Is Granderson good, bad or ugly in CF?  —  In the sixth inning Thursday night, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson made a sprawling catch to end a Red Sox threat.  —  There are certain plays that Granderson is very good at making.  This was one of them (as Chris Singleton details in the video above).

Phillies are clear favorites in ranking of likely playoff teams … The Phillies look like a prohibitive World Series favorite.  But that guarantees nothing, of course.  —  The Braves of the 1990s had the same sort of starting pitching that made folks assume they'd win many titles throughout the decade.

Youkilis back Friday as Red Sox tweak roster  —  BOSTON — Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis will be activated from the disabled list on Friday and is expected to be in the lineup against the Texas Rangers.  —  Youkilis has been on the DL since Aug. 18 with a lower-back strain …

Judge Refuses to Throw Out Clemens Perjury Case  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A judge on Friday refused to throw out the perjury case against pitching star Roger Clemens over steroid use after a mistrial was declared when prosecutors presented evidence that had been barred.

Brian Burres helps Pirates top Cubs 3-1  —  CHICAGO - Brian Burres pitched into the sixth in his first start of the season and Alex Presley had two triples, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 on Friday.  —  Presley reached four times and scored twice as Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak.

Greatness of Jeter yet to be fully appreciated  —  Yankees superstar the epitome of professionalism and excellence  —  All of a sudden, the talk about the greatness of Derek Jeter has intensified, and this is misguided.  —  He's actually greater than that.  —  It's a bunch of little-big things with Jeter.

Odd Future: The St. Louis Cardinals' Big Decision  —  Would losing Albert Pujols really be a terrible thing?  —  Six playoff berths, five division titles, two NL pennants, one World Series.  Rookie of the Year, nine All-Star games, six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, 10 top-10 MVP finishes, three MVPs.

Santana wins despite 7 walks, Angels edge Mariners  —  SEATTLE - Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick homered for the Los Angeles Angels to help a wild Ervin Santana overcome seven walks Thursday night in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.  —  Hunter hit a three-run shot in the first inning …

Summer of Mailbag V: Passing the Buck  —  It's all MVP all the time in Week 5 of the Sports Guy's letter-answering binge.  (And yes, DiMaggio's record is officially in danger.)  —  When my friends Wildes and Jacoby came over for the 2011 NBA draft, we ordered Indian food and I mistakenly called …

Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is done for season  —  Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano will not play for the remainder of the season, the team announced Friday.  —  The Cubs will resume paying Zambrano his salary at the end of the 30-day suspension, which ends Sept. 11.

SF Giants expect Angel Villalona to return to organization  —  Henry Schulman relayed this report to the Chronicle Sports Desk today:  —  In an odd twist to a story that has had so many bizarre turns, it appears that big first base prospect Angel Villalona will be back in the organization playing ball soon …

Yanks can't afford to lose CC  —  Long-term projections show Sabathia's weight shouldn't slow down his production  —  While most of the early winter speculation involves the possible new homes for Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, they could be joined by another superstar, CC Sabathia.

Williams honored on postage stamp  —  The United States Postal Service sent over a preview of the new Ted Williams stamp that will go into use next summer.  —  Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby and Willie Stargell will be on the new stamps.  Artist/illustrator Kadir Nelson of Los Angeles …

Divide and Conquer, AL East  —  A Bouquet of Bats (The Yankees in Westeros)  —  As a fan of a team in the American League East that isn't the New York Yankees it pains me to admit that there's something mythical about the most winning team in baseball history.

Thoughtful evening at the park  —  Midnight confessions and random thoughts while watching the Red Sox and Yankees for that last time at Fenway this year (unless we get the overdue dream ALCS matchup) . . .  ■The length of these games has become intolerable.

MLB skeptical of $1.2-billion Dodgers bid  —  The proposed $1.2 billion bid for the Dodgers was received with skepticism within Major League Baseball, where executives wondered whether the proposal might be used by owner Frank McCourt to stir negotiations with other potential buyers or to persuade …

Hudson gives rotation a lift as Braves top Nationals  —  ATLANTA - Tim Hudson gave the Braves' ailing rotation a lift and Atlanta got home runs from Brian McCann and Chipper Jones in a 5-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.  —  The Braves are 8 1-2 games ahead of St. Louis …