Olsen joins Marlins' hit parade  —  WASHINGTON — After slapping a base hit in an exhibition game last month, Scott Olsen joked that he'd try to beat out fellow pitcher Dontrelle Willis for the Silver Slugger award.  —  In his first start of the season Tuesday night, he didn't waste any time.

M's Notebook |  Betancourt might miss game for trial  —  Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt won't be joining his teammates on their charter flight to Cleveland on Thursday.  —  Betancourt instead plans to hop a flight to Miami after tonight's game against Oakland so he can be in court …

Unhappy Cantu to play for Durham  —  NEW YORK - Disgruntled and demoted second baseman Jorge Cantu will report to Triple-A Durham in time for Thursday's season opener and will be focused and prepared to play hard, agent Steve Canter said Tuesday.  —  But whether Cantu plays again for the Devil Rays could be another issue.

Ozzie's opening line: If we don't win, fire me  —  Ken Williams at first seemed a bit taken aback by his manager's latest words Monday.  But after pausing a moment, the White Sox general manager smiled and borrowed a phrase associated with enigmatic Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Pirates Notebook: Lincoln has major elbow surgery  —  By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  —  HOUSTON — Another top pitching prospect has gone under the knife.  —  Brad Lincoln, the Pirates' first-round draft pick last summer, yesterday had reconstructive surgery to repair ligament damage …

Payroll ($30,507,000) ranks 29th  —  WASHINGTON - Unlike last season, the Marlins aren't starting at the bottom of the payroll standings.  —  According to team payroll information gathered by The Associated Press, the Marlins' Opening Day payroll more than doubled to $30,507,000.

More baseball clubs joining spending spree  —  The New York Yankees, at $189.6 million, still have the highest payroll in baseball, but other teams are beginning to close the gap.  —  According to USA TODAY's 23rd annual survey of salaries, seven of the 30 teams have 2007 payrolls above $100 million.

A day when 1 was the loneliest number  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. — He could not have felt any worse than Jose Contreras of the White Sox did after giving up eight runs in one inning-plus.  Or Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, negotiating a mega-million-dollar extension and getting tagged for six hits, five runs, and five walks by the Reds.

Swing and a miss for Blue Jays' commercial  —  DETROIT — Frank Thomas's prodigious talents hitting home runs throughout his illustrious 17-year Major League Baseball career have been well celebrated.  —  However, the sight of Mr. Thomas, nicknamed the Big Hurt, swinging a pillow at a child …

Elbow inflammation forces Carpenter to miss next turn  —  ST. LOUIS — Chris Carpenter will miss his next turn in the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching rotation due to right elbow inflammation.  —  Carpenter complained of soreness Monday, the day after he struggled in the season opener against the New York Mets.

Dodgers need to make some noise  —  Their weird, eerily quiet 0-2 start brings questions about Wolf's elbow and the defense and offense of new outfielders  —  MILWAUKEE — Two days, and the silence is already deafening.  —  Two days into the Dodgers season, and we're still waiting for someone …

Heilman Thinks His Way Out of a Tough Spot  —  In the eighth inning Tuesday night, Mets reliever Aaron Heilman found an answer to an unanswerable question: How do you get one of the most balanced hitters in baseball off balance?  —  Sometimes, you notice something and guess right.

Selig earned $14.5 million in fiscal 2005  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball commissioner Bud Selig earned as much last year as some of the league's top players.  —  Selig received $14.5 million in the 12 months ending Oct. 31, according to Major League Baseball's tax return, which was obtained by the Sports Business Journal.