Fenway announcer Carl Beane dies after suffering heart attack  —  Beane's SUV came to rest against a stone wall and a tree.  (Photo courtesy of Worcester Telegram & Gazette)  —  By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff  —  Carl Beane, the public address announcer at Fenway Park …

Hamilton's hot start raises contract questions  —  Josh Hamilton is the current MLB leader in all three Triple Crown categories, which should bode well for him when he discusses a new deal with the defending AL champs.  —  Andro, a Texas A&M grad, spent nearly 12 years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram …

On Keppinger's status, Matsui's contract  —  * The Rays placed INF Jeff Keppinger on the “restricted list” so he could deal with what was described as “a personal matter” and so they would not have to play shorthanded while he was gone, which may only be for a day or two.  OF Brandon Guyer was called up to take his place.

Pirates P Erik Bedard pulled due to back spasms  —  PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard left Wednesday night's game against Washington in the second inning due to back spasms.  —  Bedard grimaced after his third pitch to Washington's Adam LaRoche in the top of the second.

Friedrich Wins Debut as Rockies Beat Padres 6-2  —  SAN DIEGO (AP) — Left-hander Christian Friedrich pitched six solid innings to win his major league debut and Jason Giambi and Wilin Rosario hit RBI doubles off the top of the fences at Petco Park as the Colorado Rockies rallied to beat …

Dan Uggla's single in eighth lifts Braves to win  —  CHICAGO — Randall Delgado didn't get a win with his strong performance Tuesday night, but the Braves made sure the rookie pitcher didn't get a loss.  —  Dan Uggla drove in two runs with a tie-breaking, bases-loaded single in the eighth inning …

Castro's agent: Long-term contract talk can wait  —  Starlin Castro is off to another strong start this season and the Chicago Cubs All-Star shortstop could be in position to begin lobbying for a lucrative long-term contract, but his agent says he won't seek a new deal at this time.

Mariano Rivera had a blood clot in his calf  —  We now know what the “complication” was in Mariano Rivera's exam the other day: he had a blood clot.  Here's how we know this:  —  I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that they're all standing next to each other, in Rivera's presence, looking kinda funny tweeting all at once.

Dontrelle Willis drops grievance  —  Pitcher Dontrelle Willis has agreed to drop his grievance against the Baltimore Orioles after the team granted his request to pitch as a starter in the minor leagues, his agent told ESPN.com.  —  Willis, 30, will report to extended spring training …

Butler's 3-run shot lifts Royals over Red Sox 6-4  —  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Billy Butler isn't the fastest guy on the base paths by any stretch, so the chances of him hitting into a double play are pretty good if he puts the ball on the ground.  —  Maybe that's why he was so keen on popping a pitch over the outfield wall instead.

Brewers measure offense by ‘team production’  —  MILWAUKEE — The Brewers' offense is not clicking the way it has in recent seasons, at least according to the traditional measures.  But the team's coaches have other ways of tracking production, including one they track called “team productive at-bats.”

Sweeny: Going One-On-One With Michael Pineda  —  While most of the talk around Yankee Stadium still revolved around Mariano Rivera and news spread of Andy Pettitte's imminent return, Michael Pineda sat in the dugout Tuesday afternoon, his right arm in a sling, staring at the rain falling on the tarp-covered field.