Sports briefs 4/4/05

Baseball

* Mark Prior will start the season on the disabled list for a second straight season after the Chicago Cubs pared their roster to 25 in preparation for their opener Monday at Arizona.

Prior, bothered by a sore elbow since early March, pitched in a minor league game Friday, giving up seven hits, including a pair of homers, over four innings.

Prior could come off the DL in time to pitch April 12 against the Padres, if his elbow is OK. Last season he started on the DL with Achilles tendon and elbow problems and missed two months.

The Cubs announced their final roster on Sunday.

The team sent right-hander Sergio Mitre and outfielder David Kelton to Triple-A Iowa after Saturday's game in Las Vegas. They also purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Chad Fox from the same team.

Carlos Zambrano will start Monday against the Diamondbacks' Javier Vazquez.

* Kevin Brown didn't make it to opening day. The 40-year-old right-hander with the bad back went on the disabled list for the 12th time Sunday, two days after back pain forced him out of his last spring training start.

To fill his roster spot, the New York Yankees recalled infielder Andy Phillips from Triple-A Columbus.

Motorsports

* A top female drag racer and her son were killed after her car went out of control and struck a support vehicle at Tulsa Raceway Park, police said Sunday.

Michelle "Shelly" Howard, 59, and Brian Howard, 36, were pronounced dead following the Saturday night accident, Sgt. Tim Bracken said.

Howard began racing in 1978 and was a three-time national event winner, a Division 4 champion in 2001 and 2003 and the 2004 Jeg's Allstars champion, the NHRA said. She had eight divisional event wins.