Josh Hancock

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk and talking on his cellphone at the time of his fatal accident, and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving. Medical examiner Michael Graham said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old reliever was dead "within seconds" from head injuries in the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis. His vehicle hit the back of a tow truck parked on the highway to assist a driver from a previous accident.

The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated before the crash that killed him. The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages.

The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated before the crash that killed him. The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages.

Marcus Giles was a little too rushed to talk. He had to check out some new suits that were being delivered to the visiting clubhouse at Turner Field. But, as the San Diego second baseman rushed toward the door, he yelled back his two cent's worth on the latest hot-button issue: "Keep the beer in the clubhouse!" Giles' plea aside, it seems another of baseball's time-honored traditions is going the way of wool uniforms and daytime World Series games.

Josh Hancock, a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who rode from the unemployment line in February 2006 into a World Series championship parade in October, was killed in a car accident Sunday. He was 29. For the second time in five years, tragedy touched the Cardinals. Another St. Louis pitcher, Darryl Kile, died in his hotel room in 2002 of a heart attack. "The pain our organization feels today is unspeakable," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said at a news conference at Busch Stadium.

Marcus Giles was a little too rushed to talk. He had to check out some new suits that were being delivered to the visiting clubhouse at Turner Field. But, as the San Diego second baseman rushed toward the door, he yelled back his two cent's worth on the latest hot-button issue: "Keep the beer in the clubhouse!" Giles' plea aside, it seems another of baseball's time-honored traditions is going the way of wool uniforms and daytime World Series games.

CINCINNATI -- The season has brought one setback after another for the St. Louis Cardinals -- Manager Tony La Russa's drunken-driving arrest, reliever Josh Hancock's death, a series of injuries to everyday players. The defending World Series champions may be running out of resilience. Joey Votto hit a two-run double and David Ross followed with a two-run homer Thursday, sending the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory that completed the Cardinals' trip to ruin.

* at Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 2: Andruw Jones hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Antonio Alfonseca. The Braves' Tim Hudson, pitching the day after his college teammate Josh Hancock and his grandmother died, gave up four hits in eight innings. * Florida 9, at New York 6: Hanley Ramirez homered and Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs for the Marlins, who scored five runs in the third inning.

Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 33 games. His manager thinks he can go a lot longer. Utley kept the major leagues' longest streak this season alive with two hits -- one in the first inning -- against the team that stopped teammate Jimmy Rollins' 38-game run in the first week of the season. "I don't want to say too much about it, but that's a pretty good hitter," Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel said after Utley helped Philadelphia beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, on Tuesday night.

Ben Sheets gave up two runs in six innings, showing no ill-effects from a groin injury he suffered in his last start, and Tony Graffanino hit a three-run homer to help the Milwaukee Brewers beat the slumping St. Louis Cardinals, 12-2, Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Braden Looper and St. Louis were cruising with a 2-0 lead in the fifth. But the Cardinals, playing in their second game since the death of reliever Josh Hancock, fell apart with another sloppy performance.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock was drunk and talking on his cellphone at the time of his fatal accident, and marijuana was found in the sport utility vehicle he was driving. Medical examiner Michael Graham said at a news conference Friday that the 29-year-old reliever was dead "within seconds" from head injuries in the crash early Sunday on Interstate 64 in St. Louis. His vehicle hit the back of a tow truck parked on the highway to assist a driver from a previous accident.

Josh Hancock, a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who rode from the unemployment line in February 2006 into a World Series championship parade in October, was killed in a car accident Sunday. He was 29. For the second time in five years, tragedy touched the Cardinals. Another St. Louis pitcher, Darryl Kile, died in his hotel room in 2002 of a heart attack. "The pain our organization feels today is unspeakable," Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. said at a news conference at Busch Stadium.

Chan Ho Park was designated for assignment Thursday by the New York Mets, three days after he was hit hard in his season debut. Park gave up seven runs and six hits in four innings Monday during a 9-6 loss to Florida. He made the start after Orlando Hernandez went on the disabled list with bursitis. * St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Randy Flores will miss playing catch with Josh Hancock.

Scott Rolen had three hits and two RBIs in his return to the lineup two days after he was hit in the helmet with a pitch, leading the St. Louis Cardinals past the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2, Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals swept the four-game series and improved to 19-9 on the road, best in the National League. No visiting team has won more games at PNC Park than the Cardinals, who are 22-6 there. The Pirates are a league-worst 9-18 at home.