Sports category, Page 1348
‘They owned it’: Pirates play to strengths of David Bednar, Chris Stratton in closer role
BRADENTON, Fla. — Anthony Banda joined the Pittsburgh Pirates just days after the trade deadline, when they dealt Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves and created an opening in the most critical role in the bullpen. Instead of finding talk of using a closer-by-committee approach to replace Rodriguez — who...
Franklin Regional quartet medals at Keystone State championships
Four Franklin Regional youth wrestlers stood on the podium March 20 at the Keystone State Wrestling championships in Erie. The tournament featured some of the top wrestlers in Pennsylvania in the 6U, 8U, 10U and 12U divisions. Beau Fennick took first place in the 12U, 90-pound division. “Beau won the...
Mark Madden Hot Take: Rangers loss shows Penguins don’t have Plan B
When the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the host New York Rangers, 5-1, on Friday, it was their third game in four days. The Rangers hadn’t played since Tuesday. When asked about the effect of that scheduling inequity, Coach Mike Sullivan said, “That’s the challenge of playing in the (NHL). You’ve...
Caleb Love lifts North Carolina past UCLA in battle of power programs
PHILADELPHIA — Caleb Love hit game-tying and go-ahead 3-pointers 37 seconds apart and North Carolina moved within a victory of its 21st Final Four, beating UCLA 73-66 on Friday night in a March Madness matchup of power programs. Love, a sophomore, finished with a career-high 30 points, including six 3s...
Kameron McGusty, Miami blow past Iowa State in Sweet 16
CHICAGO — Kameron McGusty scored 27 points and Miami advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time, using its swarming defense to beat Iowa State, 70-56, in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. Jordan Miller added 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting as No. 10 seed Miami more than held...
Minor league report: Penguins defeat SenatorsVideo
Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 22 saves on 23 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-1 road win against the Belleville Senators at CAA Arena in Belleville, Ont. on Friday. Forwards Jonathan Gruden, Alex Nylander and Valtteri Puustinen all scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (28-25-4-4). Highlights: The Penguins’ next game is...
Kansas beats Providence, remains lone No. 1 seed left in NCAA TournamentVideo
CHICAGO — Remy Martin scored a season-high 23 points, and Kansas did its part as the only No. 1 seed left in the NCAA Tournament, holding Providence to 17 first-half points and hanging on for a 66-61 victory on Friday night to reach the Elite Eight. The Jayhawks (31-6) made...
Saint Peter’s upends Purdue, continues strut through NCAA TournamentVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Daryl Banks III scored the tying and go-ahead baskets that pushed 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s to the brink of the Final Four, the tiny Peacocks thriving off a home-court edge to beat third-seeded Purdue, 67-64, on Friday night. The Peacocks (22-11) became the first 15 seed to reach the...
Minus Evgeni Malkin, Penguins thumped by Rangers
During warmups at Madison Square Garden in New York, it was revealed Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin would miss Friday’s game against the New York Rangers because of an undisclosed illness. Once the contest started, his teammates wasted little time in looking as if they were dealing with some sort...
Rahm, Morikawa lead the group of 16 into Match Play weekendVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Jon Rahm lost his match and still made it to the weekend. Scottie Scheffler needed only 14 holes to win his match against Matt Fitzpatrick and then six more to beat him in a playoff. The third full day of endless action in the Dell Technologies Match...
Coach K grateful as freshman Paolo Banchero elevates game, carries DukeVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — When Duke’s season and Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching career were on the line in the closing minutes of the Sweet 16, it was a talented freshman who made sure it wouldn’t end. Paolo Banchero delivered the key plays down the stretch of the victory over Texas Tech that...
Villanova expects to be ‘in for it’ against Houston in NCAA South Region finalVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Taze Moore was a player Houston coach Kelvin Sampson didn’t even know. Jamal Shead was too young and inexperienced to be expected to make such an impact. Now they are part of a completely revamped starting lineup that is trying to get the Cougars (32-5) into consecutive...
Elliott searches for 1st win of season in return to AustinVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Perhaps it is at last Chase Elliott’s turn to take a Hendrick Motorsports car to victory lane, where his three teammates have visited over the last month. The blazing start for the Hendrick stable has stretched three wins over four races — Kyle Larson won at Fontana,...
