Sports category, Page 1660
Pirates name Chad Kuhl Opening Day starter, Kevin Newman wins SS job as roster shapes up
With the end of spring training in sight, the Pittsburgh Pirates are close to setting a starting lineup. One Opening Day certainty is Chad Kuhl will be on the mound at the Chicago Cubs on Thursday at Wrigley Field. Pirates manager Derek Shelton named Kuhl the Opening Day starter, capping...
Steelers ILB Robert Spillane says his strength is pass coverage, even vs. WRs
NFL Network once referred to Robert Spillane matching up against a slot wide receiver as “a sportscar versus a pickup truck.” Spillane made it known Monday he strongly disagrees with that assessment. Furthermore, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ presumed starter at right inside linebacker said coach Mike Tomlin told him that pass...
Pirates to use PNC Park, Heinz Field, Pitt’s Charles L. Cost Field as alternate training sites
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Monday that they will use three local venues as their alternate site facilities in April, as MLB has pushed back the start of the minor league season until May. The Pirates will use a locker room at Heinz Field to serve as their home clubhouse and...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Ben Roethlisberger’s conditioning, NFL 17-game schedule, Penguins, moreVideo
Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page to talk about Ben Roethlisberger’s conditioning, the Steelers’ spin game, the likely NFL 17-game schedule, the Penguins’ recent play and more. As the topic of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s commitment to conditioning was again...
Mark Madden: Amid adversity, resilient Penguins have taken on Sidney Crosby’s identity
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been missing their entire second line and two-thirds of their third line. Those filling in are of marginal quality, and that’s a kind description. Yet the Penguins had won four of five going into Monday’s home game with the New York Islanders, sported an 11-3-1 record...
Anthony Alford wins center field competition, as Pirates reassign Brian Goodwin in camp cuts
The center field competition has come to a close for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Anthony Alford appears to be the winner after they reassigned veteran Brian Goodwin on Monday morning. The Pirates also optioned right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb and reassigned infielder Wilmer Difo and right-handed knuckleballer Steven Wright to trim...
Jim Litke: NCAA tourney hits halfway point, still the field vs. Gonzaga
The Elite Eight marks the halfway point of the NCAA Tournament, but don’t blink. It has the shelf life of chicken nuggets. By the time your head hits the pillow Tuesday night, we’ll be down to a Final Four and find out whether the selection committee is any better at...
Penguins Prospect Watch: Nathan Legare extends scoring streak to 5 gamesVideo
A weekly look at how Penguins prospects and minor leaguers have fared over the past seven days: • In the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), forward Nathan Legare had a goal and two assists for the Val-d’Or Foreurs in a 9-0 home victory against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday....
First Call: New questions about Ben Roethlisberger’s weight; Penguins player roasts Philadelphia
Monday’s “First Call” revisits the rebooted topic of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s commitment to conditioning. We also get some less-than-happy responses from NFL players to the news about the NFL expanding to a 17th game. PPG Paints Arena is ready to host the Frozen Four. And we now know which...
Madden Monday: Steelers over .500 streak in 17-game season? ‘They’ll be begging for a chance at 8-8-1.’
The Steelers haven’t finished under .500 since Mike Tomlin took over as the head coach in 2007. In fact, they’ve been at or above the break-even mark every year since the start of 2004. In that time, though, they’ve had four 8-8 seasons — three under Tomlin (2012, ‘13, ‘19),...
This date in sports history: March 29
1929 — The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to complete a two-game sweep. 1940 — Joe Louis knocks out Johnny Paychek in the second round at Madison Square Garden in New York to retain the world heavyweight title. 1941 —...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ offseason turning Pittsburgh into ‘Spin City’
The Steelers’ spin cycle is moving so fast this offseason that I get dizzy every time I turn on my computer. No matter the situation, someone is there to spit-shine the prospects for the 2021 campaign, whether it’s the fans, media or team itself. A few examples popped up recently....
Penguins activate Jason Zucker from long-term injured reserve
The Penguins activated forward Jason Zucker from long-term injured reserve. A suspected left-leg injury has sidelined him since Feb. 23. In 17 games this season, Zucker has seven points (four goals, three assists). During Sunday’s practice in Cranberry, Zucker skated on the left wing of the second line with Jared...
