Sports category, Page 1219
Pitt Take 5: After only 4 practices, there’s still plenty of chatter while team takes shape
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi demands no one look beyond the next day’s practice, but we’ll do it here, anyway. The Backyard Brawl already is sold out, and a crowd of close to 70,000 may show up at Acrisure Stadium. Not bad for a televised event in which fans get no...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 4, 2022: Rodolfo Castro homers in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 49-51) scored three runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to beat Louisville (Reds), 5-3. SS Rodolfo Castro (.248) went 1 for 4 with a two-run homer, his 12th. DH Brendt Cita (.250) was 1 for 4 with his second home run. C Carter...
Rams’ Sean McVay calls Matthew Stafford’s elbow pain ‘abnormal’ for QBVideo
Coach Sean McVay says Matthew Stafford’s continuing elbow pain is unusual for a football player, and the Los Angeles Rams are trying to determine whether it will hamper their starting quarterback in the regular season. Stafford has been throwing in individual drills and 7-on-7 setups while skipping the full-team portions...
NASCAR’s Kyle Busch, family escape Mall of America shootingVideo
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, and his family safely escaped the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis after someone fired shots. Bloomington police, which said no one appeared to be injured, were still searching for a suspect after securing the scene shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday....
Browns in limbo while QB Deshaun Watson’s saga shifts againVideo
CLEVELAND — When owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam returned from Houston in March with Deshaun Watson under contract, the Browns’ long search for a franchise quarterback — a fruitless 20-year odyssey — appeared to be over. Nothing’s changed. Cleveland’s in a muddle. Again. The NFL’s decision to appeal the six-game...
Josh Gibson Heritage Park opens in Station Square
A new park celebrating baseball Hall of Famer Josh Gibson’s legacy and Pittsburgh’s storied Negro League history was dedicated Thursday morning in Station Square. The space is located across West Station Square Drive from the Sheraton Station Square hotel, within walking distance of Highmark Stadium. The ceremony took place nearly...
Brad Keselowski, Ford looking for success in Detroit backyardVideo
It all seemed so promising at the start of the NASCAR season for Ford and its teams, particularly Jack Roush’s rebranded organization with new driver/owner Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano of Team Penske won the exhibition Busch Clash at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in January ahead of NASCAR’s shift to Daytona...
Daily camp report: Cam Sutton leaves steamy Steelers practice early, others with heat illness
On a day during which temperatures peaked around 90 degrees, it should come as no surprise that some players were limited at Pittsburgh Steelers practice, while others left early and some veterans sat out team drills. “We had some heat-related illnesses,” coach Mike Tomlin said. Still, Tomlin termed running a...
Mike Tomlin ready for Friday Night Lights to return to Steelers practice routine
After a two-year absence, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice billed as Friday Night Lights returns to Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium. Coach Mike Tomlin is looking forward to introducing his team’s younger players to the experience. The event is scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and 15,000 fans are expected to attend. “I...
Steelers inside the ropes: Roster-bubble skill players Anthony Miller, Anthony McFarland make plays
There are depth jobs to be won at wide receiver and running back during this Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. A pair of seemingly-forgotten veterans are making their cases to claim those spots. Wide receiver Anthony Miller and running back Anthony McFarland likely entered camp with less than 50/50 odds of...
Seton Hill football aims to improve; IUP, Slippery Rock picked 1st in PSAC West
With nine starters returning on defense and seven on offense, the Seton Hill football team could be looking for a banner season in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in 2022. Led by preseason All-American defensive back Damonte Pratt, the Griffins will look to build off a season in which they...
Pirates win in walk-off fashion for 2nd straight game to complete sweep of Brewers
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ two sweeps of opponents in 2022 have been cut of the same cloth. In late May/early June, they stole a three-game series on the road against the NL West-leading L.A. Dodgers. Since then, the Dodgers have built their division lead to 11 1/2 games over second-place San...
After strong July, might Pirates starter Mitch Keller finally be reaching his potential?