Pirates valued at $1.32 billion, ranking 23rd in Forbes’ annual list of MLB franchises
The value of the Pittsburgh Pirates rose 3% to $1.32 billion, according to Forbes’ annual ranking of baseball franchise values. The New York Yankees continue to rank first at $6 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers ($4.075 billion), Boston Red Sox ($3.9 billion), Chicago Cubs ($3.8 billion) and San...
Oneil Cruz makes debut in left field, Hunter Owen hits walkoff homer as Pirates top Twins
BRADENTON, Fla. — As much as Oneil Cruz wants to stay at shortstop, he prefers to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates more than anything. So he was receptive to their request to do outfield drills earlier this week. Cruz got a phone call from Triple-A Indianapolis manager Miguel Perez on...
OLSH wins historic PIAA title, ties state record with 68 straight wins
HERSHEY — “Historic” is now the perfect word to describe Our Lady of the Sacred Heart’s dominance. The Chargers tied the state’s longest winning streak and became the first boys basketball team in nearly 60 years to celebrate back-to-back undefeated PIAA titles Friday when they defeated Constitution, 92-71, in the...
Steelers announce 2-year contract for CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Eight days after word of an agreement broke via a national report, the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday formally announced a two-year contract extension with cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. Acquired via a trade late in training camp, the Steelers were Witherspoon’s third team over an eight-month span. He barely played the first...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson denies sexual assault allegations
CLEVELAND — Deshaun Watson maintained his innocence and strongly denied committing any sexual misconduct despite allegations made by 22 women against the Cleveland Browns’ new starting quarterback. Wearing a dark pinstriped suit and orange tie at his introductory news conference on Friday, Watson showed little emotion while saying he’s done...
Mark Madden: Steelers would be better served drafting a quarterback in 2023
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was at various college pro days making goo-goo eyes at quarterbacks. Liberty’s Malik Willis made Tomlin “giddy,” it was reported. Willis and Tomlin had dinner. Tomlin ate wings, just like a regular guy. (Then again, wings cost as much as steak right now.) Tomlin was said...
Dominant Pro Day shows what Gateway grad Jaquan Brisker can do
STATE COLLEGE — It didn’t really hit him until he sat down in his seat on the plane, closed his eyes, and couldn’t focus on the place he’d be landing. Jaquan Brisker could only focus on where he had been. In a few hours, he’d be training for the NFL...
Jamal Shead scores 21 points, Houston knocks out 1-seed Arizona
SAN ANTONIO — Houston coach Kelvin Sampson gritted his teeth and raised his arms before emphatically pounding his right fist into his left hand 11 times while celebrating with ecstatic Cougars fans who were not too far from home. Another No. 1 seed is out, and Houston is one win...
First Call: Pitt transfer shines in Arkansas’ upset of Gonzaga; high praise for Mitch Trubisky; Deshaun Watson update
Friday’s “First Call” features a Pitt transfer shining in the NCAA Tournament. Deshaun Watson will not face another criminal charge. High praise for new Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky. And the Carolina Hurricanes extend their lead on the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. Hog wild Pitt transfer Au’Diese Toney put his...
Tim Benz: Jacksonville reporter tips us off to a job new Steelers linebacker Myles Jack should avoid
When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired inside linebacker Joe Schobert from the Jacksonville Jaguars for just a sixth-round draft choice last summer, News 4 Jax sports anchor Jamal St. Cyr gave us a good breakdown as to why the Jags were willing to part with him for such a low price....
Outfielder Greg Allen making good impression on Pirates with strong start to spring training
BRADENTON, Fla. — Greg Allen never had worn a live microphone before, so the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder wanted to make the most of his “Mic’d Up” segment Thursday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies. Allen provided live commentary as he chased down a Mickey Moniak pop fly in shallow left field...
JuJu Smith-Schuster: ‘I had to choose Chiefs Kingdom’
During an Instagram Live interview with the NFL Network’s Taylor Bisciotti on Thursday, ex-Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster tried to explain why he left Pittsburgh for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Bisciotti (@taylorbisciotti) “Going with the Steelers and...