Twins give pitcher Randy Dobnak a 5-year contract extension
Pitcher Randy Dobnak of South Park has agreed to a contract extension with the Twins, a major league source confirmed. The five-year, $9.25 million extension could be worth nearly $30 million if all incentives are reached. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the deal. Dobnak, 26, will be the...
UCLA defeats Alabama in overtime thriller to reach NCAA tournament Elite EightVideo
The runaway finish was set up by some crazy momentum swings, a wild back-and-forth battle that none of the breathless fans wanted to end. UCLA has this game! No, wait, Alabama isn’t going away! In a lopsided overtime, there was no doubt. It was all Bruins. UCLA scored the first...
U.S. men lose to Honduras, miss 3rd straight Olympic soccer tournamentVideo
American players fell to the field at the final whistle. Another missed Olympics soccer tournament for the U.S. men. Another failed four-cycle. Juan Carlos Obregón scored in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, goalkeeper David Ochoa committed a blunder that gifted Luis Palma a goal two minutes into the...
Jameson Taillon to skip 1st turn in Yankees’ rotation
TAMPA, Fla. — Corey Kluber will follow ace Gerrit Cole in the New York Yankees’ rotation, and former Pittsburgh Pirates standout Jameson Taillon will be skipped the first time through as the team builds him up slowly in his return following Tommy John surgery. Cole will start Thursday’s opener against...
Billy Horschel outlasts Scottie Scheffler in sloppy final of Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Billy Horschel had just enough left in the tank to win the Dell Technologies Match Play on Sunday with plenty of help from Scottie Scheffler in a sloppy end to the longest week in golf. Horschel made only one birdie in the championship match, chipping in from...
Pirates infield breakdown: Shortstop loaded with prospects
Breakout candidate: Ke’Bryan Hayes You might be wondering: Didn’t Hayes break out last season? After all, he slashed .376/.442/.682 and established himself as a wizard with the glove at third base. But he played in only 24 games, with 95 plate appearances. The expectations on Hayes (in his case, they...
Pirates beat writer Kevin Gorman’s 2021 MLB awards, playoff predictions
NL MVP Juan Soto, Nationals The 22-year-old slugger followed a 34-homer, 110-RBI season in 2019 by blossoming into baseball’s most feared hitter, batting .351/.490/.695 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 37 RBIs in 47 games last year. The additions of Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber won’t allow teams to...
Inside job: Michigan goes to the paint to top FSU
INDIANAPOLIS — What was touted as the marquee matchup in the Sweet 16 turned into a dud. For everyone but Michigan, that is. Seven-foot-1 freshman Hunter Dickinson had 14 points and eight rebounds and the top-seeded Wolverines took the inside route to the Elite Eight, pounding away in the paint...
Injured Penguins forward Jason Zucker close to returningVideo
If you’re surprised at the prospect of Jason Zucker potentially playing as soon as Monday, you’re not alone. Jason Zucker is too, a little bit. Nearly five weeks after he suffered a gruesome injury, presumably to his left leg, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward could return to the lineup for Monday’s...
In final spring appearance, Pirates’ Mitch Keller finally has scoreless outing
In his final appearance of spring training, Mitch Keller finally produced a scoreless outing — even if an old bugaboo reared its head to haunt him. Keller walked four of the 14 batters he faced but did not allow an extra-base hit and no Baltimore Orioles scored over the first...
Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic lead U.S. over Northern Ireland in friendlyVideo
The U.S. broke out a 3-4-3 formation with wingbacks, a new weapon in the team’s arsenal under coach Gregg Berhalter that opened space for Christian Pulisic. The result was the Americans’ first win at a European opponent in six years. Gio Reyna scored on a deflected shot off a pass...
Minor league report: Penguins’ losing streak reaches 7Video
Goaltender Max Lagace made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 3-1 road loss to the rival Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Hershey on Sunday. The defeat extended a losing streak to seven games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (5-7-3-1). Forward Tim Schaller scored the Penguins’ lone...
