BASEBALL

MARTINEZ EXPECTS TO MISS OPENING DAY Mets ace Pedro Martinez expects to miss opening day because of a nagging toe injury.The three-time Cy Young Award winner has not pitched in a spring training game yet due to a sore right big toe and doesn’t think he will be ready to start the season opener April 3 against the Washington Nationals at Shea Stadium.

“Unless I can work some magic, I don’t think I’ll have enough time,” Martinez said yesterday. “I need at least two outings. You’re not going to throw me two innings in a game and expect me to go on opening day. That’s not fair to me, my teammates, or anybody.”

Martinez played long toss yesterday, then finished the day with a short stint in the bullpen. He is slated to make his first Grapefruit League start Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. Left-hander Tom Glavine, who turns 40 on Saturday, will likely start the opener for the Mets.

SORIANO AGREES TO PLAY LEFT FIELD FOR NATIONALS Alfonso Soriano took his spot in left field for an exhibition game yesterday, agreeing to play the new position for the Washington Nationals two days after refusing to move from second base.

Soriano, an AL All-Star the last four years at second base, has never played the outfield in a major league game.The Nationals got Soriano in an off-season trade with Texas despite already having an established second baseman, three-time All-Star Jose Vidro. Manager Frank Robinson said he considered the position move permanent to the point he doesn’t even consider Soriano the backup at second base.

FOOTBALL

GIANTS SIGN TYREE TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL The Giants have signed Pro Bowl special teams player David Tyree to a five-year contract, his agent said yesterday.The deal makes Tyree the highest-paid special teams player in the league, said Tyree’s agent Mark Clouser, and is on a par with money paid to no. 3 receivers in the league. The Giants confirmed the signing but did not comment on the specifics of the deal.Tyree made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2005 when he made 16 special teams tackles (13 solo) and blocked a punt. He also caught five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown.

SUPER BOWL TRIP ADDS 4 1/2 YEARS TO PRISON SENTENCE The brother of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Tyrone Carter had his sentence for driving with a revoked license increased from six months to five years because he failed to report to jail on time.Tank Carter was scheduled to report to a Broward County prison on January 6, but decided against it when his brother told him the Steelers had a good chance of going to the Super Bowl. On Tuesday, Broward Circuit Judge Stanton S. Kaplan increased the sentence.

“Even knowing what I know now, I would do it again,” Carter said. “It was the greatest game in my life.”

Carter watched the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL from the 50-yard line in Detroit and partied with rapper Snoop Dogg after the game.

RAIDERS SIGN QB BROOKS TO TWO-YEAR DEAL The Oakland Raiders found their replacement for Kerry Collins, agreeing to terms yesterday with former New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks on a two-year contract worth about $8 million. The 29-year-old Brooks started 13 games for New Orleans last season, completing 240 of 431 passes for 2,882 yards and 13 touchdowns. He threw 17 interceptions.

SOCCER

AMERICANS ROUTED BY GERMANY Following a scoreless first half, Germany scored 20 seconds into the second half and romped to a 4-1 victory in a friendly match over the United States yesterday.The Americans were missing about half their projected World Cup starting lineup because of injuries and club commitments, and they dropped to 0-9 in Europe against the major soccer powers of Germany, England, Italy, France, and Spain.They’ve been outscored 26-4 in those games.

– Associated Press