Oldie is still a goodie  —  Franco's pinch HR sparks six-run rally as trip begins with a win  —  SAN DIEGO — The Mets approached last night's game against the Padres with an all-hands-on-deck mentality.  They emptied the trainer's room and even the forgotten Kaz Matsui …

Piazza happy with his new surroundings  —  After spending nearly eight seasons with the Mets, Mike Piazza has been with the Padres for only seven home games.  But when someone asked him yesterday about the biggest difference between playing in New York and San Diego, he didn't hesitate.

Showalter says Cordero still Rangers' closer  —  SEATTLE - In the wake of his second blown save in eight days, Rangers closer Francisco Cordero and pitching coach Mark Connor insisted the pitcher isn't abandoning his fastball for the slider.  —  That's right, manager Buck Showalter agreed.

Wrist of fate  —  2 broken bones likely to bench Lee at least 2 months; Cubs sift options  —  Derrek Lee could miss at least two months with a broken right wrist, putting the injury-plagued Cubs in the same boat in which they capsized last summer.  —  Lee will be in a cast for up to six weeks …

Wells may retire: Knee woes worry lefty  —  David Wells said he will abruptly pull the plug on his 20th and final major league season if his knee problems do not start to improve or if he discovers that he is risking his future health by continuing to pitch.

Yankees top $1B in Forbes valuation  —  NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees became the first baseball team valued at more than $1 billion in the annual estimates made by Forbes magazine.  —  The Yankees' value increased 8 percent to $1.026 billion, the magazine estimated in its May 8 issue, which was released Thursday.

Cards-Cubs: Not another series for fans  —  The Chicago Cubs and their fond faithful will make their first visit to the newest of the Busch stadiums tonight.  And other than an aberration last year when they won the season series here five games to three, the Cubs have found wins difficult …

Johnson, Nationals Pound the Phillies  —  Traber Also Contributes as Robinson Wins 1,000th: Nationals 10, Phillies 4  —  PHILADELPHIA, April 20 — Nick Johnson's manager knows something about hitting, and that means he knows something about the feeling Johnson must have right now.

Go 2 Guy: Where have all the M's fans gone?  —  For the third consecutive game, there were more empty seats than fans at Safeco Field Thursday night.  —  Tuesday's game set a record low for attendance at Safeco Field until Wednesday's game went even lower, down to 17,613 fans.

Prospectus Today  —  On Edmonds  —  Jim Edmonds, Hall of Famer.  —  What's your first reaction to that?  A quiet nod?  A horrified recoil?  Something in between?  —  I've been playing with this idea for a while, mentioning Edmonds as my personal choice for a "stealth" Hall of Fame candidate whenever asked for one.

Former teammates ready to square off  —  Boston (11-5) at Toronto (7-7), 7:07 p.m. ET  —  It will be a Florida Marlins reunion when Josh Beckett, looking for his fourth win in as many starts for the Red Sox, opposes Toronto's A.J. Burnett Friday night in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Rogers Centre.

Bonds sits again; Giants insist that he's just resting  —  PHOENIX - Barry Bonds was out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game Thursday because of general soreness, although Giants Manager Felipe Alou emphasized that the left fielder's specific physical problems had not worsened.

He's no talk, all action  —  "George Hendrick is probably one of the best clubhouse coaches I've ever been around.  He is universally liked by every baseball player or person who's ever been affiliated with him.  He's very introspective and bright.  He's very straightforward and honest.