Padres take control early vs. Rockies  —  Four-run first inning solidifies Padres' victory  —  DENVER — It was night and Day for the Padres on a brisk, sunny Wednesday at Coors Field.  —  Rebounding from the frustration of stranding 14 base runners in an 11-inning loss on Tuesday night …

Angels place Colon on 15-day DL  —  Hurler has inflammation in right shoulder  —  MINNEAPOLIS — The Angels placed Bartolo Colon on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with inflammation in his right shoulder, retroactive to Sunday.  —  Right-hander Hector Carrasco will take Colon's spot …

Greinke begins his return to baseball  —  Right-hander working out at Surprise, Ariz., complex  —  SURPRISE, Ariz. — Zack Greinke had thrown a bad bullpen session at Spring Training and he went for a talk with Royals manager Buddy Bell in his office.  —  "People assumed that he was going to yell at me," Greinke said.

Wilkerson's still swinging  —  Since his introductory press conference, Brad Wilkerson and I have shared a special bond.  You might call it good, old-fashioned hate.  —  OK, hate might be a little strong, but he is, after all, a Florida Gator and I'm Johnny Georgia Bulldog.  It creates a little tension.

Phillies' offense relying on home runs  —  CHUCK DIGS the long ball.  —  Still, even manager Charlie Manuel knows that the Phillies have to find a way to score other than knocking fat pitches over the fence.  And that's tempered the euphoria of the 4-2 road trip that ended Sunday.

Church,Nationals slam Phillies  —  PHILADELPHIA — Nothing like a trip to Citizens Bank Park to cure what ails you.  —  A Washington Nationals club that was consumed by issues on and off the field when it arrived at the Philadelphia Phillies' ballpark yesterday sure felt a lot better about itself by day's end.

Boos, booze make for an ugly combo in Busch bleachers  —  The new spin coming from the mouths of some of the grumbling louts who have turned certain parts of Busch Stadium's bleachers into an X-rated sewer is that they are all a part of some slowly emerging class struggle.

Notes: Hernandez placed on DL  —  Sore back sidelines starting second baseman; Matsui recalled  —  NEW YORK — The pained look on Anderson Hernandez's face said it all.  —  "Not good," Hernandez said, wincing.  "Bad."  —  Hernandez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday …

Hurler, wife pitched a few ideas  —  Red Sox pitcher Jonathan Papelbon and his wife didn't have nearly as much trouble choosing a wedding song last winter as he's had in finding the right music for his march to the mound this season.  —  "Me and my wife actually went through some songs …

Curt Schilling, RHP (3-0, 1.64)  —  Scouting Report:  —  Waechter followed up an unremarkable first start of the season at Toronto — when he allowed three earned runs in 3 2/3 innings — with a strong performance against the Orioles Thursday, allowing just one run in six innings.

Garciaparra to make Dodgers debut Saturday after rehab stint in minors  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nomar Garciaparra's long-awaited debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers may come as soon as Saturday.  —  The team sent the converted first baseman on a two-day minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

We Got The Hits—Hits.  —  The Mets came out with a new theme song today, which like its title ("Our Team.  Our Time.") and the advertising slogan it accompanies ("The Team.  The Time.  The Mets."), celebrates terminal punctuation.  Our question: Can 45,000 fans rap all at the same time?

Johnson Doesn't Know What Hit Him  —  TORONTO, April 18 — Your team is down by four runs with one out in the top of the first inning.  When you finally come to bat, a future Hall of Famer will be facing you.  What are you thinking in the home dugout?  —  "You figure it's over," …

Nationals close to finding new owner  —  Decision could be made as early as next week  —  A decision to choose the new owners of the Washington Nationals is coming down to its final days, with an announcement possible sometime next week, a source familiar with the negotiations said on Tuesday.

Marcus Giles: MRI Scheduled for Thursday  —  Update: Giles has possible ligament damage in the middle finger on his left hand and will have an MRI on Thursday, the team's official web site reports.  "Hopefully it's only a few days, but who knows," manager Bobby Cox said.

Milestone for Gonzalez in win  —  Slugger becomes 21st player with 500 doubles and 300 homers  —  PHOENIX — Luis Gonzalez appeared in the postgame interview room wearing a Diamondbacks undershirt.  —  The uniform of the once skinny kid from Tampa, Fla., whose Major League dreams …

Russ Ortiz: Cramps Up on Tuesday  —  Update: Ortiz had to leave his start for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday due to calf cramps, the Arizona Republic reports.  He will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.  Ortiz' next scheduled start would be on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Order of selection announced for the 2006 First-Year Player Draft  —  The Kansas City Royals will have the first selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, to be held via conference call on June 6-7 in New York City, Major League Baseball announced today.