Nats Go Extras, Exude Drama  —  Robinson Benches Soriano in Victory: Nationals 9, Mets 5  —  NEW YORK, April 5 — They were not only out of it, there was a full-blown controversy, and it involved the man who had created so much tumult in spring training, one Alfonso Soriano, the Washington Nationals' new left fielder.

Torch-passing can't wait  —  ARLINGTON, Texas — Talk about your short leashes.  It looks like Keith Foulke lost his job on the basis of a garbage-time ninth inning Opening Day.  —  The conventional thinking was that the Red Sox would let Foulkie pitch himself out of the closer role by mid-May.

Baker hopes home remedy cures the starters' woes  —  CINCINNATI — In two games, Cubs manager Dusty Baker already has had to call on dependable left-hander Scott Eyre to pitch 2-2/3 innings.  Eyre has done well, allowing one unearned run on one hit and two walks, but Baker knows the pattern can't continue.

New Orleans Is Ready to Play Ball  —  Nationals' Farm Team Will Open the Season Tonight Amid the Devastation  —  NEW ORLEANS, April 5 — Returning to New Orleans these days after any period of time away is an exercise in separating the Still-Here from the Still-Gone from the Gone-Forever.

Baptism at Petco Park  —  Rainout is Padres' first since Qualcomm Stadium days in 1998; make-up scheduled July 1  —  How fitting that when rain last night postponed a Padres home game for the first time since May 12, 1998, Shawn Estes was the team's scheduled pitcher.  —  Drought-stricken farmers should hire Estes.

For Loney, It's Night to Remember  —  Rookie first baseman is thankful as he makes his debut for the Dodgers in a 5-4 victory over the Braves and gets his first hit.  Garciaparra goes on DL.  —  James Loney sounded for all the world like Reese Witherspoon the night of the Academy Awards …

Mariners Cash In on Lackey  —  SEATTLE — It was a game that almost defied explanation for the Angels, who were supposed to ride their starting pitching, defense and bullpen to contention in the American League West but suffered major breakdowns in all three areas in Tuesday night's 10-8 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Safeco Field.

Guillen gets a tad upset with Iguchi  —  White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen did his best to make sure his initial conversation with second baseman Tadahito Iguchi did not get lost in translation.  —  But when he heard that Iguchi had snapped off a "no comment'' to the media …

Future Shock  —  2006 Draft Notebook, Part One  —  The upcoming draft is even more wide open than it was when last we checked in.  As more players continue to take steps backwards instead of forwards, the first round remains highly unstable—teams are struggling to find players they believe …

Twins knock cover off ball vs. Jays  —  Hunter hits grand slam and drives in career-high six runs  —  TORONTO — All the offseason talk surrounding the Twins centered on whether or not they could rectify their anemic offense.  —  The club finished dead last in the American League in runs scored in 2005 …

Yanks' Errors Prove Costly in Loss to A's  —  OAKLAND, Calif., April 5 - For the New York fans who stayed up to watch the Yankees game on Wednesday, it must have looked like a late-night slasher film.  This was grisly.  —  An early four-run lead evaporated at the Coliseum on Wednesday …

GM Jim Hendry has made some shrewd moves with the Cubs, outweighing mistakes, writes Paul Sullivan  —  Studs offset duds  —  CINCINNATI — Jim Hendry is an unapologetic throwback, the kind of front-office executive who still values his scouts' opinions over a computerized printout of every statistic imaginable.

Notes: Schumaker in the mix  —  Eckstein fine day after collision; Rodriguez improving  —  PHILADELPHIA — Skip Schumaker's stock has risen considerably, while So Taguchi's has fallen only slightly.  Larry Bigbie is unavailable, but John Rodriguez is merely limited.