team's direction by saying …

Wang's still Cy-high  —  Has O's talkin' in Yank win  —  BALTIMORE - Johnny Damon was at first base in the fifth inning yesterday when he began chatting with his old Boston teammate, Kevin Millar.  One of the topics was Chien-Ming Wang, and Damon said Millar, who now plays first for the Orioles …

Webb silky smooth, one-hits Cards  —  Arizona ace tosses third shutout of the season  —  PHOENIX — As he warmed up before his start on Saturday night, Brandon Webb didn't have the feel for the sinker, his signature pitch.  —  "In the bullpen, it didn't seem like I had a whole lot of control with it," he said.

Brenly thinking about his next act  —  Bob Brenly knows what it's like to manage a champion; could he do it with the Cubs?  —  Bob Brenly gazed at the diamond and amethyst encrusted ring earned five years ago this November and considered what it has given him since: admiration and respect, perhaps.

Howard smacks two in Moyer's gem  —  Slugger ups his Major League-leading homer total to 56  —  MIAMI — Ryan Howard's dossier is already overflowing with reasons on why he should be the National League's Most Valuable Player.  —  He provided two more on Friday in another pivotal game against the Marlins.

Giambi Receives 2nd Shot  —  BALTIMORE — Jason Giambi received a second cortisone shot in his ailing left wrist Saturday, but this time he will take a few days off to let the injection work.  —  "The doctor said last time maybe we didn't give it a chance to set in," Giambi said.

Platoon at catcher new plan with Torrealba out  —  Opportunity was the reverberating theme Saturday with the Rockies' catching position.  —  Yorvit Torrealba will miss the remainder of the season with a strain in his right shoulder, injured while slipping on a throw between innings Thursday.

Departing Lopez didn't quite catch on  —  The failed Javy Lopez experiment came to a quiet end yesterday, when the Red Sox released the veteran catcher five weeks after acquiring him from the Baltimore Orioles in the wake of Jason Varitek's knee injury.  —  The former All-Star …

Maddux, Dodgers upended by Mets  —  Veteran right-hander runs into trouble in the sixth  —  NEW YORK — Some baseball games for a manager, every move is golden, so the second-guessers wait for games like Saturday's 3-2 Dodgers loss to the Mets for something to really chew on.

Redman tries to finish sweep of Sox  —  Kansas City (54-89) at Boston (75-67), 1:05 p.m. CT  —  Now here's something the Royals could pull off for the first time in 10 years: a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park.  —  The Royals haven't done that since April 26-28, 1996.

Liriano has near-perfect rehab start  —  Southpaw set to start Wednesday against Oakland  —  MOOSIC, Pa. — Francisco Liriano's rehabilitation outing went as well as he and the Twins could have hoped Saturday night, so now he's headed back to Minnesota, where he's hoping to impact the American League Wild Card race.

Hampson turns fortunes around  —  The Sky Sox pitcher credits being more aggressive and limiting walks  —  Every pitcher in the Rockies' farm system should pay attention to what Justin Hampson credits for his return to prospect status in the organization this season while pitching for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

Hafner's MVP-type season ends  —  Second X-ray reveals hairline fracture; surgery not ruled out  —  CHICAGO — Upon further review, Travis Hafner's hand injury is as bad as had been feared.  —  Hafner has a broken metacarpal bone below the ring finger on his right hand, an injury that will bring his impressive 2006 season to an end.