Johan Santana

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (92-70, 1st) MANAGER: Charlie Manuel (5th season) PAYROLL: $131 million X-FACTOR: Chase Utley has made a speedy return from hip surgery but any sort of setback would cripple the lineup. BEST CASE: Brad Lidge, after going 48 for...

The strange looks are not confined to plate umpire Dan Iassogna and his floating strike zone. The White Sox's once-vaunted offense has hit an untimely skid that can't save their pitching staff from any rut. Recently stymied by the likes of rookie Boof...

The White Sox's margin of error was so thin Tuesday night that one pitch cost Freddy Garcia a no-hitter, a shutout and a shot at a well-deserved victory over 2004 American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. Jacque Jones ended a suspenseful...

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL CLEVELAND INDIANS (81-81, 3rd) MANAGER: Eric Wedge (7th season) PAYROLL: $80 million X-FACTOR: Matt LaPorta, the key piece in last summer's CC Sabathia deal, could be up early in the year to claim left field. BEST CASE: Carl...

Chicago White Sox left-hander John Danks entered Wednesday night's game at Camden Yards with some of the best early-season numbers in the majors. He also had a brief history of not pitching well against the Orioles. Something had to give. It was the...

The Tribune's White Sox beat writer answers reader questions throughout the season. This week, there's talk about trades, the off-season, and how the Sox can get back in the race this season. Mark: I realize Iguchi is a rental player for the Phillies,...

With Saturday's rainout against Tampa Bay, the White Sox have three home games to make up in the heat of summer, and that could make Nick Masset one of the team's most important players before the season ends. Masset could become the Brandon McCarthy...

Tony La Russa doesn't take home-field advantage lightly. He believes the 2004 World Series might have ended differently if it had started at Busch Stadium rather than Fenway Park. "Would we have done better?" La Russa asked. "Yeah. Had we started in St....

Though perhaps not intentional, it was the baseball equivalent of icing the kicker. The Mets took so long to find a pinch-hitter for Ramon Castro with the bases loaded in the ninth inning Wednesday that home plate umpire Scott Barry authorized closer Matt...

The White Sox's prevent defense is running out of time and space. They can take little solace in removing three games off their delicate schedule after Cleveland regained its furious momentum Wednesday night in an 8-0 victory before a crowd of 36,543...

For every problem, there's an opportunity for a solution. In the case of the White Sox, Brandon McCarthy made the most of his chance Wednesday night after Charlie Haeger struggled in his major-league debut in a 12-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at damp...

Trade talks between the Orioles and Seattle Mariners involving Erik Bedard are alive, though other teams remain in the mix if the Orioles decide to trade their ace pitcher, Andy MacPhail said. The Orioles' president of baseball operations said...