Park unable to prop up Mets in opener  —  Fill-in starter touched for seven runs; Beltran hits sixth homer  —  NEW YORK — Eight up, eight down.  Just like that, Chan Ho Park was carving through the young Marlins lineup, leaving those thoughts of the Minor Leagues far behind.

Pitcher had close call days before death  —  Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was in a potentially serious traffic accident less than three days before the one that took his life Sunday, according to police reports.  —  Hancock walked away from that early Thursday morning crash uninjured …

Latest Developments in a Crosstown Rivalry  —  Home plate at Citi Field in Flushing is marked by a patch of Astroturf.  In the Bronx, an outcropping of New York schist was leveled by chisel hammers attached to earth movers to clear the land for the future home plate at the new Yankee Stadium.

If It Ain't Broke  —  Here's how it all started.  —  THT author John Beamer is currently working on an article on Phil Hughes.  He asked me take a look at Hughes' mechanics.  I had briefly seen Hughes pitch before, but I needed a closer look.  So I went to YouTube, found some video, broke it down and got back to him.

Alou suffers cut chin, jammed shoulder  —  Mets outfielder gets stitches; day-to-day with MRI on Tuesday  —  NEW YORK — The Mets' training room is suddenly crowded, and the news just keeps getting worse.  —  Left fielder Moises Alou became the latest in a suddenly lengthy string of injuries for the Mets …

Brady deserves a tip of the cap  —  He altered contract so Moss can fit in  —  Randy Moss's name will be spelled out in Patriot colors, thanks in part to his new QB, Tom Brady.  (DOUG BENC/GETTY IMAGES)  —  Quarterback Tom Brady has yet to publicly comment on the Patriots' acquisition …

Phone calls can hang up HGH players  —  To view 31-page search warrant affidavit click here  —  Over the course of the past year, several major league baseball players got phone calls from steroid dealer Kirk Radomski and noted to themselves or others that the calls seemed "strange."

An Era to Forget  —  Welcome to the latest chapter in Major League Baseball's ongoing nightmare: steroids, steroids and more steroids.  —  Last Friday's revelation that a former New York Mets clubhouse kid — now apparently all grown up as a 37-year-old drug dealer had named names …

From fired to fired up  —  Ex-Padre Magadan a hit with Sox so far  —  Jason Varitek and new hitting coach Dave Magadan (right) watch batting practice Sunday; the Sox offense produced in April.  (JIM DAVIS/GLOBE STAFF)  —  Even with Manny Ramírez providing only intermittent assistance …

ZIM PUTS BLAME ON  —  General manager Brian Cashman says if you are looking to blame somebody for the Yankees being in last place and 61/2 games behind the Red Sox, he is your guy.  —  And Don Zimmer agrees with him.  —  "To me, Cashman is the problem," Zimmer said yesterday without going into detail.

Tavarez wants to be on cutting edge  —  Julian Tavarez, who has made an effort to befriend Daisuke Matsuzaka (and Hideki Okajima), is now asking Matsuzaka for a favor.  He wants Matsuzaka to show him how to throw a cut fastball.  —  "I told him, 'I think you're one of the greatest pitchers I've ever seen,' " Tavarez said.

Carpenter says arm is better  —  MILWAUKEE — Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter felt no discomfort in his right elbow in the two days following an aggressive bullpen session Saturday and will throw a simulated game today at Miller Park, easing closer to his return from the disabled list.

Brawl is avoided, but O's left reeling … DETROIT // When the benches cleared in the top of the fifth inning, a mass of players darting in from different directions and converging at home plate, several players and umpires got between Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera and Detroit Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield.

Braves put Wickman on disabled list  —  ATLANTA (AP) — Braves closer Bob Wickman went on the disabled list with an upper back injury on Monday, one day after the veteran blew a save for the second straight time.  —  The team called the injury a strain.  Wickman said he has tendinitis …