PITTSBURGH — The Pirates purchased the contract of left-handed relief pitcher Joe Beimel from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Beimel, in his second stint with the Pirates, was a non-roster invitee to Bradenton this spring and began the regular season in Single-A due to left elbow inflammation. All told, he pitched three scoreless minor-league innings.

To make room on the 25- and 40-man rosters, the Pirates designated LHP Garrett Olson for assignment.

Beimel is a native of St. Marys, Pa., and attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He is a veteran of 532 appearances, and sports a 23-31 career record.

BOSTON — Adrian Gonzalez signed a $154 million, seven-year contract with the Red Sox on Friday then turned his attention to an elusive reward — winning.Boston hasn't done that much and the Red Sox lost again, it's 10 defeat in 12 games.Gonzalez is making $6.3 million in the final year of the contract he had when the Red Sox obtained him from the San Diego Padres for three prospects on Dec. 6. Boston went into Friday night's opener of a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays with a 2-9 record, the worst in baseball.That's one win for each long-term deal they agreed to in a six-day span. Pitcher Clay Buchholz was guaranteed $30 million for five years in a contract announced last Sunday. He was 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA before pitching Friday after going 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA last year.

NEW YORK — The NBA says its three national TV partners all had their most viewers ever this season, topped by a 42 percent increase for TNT.ABC was up 38 percent and ESPN had a 28 percent jump, the league says Friday.Turner Sports also says its 1.6 rating was its highest in 27 years of NBA coverage and that it televised three of the five most-watched NBA regular-season games ever on cable this season.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer is injured — and sick.Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said before Friday night's game against Tampa Bay that Mauer has a viral infection, which the team believes increased the catcher's body soreness recently.Mauer was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of leg weakness stemming from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Gardenhire hopes Mauer will be able to return in a couple weeks.

NEW YORK — Shaky Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes was put on the 15-day disabled list Friday because of a “dead arm,” a day after he again got hit hard when his velocity took a sudden drop.“Something had to be done,” Hughes said before New York played Texas on Friday night.Hughes said there were no signs that he's injured and the Yankees said no medical tests were planned.