Sports category, Page 1348
Tim Benz: Bad time for Pirates to have a massive step up in competition
It’s been a while since we’ve really checked in on the Pirates. The NFL Draft and the Penguins playoff push has kept us pretty busy. That stuff and, well, the abject inability to be competitive and the organizational disinterest in trying. Those things come into play as well. But, hey,...
First Call: ESPN report says Mitch Trubisky knew the Steelers may draft Kenny Pickett before signing; Baker Mayfield conspiracy theory
Monday’s “First Call” looks at the looming Steelers quarterback battle. We find an interesting Steelers-related conspiracy theory about Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Gambling odds have Kenny Pickett as the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year. And the Pirates are getting ready for a step up in competition. What’s...
Minor league report: Penguins beat Bears in overtime, advance to semifinal
An overtime goal by forward Alex Nylanders gave the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins a series-clinching 4-3 home win against the rival Hershey Bears in Game 3 of their Atlantic Division first-round matchup at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Monday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton claimed the best-of-three-series, 2-1 and will face the Springfield Thunderbirds in...
Pirates farm report for May 8, 2022: Brendt Citta knocks in 2 runs in Curve victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 14-14) lost 5-1 to visiting Louisville (Reds). LF Oneil Cruz (.189) was 2 for 5. 1B Mason Martin (.253) was 1 for 4, and 3B Hoy Park (.188) went 1 for 3 to compile the Indians’ four hits. 2B Ji-hwan Bae (.261) was 0 for 4, DH Bligh...
Max Verstappen cruises to win in inaugural Miami Grand PrixVideo
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — His first day racing around the new Formula One circuit in Miami was absolutely horrible. Then he made a mistake in qualifying that cost him a spot on the front row. By the time race day rolled around, Max Verstappen had knocked it all out of...
Rich Strike’s team considering Preakness options after upset in Kentucky DerbyVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rich Strike’s stunning Kentucky Derby upset has the sports world buzzing and led to a sleepless night of celebration that Eric Reed was still recovering from Sunday morning. The veteran trainer and everybody around him partied long after the 80-1 long shot pulled off a monumental feat...
Minor league report: Penguins drop Game 2 to BearsVideo
Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 30 saves on 32 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 2-1 road loss to the Hershey Bears in Game 2 of an Atlantic Division first-round series at the Giant Center in Hershey on Sunday. The best-of-three series is tied, 1-1. Forward Felix Robert scored the...
Max Homa steady in Sunday duel, gets 4th tour win at Wells FargoVideo
POTOMAC, Md. — Max Homa kept hearing from his coach, caddie and other supporters that he needed to carry himself with more confidence, an attitude befitting a multiple-time PGA Tour winner. With his fourth win overall, third in 15 months and second since he gave up his popular podcast to...
Joey Logano bumps William Byron on last lap for 1st Darlington winVideo
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Joey Logano bumped leader William Byron from behind on the last lap to win the Goodyear 400 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Logano, the pole-sitter, tracked Byron for about 25 laps until catching him with one to go and hitting him hard in the rear bumper. Byron...
Injured Grizzlies star Ja Morant unlikely to play in Game 4Video
SAN FRANCISCO — Memphis guard Ja Morant is unlikely to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against Golden State on Monday night after injuring his right knee on a play with Jordan Poole that the teams are debating from the Grizzlies’ 142-112 loss Saturday night. Grizzlies coach...
Colin Moran blasts 2 home runs, including a grand slam, as Reds roll past Pirates
Colin Moran might have been seeking fastballs more than revenge against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The red-bearded Cincinnati Reds first baseman ended up getting both in the course of two swings. Designated for assignment by the Pirates in late November, Moran made them pay with a pair of home runs. His...
Penguins notebook: Forward Jason Zucker makes immediate impact in his return
After missing three consecutive games because of an undisclosed injury, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jason Zucker returned to the lineup in Saturday’s 7-4 home win against the New York Rangers in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series at PPG Paints Arena. And he made a pretty immediate impact. At least...
Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue continues to grow his legendVideo
Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson was one of the relatively few people in Pittsburgh who was familiar with Louis Domingue’s story when Penguins management opted to sign the journeyman goaltender to a one-year, two-way contract late in the 2021 offseason. And Matheson’s scouting report on Domingue wasn’t all that focused on...
Former Gateway soccer standout Sam Alexander set to cheer on Nittany Lions
Sam Alexander fashioned one of the top varsity careers in the history of Gateway boys soccer as a lockdown goalkeeper who earned numerous all-star honors for his play. His athletic endeavors continue at Penn State but in a slightly different direction. Last month, Alexander, a freshman on the University Park...
Mark Madden: Penguins finally managed score and situation in Game 3
After Danton Heinen scored to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 5-4 lead with 8 minutes, 58 seconds left in the third period against the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their playoff series Saturday, something odd happened: Playoff hockey broke out. The Penguins played below the Rangers’ goal line...
5 Things: Penguins historically have enjoyed playoff success vs. Vezina winners
Five stats-based observations about the Pittsburgh Penguins after a 7-4 win against the New York Rangers in Saturday’s Game 3 at PPG Paints Arena (analytics courtesy naturalstattrick.com unless specified otherwise): 1.Vezina-ed Though balloting won’t be announced until next month, Igor Shesterkin is the presumptive Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s...
Tim Benz: Penguins, Rangers treat fans to 3 games in 1 night as ‘roller coaster’ series continues
During that triple-overtime Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers Eastern Conference playoff series, the teams played what was almost the equivalent of two full games. Then, in Saturday’s Game 3, they basically played three separate games in one night. The Penguins dominated the first period, taking a 4-1 lead into the...
Minor league report: Nailers fall to Walleye in Game 2Video
Goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon made 25 saves on 29 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 5-2 road loss to the Toledo Walleye in Game 2 of a Central Division final series at the Huntingdon Center in Toledo, Ohio on Sunday. The Walleye lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0. Forwards Matt Alfaro...
Evan Rodrigues nearly matches Mario Lemieux with 3-point 1st period in Penguins win
The first bullet point among the “Player notes” on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ team release after Saturday night’s game featured two names. One was Even Rodrigues. The other was Mario Lemieux. It was that kind of night for Rodrigues. And certainly, it was that kind of first period. “Any time you...
With Danny Griffin on attack, Riverhounds get past Birmingham Legion FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley made an adjustment to the formation for Saturday night, moving Danny Griffin from his usual defensive midfield spot into an attacking midfield position. For a year-plus, Griffin has been a stalwart in the lower midfield, but he quickly showed he can make an impact as...
Pirates farm report for May 7, 2022: Oneil Cruz shows signs of life for Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 14-13) lost the completion of a game that was suspended because of rain on Thursday, 7-5, then won a regularly scheduled game, 8-2. In the completion, which resumed with the score tied 5-5 in the ninth, RHP Cristofer Melendez (1-1, 3.18) gave up two runs in the 10th...
Penguins find vital secondary scoring to beat Rangers in Game 3
The Penguins knew they needed to find some secondary scoring entering Game 3 of their first-round playoff series with the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday. To be clear, that notion isn’t an exclusive strategy for overcoming the Rangers. It’s a convention that applies to virtually every...
Penguins fans excited about return of the big screen
Despite the cloudy, chilly weather, hundreds of Pittsburgh Penguins fans flocked to perch on a chair and cheer on their team outside of PPG Paints Arena as the “big screen” made its return Saturday. Fans were able to watch Game 3 of the first round from the corner of Centre...
Bad weather suits Keegan Bradley at PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo ChampionshipVideo
POTOMAC, Md. — Keegan Bradley did nothing special on the only easy scoring day this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, opening with an even-par 70 that left him around the cut line. Since the conditions got tougher, Bradley has been the best player at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm....
80-1 longshot Rich Strike wins Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Anyone anticipating a return to normalcy in the Kentucky Derby got a dose of crazy Saturday when an 80-1 shot came charging up the rail to win at Churchill Downs. With favorite Epicenter and Zandon engaged in a duel at the front, Rich Strike stole the show...
