A-ROD COULD PLAY SHORTSTOP  —  IF JETER'S OUT, CASHMAN SAYS IT'S A SOLUTION  —  KANSAS CITY — If Derek Jeter has to go on the shelf due to a left quad injury, the Yankees aren't afraid of shifting Alex Rodriguez from third base to shortstop, a position he played very well in Seattle …

Sox ring in home season with a 5-0 win over Detroit  —  BOSTON — There was red-white-and-blue bunting hanging from the stands, a Green Monster-sized American flag on the left-field wall and an Air National Guard flyover punctuating “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Phillies beat Mets in final Shea opener  —  NEW YORK (AP)—Carlos Delgado and the New York Mets botched the final Shea Stadium opener the same way they squandered that big lead in the NL East last year.  —  April or September, doesn't seem to matter.  The Mets can't find a way to hold off Philadelphia.

A's Harden scratched from Tuesday start  —  (04-08) 04:00 PDT Toronto — The A's have scratched Rich Harden for tonight's game in Toronto with back soreness, specifically in the lat area.  —  The injury is believed to be minor and it might have been the aftereffects of the long flights to and from Japan last month.

Harden to miss start vs. Jays with back soreness  —  Rich Harden has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Toronto Blue Jays with back soreness, the team announced.  —  The Oakland Athletics right-hander has struggled to overcome injuries the last three seasons.

Cordero says Brewers blew chance  —  I just talked with Francisco Cordero and he said the Brewers blew their chance to keep him as their closer by not agreeing to talk about a contract extension last spring.  —  Cordero, who set the club record with 44 saves in 2007, signed a free-agent deal …

Rodriguez might need stint on DL  —  Los Angeles (5-3) vs. Cleveland (3-4), Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. PT  —  Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez had one of his worst outings in recent memory on Monday night, blowing a save against the Indians by allowing three runs in one-third of an inning.

Runoff to determine Mets' new 8th inning song  —  The Mets will have a runoff to determine their new eighth-inning sing-along tune.  —  The organization received 5 million votes on its Web site after inviting fans to choose from among 10 selections to potentially replace Sweet Caroline.

Dodgers outfield is out of sorts  —  Subpar averages magnified opposite D-backs' four homers  —  PHOENIX — There was a time, and it seems like only a week or so ago, when the Dodgers thought they had too many outfielders.  —  Now, they don't have enough, at least enough productive ones.

AL-best Orioles win sixth straight  —  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—Aubrey Huff and the Baltimore Orioles are certainly enjoying the new season.  And surprising a lot of people.  —  “We've already had more fun than at anytime last year,” Huff said after Baltimore's sixth straight victory …

Mariner Meltdown on the Mound  —  The Seattle Mariners dropped their fourth game in a row Monday afternoon to fall to 2-5, completing their being swept at the hands of the Orioles—the Orioles—by losing their third bullpen game in the season's opening week.

Helms will not add a penny to 2008 team salary  —  WASHINGTON - Pay no mind to that $2.15 million salary figure attached to Wes Helms this season.  The Marlins aren't paying a nickel of it.  —  They didn't reacquire Helms for free, but this deal is another example of why the Marlins consistently …