Sports category, Page 112
Mark Madden: Pirates’ pitching depth sparks hope for future, but lacking bats will hold them back
There’s already a buzz surrounding next year’s Pittsburgh Pirates: “This team is close. Closer than people think.” Close to what? Escaping last place in the NL Central seems the only reasonable answer. But maybe not that close and certainly not that soon. (The Pirates are currently seven games out of...
Pitt, Duquesne size each other up before Saturday’s clash at Acrisure Stadium
Under normal circumstances, Pitt meeting Duquesne on the football field would instill in the Panthers a desire to enact some revenge, given they lost the last matchup. Conversely, Duquesne might look at things as a chance to stack up consecutive wins against their crosstown foe. But Saturday at Acrisure Stadium,...
No. 2 Penn State to lean on deep roster in season opener against Nevada
STATE COLLEGE — It’s been just over seven months since Penn State center Nick Dawkins and his teammates last played a football game. They feel like they’ve been waiting much longer. Coming one game away from playing for a national championship seems to have that effect. The No. 2 Nittany...
Rich Rodriguez starts 2nd stint at West Virginia in opener against Robert Morris
Robert Morris at West Virginia Saturday, 2 p.m. Eastern BetMGM College Football Odds: West Virginia by 38 1/2. How to watch: ESPN+ Key stats West Virginia (2024) Overall offense: 404.0 yards per game (53rd in FBS) Passing: 210.3 yards per game (87th) Rushing: 193.7 yards per game (27th) Scoring: 29.2...
Tim Benz: For Mike Tomlin, the ‘process’ must finally lead to progress
The next time the Pittsburgh Steelers convene at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, it’ll be for a game-week practice. Sunday’s season opener against the New York Jets is officially next on the agenda. The phrases “offseason” and “preseason” will be shelved until next year. All that work from those months...
Report: Marquez Valdes-Scantling chose 49ers over Steelers despite Aaron Rodgers’ recruitment
It looks like a recruiting effort from Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has come up short. Former free-agent receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling ended up signing with the San Francisco 49ers after being released by Seattle earlier this week. However, Valdes-Scantling insists Rodgers was trying to coax him into signing in Pittsburgh. “He...
First Call: Where Steelers rank on Forbes NFL franchise value list; ILB Mark Robinson signs with future AFC foeVideo
Friday’s “First Call” has the latest Forbes.com rankings of NFL team value. We’ll find out where the Steelers sit. Mark Robinson signs in the AFC East. Some notes and video from Kyle Schwarber’s four-homer night for the Phillies. The Pirates will be part of a very interesting night at Fenway...
‘Never a bad problem’: Pirates use creative competition for young pitchers to earn starts
By treating every outing as an opportunity to earn a start, the Pittsburgh Pirates have gone from using creativity with their young pitchers into creating competition for the starting rotation. Whether it was Johan Oviedo striking out five in four innings, Bubba Chandler touching triple digits seven times while tossing...
Savannah Bananas bring viral social media act to PNC Park
The Savannah Bananas have stolen social media users’ hearts over the past few years, from viral TikTok dances to funny anecdotes — and this weekend, they’re poised to bring Banana Ball to PNC Park. Though the Bananas played their inaugural baseball season in 2016, their widespread internet fame didn’t start...
Saint Francis blanked by Louisiana-Monroe in opener
MONROE, La. — Braylon McReynolds ran for 113 yards and caught a touchdown pass, and D’arco Perkins-McAlister recorded two sacks in the University of Louisiana-Monroe’s season-opening shutout win over Saint Francis on Thursday night, 29-0. The game was delayed due to weather conditions caused by lightning in the area, pushing...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 28, 2025: Rafael Flores, Cam Devanney collect 3 hits each in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 73-55) dropped a 5-3 decision to Buffalo (Blue Jays). C Rafael Flores (.265) was 3 for 4 with a pair of singles and a triple. 3B Cam Devanney (.269) also went 3 for 4 with three singles. RHP Thomas Harrington (5.34) started and tossed one shutout inning, striking...
From Pittsburgh to Las Vegas: Kenny Pickett’s journey to prove himself under Pete Carroll
HENDERSON, Nev. — Coach Pete Carroll’s first Raiders roster is made up of players, he said, who have something to prove, who carry the proverbial chips on their shoulders. One of the newest Las Vegas players, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, is the epitome of that kind of attitude. “Well, anybody...