Heading into a start on the road against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, Mitch Keller is navigating uncharted waters as an MLB pitcher. Keller ended the month of July with a 2.61 ERA and has produced four consecutive quality starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For the 26-year-old Keller, that constitutes...
London Calling: Cubs-Cardinals set for London in June 2023
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball plans to return to London next year for the first time since 2019. The league announced Thursday that the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play a two-game series on June 24-25, 2023, at London Stadium. The NL Central rivals were supposed to...
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick cleared to practice, off non-football injury list
Minkah Fitzpatrick was activated off the non-football injury list and was cleared to return to practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training camp session Thursday. The two-time All-Pro safety had not taken part fully in a practice throughout this camp after he had been put on the NFI list on the...
Explainer: NFL using helmet caps for player safety, research
Part of the NFL’s safety experiments to reduce head injuries is the expanded use of the padded helmet caps NFL players have been seen wearing during training camps this summer. All offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and tight ends are required to wear the Guardian Caps at practices through the...
Pitt’s ability to fix small cracks in defense could lead to big things
Before every practice, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi gathers his team in a circle for a few moments of bonding. The coach will speak in his singularly defiant tone, challenging players to participate with a purpose. Players contribute words of encouragement, too. Just before they disperse to different areas of the...
Steelers, WR Diontae Johnson agree to 2-year contract extension
Based upon contracts given to other wide receivers from his draft class, Diontae Johnson left money on the table when he signed his three-year, $39.5 million deal Thursday. Johnson, however, doesn’t see it from that vantage point. He also doesn’t think he took less money to remain with the Pittsburgh...
Pirates place C Tyler Heineman, LHP Dillon Peters on IL, add C Taylor Davis, LHP Eric Stout
Minutes before Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced roster moves. The Pirates placed catcher Tyler Heineman (right groin) on the 10-day injured list and selected the contract of catcher Taylor Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis. Heineman left Wednesday’s game after experiencing discomfort while trying to beat out...
Tim Benz: If Ben Cherington is feeling ‘urgent’ about the Pirates, let’s see proof beyond keeping guys he already has
Maybe Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has a different definition of “urgent” than I do. Or the Oxford dictionary does. “Urgent: showing that you think that something needs to be dealt with immediately.” On Tuesday, after the MLB trade deadline passed, Cherington described the Pirates’ action of keeping outfielder Bryan...
Former Notre Dame WR Javon McKinley eager to show wares in joining Steelers
Upon being signed Monday, Javon McKinley was new to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But not everyone was new to him. The team’s leading receiver when Notre Dame most recently advanced to the College Football Playoff in 2020, McKinley was greeted at Saint Vincent by plenty of familiar faces from his Fighting...
First Call: Steelers floated as trade partner for Bears’ tackle; Steel Curtain snubbed on ESPN list; Josh Bell’s Padres debut
In Thursday’s “First Call,” members of the Steel Curtain have been snubbed by ESPN. The Steelers are being connected to an offensive tackle who is potentially getting traded. Ex-Pirate Josh Bell played his first game with his new team. And Gerrit Cole suffers through an unbelievable first inning in Yankee...
Tucupita Marcano draws praise as ‘player of the game’ after standout showing against Brewers
Tucupita Marcano awoke Wednesday morning feeling like something good was about to happen, then learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates were recalling the 22-year-old rookie to the majors. And that wasn’t even the best part of his day. After receiving word of his promotion, Marcano went 3 for 4 with an...
U mad, bro?: Readers have helmet-cap hysteria, Steelers ‘hold-in’ sanctimony, Pirates trade deadline depression
The Steelers have a wide receiver staging a “hold-in.” The Pirates just traded their best pitcher and recently endured a seven-game losing streak. And the NFL is making their players wear weird safety cushions on their helmets. Oh, also, you may not have heard about this one. It may have...
Pirates farm report for Aug. 3, 2022: Endy Rodriguez goes 5 for 5 with game-winning homer for Greensboro
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 48-51) split a doubleheader with Louisville (Reds). 1B Mason Martin went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to lead Indy to a 4-3 victory in the opener. SS Diego Castillo (.222) went 1 for 4...
