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.

Pap not hurtin' for cash: Sox closer knows deal  —  Jonathan Papelbon wants to make one thing clear: Talk of a new contract isn't at the forefront of his mind these days.  What is?  Pitching and staying healthy.  —  "For me, it's going to come when it comes," Papelbon said of any potential new deal.

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.

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 …

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."

NTSB presents results in Lidle crash investigation  —  WASHINGTON — New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle's plane crashed in New York because the pilot misjudged a narrow U-turn before veering into a Manhattan high-rise.  —  National Transportation Safety Board investigators presented …

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 …

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.

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 …

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.

BIKIN-E-MAILS RATTLE TV WIFE  —  FOXY Philadelphia TV reporter Alycia Lane is in hot water after a series of private e-mails and saucy snapshots she sent to handsome NFL Network anchorman Rich Eisen were intercepted by his wife.  —  Suzy Shuster, a sideline reporter for ABC's college football broadcasts …

Down in a hole  —  Odds stacked against Yankees making postseason  —  The Milwaukee Brewers are a good team, one likely to stay afloat through the summer, but I don't know that the city of Milwaukee should be planning a parade route just yet.  Championships aren't won in April.  But can they be lost?

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.

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 …

O's place Wright on DL; starter's return uncertain  —  DETROIT // The Orioles placed starting pitcher Jaret Wright on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, though they aren't sure when - if at all - the veteran will return to the team's rotation.  —  Wright lasted only three innings Sunday …

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 …