District college football roundup: Fairmont State fends off Seton Hill comeback bid
Leonard Farrow ran for 274 yards and two touchdowns, and Fairmont State held off a Seton Hill surge to come away with a 24-21 victory in the season opener for both teams Thursday. Ky’Ron Craggette ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns — an 8-yarder with 14 minutes, 8 seconds...
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hits 4 homers in game against Braves
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber homered in four of his first five at-bats Thursday night against Atlanta, pushing his season total to 49. Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit four homers in a game and the first since Mike Schmidt against the Chicago Cubs in April...
Pitt hopes to use Saturday’s matchup with Duquesne to test depth
Coach Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers won’t be taking Duquesne lightly when the two square off at noon Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in the first City Game since 1939, but they are still looking to answer a few questions. During his final news conference of the week Thursday, Narduzzi...
At U.S. Open, Billie Jean King always has answers
NEW YORK — Life on the professional tennis tour can be challenging. Billie Jean King knows a thing or two about that — and she’s happy to share. Two days before the start of singles competition the U.S. Open, King sat around a table in Arthur Ashe Stadium with 16...
U.S. Open spat between Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko remains hot topic
The postmatch back-and-forth between Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko remained a topic of conversation at the U.S. Open 24 hours later Thursday — but not for Ostapenko, who skipped speaking at a news conference, citing “medical reasons.” Townsend, an American who is ranked No. 1 in doubles, and Ostapenko, a...
With Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig ailing, Steelers’ depth at OLB might get tested early on
A reasonable case can be made that T.J. Watt is the NFL’s best edge defender of his era. A similarly rational argument could be posited that Watt and Alex Highsmith form the NFL’s best tandem of pass rushers off the edge. Additionally, with a stat line of 81⁄2 sacks over...
U.S. Open gets testy: Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko have tense back-and-forth
NEW YORK — U.S. Open opponents Taylor Townsend and Jelena Ostapenko got into a face-to-face argument on the Court 11 sideline right after Townsend won their second-round match 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday. Townsend, an American who is ranked No. 1 in doubles, said Ostapenko, a Latvian, who won the 2017...
Robert Morris football team ready for challenges, including West Virginia in opener
Robert Morris returned to the Northeast Conference to reestablish itself amongst rivals. The Colonials were in the conference from 1996 to 2019 and went 4-2 in the NEC last season for a 7-5 overall record after four seasons in the Big South. “That’s where we belong,” coach Bernard Clark said....
Cowboys trade Micah Parsons to Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons is headed to the Green Bay Packers after a blockbuster trade Thursday, leaving the Dallas Cowboys after a lengthy contract dispute. The two-time All-Pro edge rusher confirmed the deal in a text to the Associated Press. A person with knowledge of the details said Parsons and the Packers...
Braxton Ashcraft battles, but Cardinals pull away from Pirates with 3-run 7th to split series
The Pittsburgh Pirates were positioned for their third consecutive series win but couldn’t overcome their biggest offensive issue: They continue to come up empty with runners in scoring position. The Pirates went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight runners on base, and stranded runners on third...
Robert Morris men’s basketball to open season at Iowa
Robert Morris’ men’s basketball season will tip off against a familiar face. The Colonials will visit Iowa on Nov. 4, for a meeting with Hawkeyes and Alvaro Folgueiras, who helped lead Robert Morris to the Horizon League regular-season and tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last winter....
Penn State’s James Franklin’s hopes to create depth while limiting his stars’ workload
Balancing the present and the future can be tricky for a college football coach. As Penn State continues preparations for what could be a special season, James Franklin is pleased with the way his talented veterans progressed through preseason camp. But Franklin also knows 2026 is coming fast. The Nittany...
Tim Benz: Sharpening Joey Porter Jr.’s skills every bit as important as new additions to secondary
Most of the attention on the Steelers’ secondary has been centered on new guys coming in and some key contributors heading out. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Brandin Echols and Juan Thornhill are chief among the new additions. The likes of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Donte Jackson and Damontae Kazee are playing elsewhere....
