CHICAGO -- White Sox ace Chris Sale?said he felt like he was out on an island for five days. He was back in more comfortable terrain Thursday: on the pitchers mound at Wrigley field. And now Sale is anxious to put his recent controversy to bed.This is what I signed up for, is to play baseball, Sale said Thursday night. So it was nice to get out there and pitch again.Sale, considered the front-runner in this seasons chase for the American League Cy Young Award, overcame early command problems Thursday to hold the Cubs to two runs over six innings. Nevertheless, Sale (14-4) took the loss in the Cubs 3-1 win and missed out on a chance to become the first 15-game winner in the AL this season.I thought he pitched a good game, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. You know, he had a walk and a hit by pitch that ends up costing us. But he pitched a good game.Of his outing, Sale said, Felt good. First couple, I was knocking the rust off a little bit. [Catcher] Dioner [Navarro] really did a great job of getting me through that.The rust was most evident in one regard: a lack of strikeouts. Even though Sale punched out four Cubs looking, none of those Ks occurred during the first three innings. According to ESPN Stats & Info research, that hadnt happened to Sale in any of his previous 135 career starts.Of course, the focus before, during and after Sales outing was not on his performance on the mound. He returned to the White Sox on Thursday after serving a five-day suspension for a much-publicized incident in which he cut up some throwback jerseys that were to be worn Saturday in a game against Detroit.Sales postgame news conference marked his first time addressing the general media, and although he spoke for 10 minutes, he didnt want to delve into specifics about the incident.Listen guys, I dont want to get too far into it, Sale said. It is what it is. Its in the past. Just look to the future and try to make things right, make things better and win ballgames.Regrets?I regret not being there for my guys. Im a pitcher, called upon every fifth day. If I cant go out there for my guys, for the fans, that gets to me, he said.Sale said that while he was away from the team, teammates, former teammates and other players around the league sent him text messages to boost his spirits. The gestures did not go unnoticed.There is a lot of crap that was going on this week, no doubt about it, Sale said. But for them to do what they did today, and the previous four or five days, it says a lot about who they are and how much they care about me.Sale was received warmly in the clubhouse before the game after arriving at Wrigley Field, exchanging hugs with teammates as he made the rounds in the cramped visiting clubhouse at the old ballpark.I have a group of unbelievable guys in there, my teammates, Sale said. I knew who they were before this, but I found out who they really are and what theyre about. I have unbelievable teammates, I really do.Sale said he did not address his teammates as a group before the game but planned to talk with them individually.Get to them on a personal level, Sale said. I want to let them know where my heads at, where my hearts at. And let them know how much I appreciate them.Sales return comes just four days before the trade deadline. His name has come up often, and the uniform controversy added an extra layer of intrigue to the situation. Nevertheless, even with a lot of extra time on his hands, Sale said he paid no attention to the rumor mill.I dont read the newspapers, Sale said. I dont have Twitter. I stay out of all that. That stuff is for other people. Im a pitcher. I get ready to pitch and play baseball.Sale also dismissed suggestions that his relationship with the White Sox front office is irreparable.I think everyone is making a little bit bigger deal of this than it really is, Sale said. Were here to win games. And from this point forward, I think thats our main focus.Im here to win. Im happy exactly where Im at. Cheap Air Max 95 . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Wholesale Air Max 95 For Sale . DAmigo scored twice in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the San Antonio Rampage 5-4 in American Hockey League action. http://www.airmax95sale.com/ . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Wholesale Air Max 95 . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Air Max 95 From China . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. h3 { font-size: 14px; } .games-story2 ol { font: normal 11px verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 11px 40px 20px; } .games-story2 ul { font: normal 11px verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 11px 40px 20px; }Step 1 - RegistrationTo enter, log-in to your ESPN.com account or create a new account on ESPN.com if you havent created one yet. After creating an account, you are ready to play Eliminator Challenge. A valid ESPN member name and password will be used as an identifier to sign in to game play, and to keep track of your entrys score and standing. If you are already a registered ESPN account holder, you do not need to go through the account creation process.Step 2 - Game SettingsAfter you have signed in, you will be prompted with a Play Now for Free button. After you click on the button you will be automatically redirected to the Entry Settings page where you will be asked to name your entry and decide whether you would like email reminders. Name your entry - Use the text box to determine how your entry will be displayed in the game. Email Reminders - Use the radio buttons to select whether or not youd like to receive email reminders pertaining to game locks and game rules. Once you have completed your game settings click on the Continue button.Step 3 - Making Your SelectionsThe object of the game is simple: Correctly predict one winning team each week from all regularly scheduled games. Remember, you may not pick the same team to win twice during the season. So, choose wisely! You may make your picks at any time, and change any pick up until it begins.Step 4 - Scoring & PrizesEach winning pick is worth 1 poiint.dddddddddddd The entry that accumulates the most points, and wins any tiebreakers, will win the grand prize, a $3,000 Amazon Gift Card.There will also be a random drawing for 10 winners at the end of the season. Each entry is entered into the random drawing pool based on how many points the entry has accumulated that season. For example, an entry that correctly selected 5 winners throughout the season (5 points) would have 5 entries into the random draw.Step 5 - Creating or Joining A GroupYou have the option to group yourself with friends, co-workers, or completely random fans by joining or creating a group in the Group Directory. Within each group, your entry will be automatically ranked. Most of the groups in ESPNs Eliminator Challenge are public and can be joined at any time. If you want to play with a specific group of people you know, create a private group and make it only accessible to those whom you have given the group password. The creator of a group sets the groups name, motto, password (only if private). Groups can have an unlimited number of members and you can move your entry freely from one group to the next. All of this is easily found on the Group Directory page. There is no prize awarded for being the top entrant in your group. Groups that have a locked setting will officially lock at kickoff of the first Thursday night game (September 8th at 8:30pm ET). Certain group settings can be changed from the Update Group page, but, if you cant change the setting youd like, youll need to create a new group. There is no prize awarded for being the top entrant in your group. ' ' '