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).

Judge Rules Clemens Will Face New Trial  —  WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Friday that Roger Clemens, one of baseball's greatest pitchers, will face a new trial on charges that he lied to Congress about using performance enhancing-drugs.  —  The judge, Reggie Walton of Federal District Court …

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.

Hot bats to stick in White Sox lineup  —  DETROIT — Adam Dunn and Alex Rios were on the bench for Friday's series opener against the Tigers and American League Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander.  Meanwhile, A.J. Pierzynski returned from his first career stint on the disabled list to serve …

Britton Has 3rd Straight Solid Start  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Zach Britton had his third consecutive solid start, J.J. Hardy drove in two runs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Friday night.  —  Britton (9-9) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

Phillips not thrilled about uncertain future  —  Reds have yet to approach second baseman about extension  —  ST. LOUIS — Second baseman Brandon Phillips sees the future he desires with crystal clarity.  Phillips doesn't just want to be with the Reds next year, but for years to come.

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.

Ailing A-Rod, Teixeira not in Yankees lineup  —  NEW YORK — New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will sit out Friday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a lingering left thumb injury.  —  Rodriguez has missed six straight games due to the ailment and eight of the Yankees' past 11.

Jack McKeon disputes report that he and Marlins have agreed he will not return next season  —  Jack McKeon disputed a report that he and Marlins have agreed the 80-year-old manager would not return next season.  —  Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweeted that the two “have decided someone else will manage in 2012.”

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 …

McCutchen hit by pitch, leaves game  —  To:  —  Invalid E-mail address  —  Add a personal message:(80 character limit) Your E-mail:  —  Invalid E-mail address  —  Sending your article  —  Your article has been sent.  —  CHICAGO—Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen …

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 …