Padres lose 13th straight at home to Phillies  —  SAN DIEGO—After losing 12 of their first 15 games, the San Diego Padres have the worst record in the major leagues and are 8 1/2 games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.  —  Juan Pierre hit a go-ahead, two-run single …

Francona manages to put it aside  —  Ex-skipper returns to cheers, adoration  —  Terry Francona, having just tossed his Red Sox jersey to a youngster in the stands, does a fist pump at the conclusion of the pregame ceremonies.  (Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff)  —  It wasn't Opening Day.

Spacious Safeco may help struggling hitters  —  SEATTLE — On first glance, Safeco Field might be the worst place for the struggling White Sox offense to play a three-game series.  —  But the spacious ballpark, commonly known as pitcher-friendly, just might be the cure for the White Sox woes.

Sox and Cubs talking about a deal for Marlon Byrd  —  The Red Sox are closing in on a deal for Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd according to a major league source, who said the deal was not yet done.  —  Byrd is playing center field for the Cubs and had gotten off to a slow start, 3-for-43 (.070).

Angels beat Orioles, hand Matusz 12th loss in row  —  ANAHEIM, Calif.—Howie Kendrick had three hits and three RBIs, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 Friday night to end a three-game losing streak and hand Brian Matusz his 12th straight loss.

Blue Jays turn first triple play in 33 years  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays have turned their first triple play in 33 years.  —  The Kansas City Royals had runners on first and second in the third inning Friday night when Eric Hosmer lined out to first baseman Adam Lind …

Some surprise names among the no-shows  —  The Red Sox welcomed back more than 200 former players, managers, and coaches to Fenway Park on Friday.  But also notable were those who did not attend.  —  Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, and Curt Schilling were among the former stars who did not make an appearance …

Hamilton proving his worth to Rangers  —  DETROIT  —  When Josh Hamilton relapsed with alcohol shortly before spring training, the questions followed: Was the pressure of a contract year getting to him before the games began?  Would the extension talks distract him and affect his 2012 performance?

Willingham Has 3 RBIs in Twins' Win  —  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Josh Willingham extended his season-opening hitting streak to 14 games with a go-ahead three-run double and the Minnesota Twins beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Friday night.  —  Willingham's hit in the seventh off Joel Peralta puts …

Cracking down on lucrative perks  —  MLB, union ban future personal-service deals and all milestone bonuses  —  Somewhere along the line, we hope your dad — or, at the very least, your lawyer — gave you this important advice:  —  Always read the fine print.