Blue Jays sign Rios for six, Hill for four  —  Rios' contract worth $64 million; Hill's includes three options  —  TORONTO — Timing is everything.  —  On Friday, when the Blue Jays arrived back at Rogers Centre for their home opener against the Red Sox, Toronto announced …

Pirates, Capps sign two-year, $3.1 million contract  —  MIAMI — The Pirates and closer Matt Capps today signed a two-year contract worth $3.1 million.  —  Capps last month was given a $435,000 salary for the current season.  That figure was increased to $500,000, plus a $250,000 signing bonus.

Game 4: Rays at Yankees  —  YANKEES  —  Notes: Thanks to Kevin Devaney for texting this in.  He also reports that Melky Cabrera had his hearing today and had his suspension reduced to two games.  So he will sit today and tomorrow. ...  Neither Betemit or Duncan have faced Andy Sonnanstine …

Colon keeps pace in rotation berth bid  —  Red Sox righty breezes through five frames in Minors start  —  PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Bartolo Colon wouldn't bite.  —  Colon delivered a Major League performance Thursday night while pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox in their International League opener against the Indianapolis Indians.

O's power past Mariners  —  R. Hernandez goes 3-for-4 with a home run; L. Hernandez drives in two runs  —  Ramon Hernandez is congratulated by teammates after his solo home run off Mariners pitcher Cha Seung Baek.  (Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr. / April 4, 2008)

Girardi ill, will miss tonight's game (updated)  —  Howdy, readers.  It's Anthony McCarron, pinch-blogging once again for our man Mark.  —  Here is some news: Joe Girardi is a “game-time” decision on whether he will manage tonight against the Rays because of an upper respiratory infection.

Tejada triple lifts Astros over Cubs 4-3  —  CHICAGO - J.R. Towles did a handstand after he was hit by a pitch in the second inning, then homered in the fourth.  —  Miguel Tejada added a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning as the Houston Astros beat the Cubs 4-3 Friday and sent Chicago to its third loss in four games.

Keeping the Faith in the Power of Last Season  —  DENVER — Mayor John Hickenlooper stood on the corner of Blake and 21st Streets, across from Coors Field, reflecting the warmth brought by sunshine and the return of the Colorado Rockies, the defending champions of the National League.

Jacobs' homer lifts Marlins over Pirates  —  MIAMI (AP)—Mike Jacobs homered off reliever Franquelis Osoria leading off the ninth to give the Florida Marlins a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.  —  Jacobs sent Osoria's 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall.

Giambi Tries to Reverse the Irreversible  —  Joe Girardi's decision to use Jason Giambi as his regular first baseman was anything but a no-brainer.  Certainly, Giambi's recent history argued against it.  —  Giambi is hoping that a doctor's diagnosis and his first-ever winter that included running …

Bill James thinks steroids fueled the Twins' two championships  —  Last night I was reading The Bill James Gold Mine 2008, enjoying the section on Atypical Seasons, which of course talked in great detail about Norm Cash (1961) and Darrin Erstad (2004), who overachieved more than anyone relative to their career numbers.

Hampton placed on disabled list  —  Strained left pectoral muscle to sideline southpaw for 15 days  —  ATLANTA — While there have been times when it seemed Mike Hampton's injury woes couldn't get any worse or more unbelievable, history continues to prove nothing is impossible when it comes to Hampton and his health.

Chamberlain defends his celebration  —  Young hurler insists no disrespect intended with fist pump  —  NEW YORK — The walls of Joba Chamberlain's boyhood bedroom in Lincoln, Neb., had inches of poster space dedicated to Frank Thomas, then doing his Big Hurting for the White Sox …