Sports category, Page 1916
3 Pittsburgh-area football players named semifinalists for Campbell Trophy
Three players with local ties have been named semifinalists for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy, emblematic of the nation’s top football scholar-athlete, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced Thursday. They are Pitt center Jimmy Morrissey, Notre Dame right tackle Robert Hainsey, formerly of Gateway High...
Browns sign recently-released Steelers WR Ryan Switzer to their practice squad
Ryan Switzer has found a new NFL home, and it’s as close to Pittsburgh as you can get. Released by the Pittsburgh Steelers in their final preseason roster cuts, Switzer was signed to the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns on Thursday. Switzer spent the past two seasons as a...
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin ‘disappointed’ NFL postponed game against Titans
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans won’t play a football game in Week 4 after all. The NFL announced Thursday that the two teams will play at Nissan Stadium in Nashville later in season after another Titans player and staff member each tested positive for covid-19. The Titans have had...
Yanks sweep Indians 10-9 in draining game, meet Rays in ALDS
CLEVELAND — It took the New York Yankees nearly five hours on the field, carried them from Wednesday to Thursday and September into October to complete the sweep. They stumbled into the 2020 postseason. They’re standing tall now. DJ LeMahieu’s tiebreaking single in the ninth inning off closer Brad Hand...
Lakers, LeBron roll in Game 1 of finals, top Heat
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — LeBron James finally got an easy Game 1 in the NBA Finals. A very easy one, at that. Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Miami Heat, 116-98, on Wednesday...
Steelers’ T.J. Watt named AFC defensive player of month, Sports Illustrated cover boy
For the second time in three regular-season calendar months, T.J. Watt was judged to be the best defensive player in the AFC. The Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher was announced Thursday as the recipient of that honor for September. Through three weeks of the NFL season, Watt is tied for the...
U mad, bro? Pittsburgh fans fume about Steelers-Titans delay, trading Patric Hornqvist, and … the presidential debate?
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” Pittsburgh sports fans are mad about how the NFL is handling the Steelers-Titans postponement. They are also mad at attempts to qualify the Steelers’ 3-0 start. Mad at the Penguins for trading Patric Hornqvist. And mad about the presidential debate. I’m mad, too. Because...
This Date in Sports History: Oct. 1, 2020
1903 — The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Pilgrims, 7-3, in the first World Series game. Jimmy Sebring hits the first Series homer, Deacon Phillippe is the winning pitcher and Cy Young the loser. 1961 — Roger Maris hits his 61st home run of the season, against Tracy Stallard of...
Tim Benz: Steelers, Pitt starting successful seasons on similar tracks
There are many parallels with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pitt Panthers to start their 2020 seasons. • Both are 3-0. • Both have a tremendous pass rush. • Both managed to win a tight game at halftime at Heinz Field last weekend. And both are chasing the perception that...
First Call: TV reportedly sets Steelers-Titans start times; Ryan Switzer visits Browns; Pirates back Bryan Reynolds
Thursday’s “First Call” gives us the potential television times — and network — for the rescheduled Steelers game in Nashville. Bryan Reynolds is getting some support from Pirates brass. Ryan Switzer is getting interest from an AFC North rival. And the Cincinnati Bengals are looking out for their quarterback. Who’s...
Clairton cancels Week 4 football game with Bishop Canevin
Clairton football practices are shut down until next week over covid-19 concerns and Saturday’s game against Bishop Canevin was canceled, the school announced Wednesday night. The actions were taken in response to “several athletes showing symptoms that may be related to covid-19,” said a message on the school’s website, calling...
Cardinals spoil Padres return to playoffsVideo
SAN DIEGO — Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer during a four-run first inning, St. Louis’ bullpen held strong after starter Kwang Hyun Kim stumbled in his playoff debut and the Cardinals ruined the San Diego Padres’ long-awaited return to the playoffs with a 7-4 victory Wednesday in the opener...
A’s hold off White Sox, force series to Game 3Video
OAKLAND, Calif. — Marcus Semien and Khris Davis homered early, and the Oakland Athletics held off Jose Abreu and the Chicago White Sox in the late innings for a 5-3 win Wednesday that sent their AL playoff series to a deciding Game 3. A’s reliever Jake Diekman walked home a...
Player banned 4 years for courtsiding at Pittsburgh tennis event
LONDON — Spanish tennis player Gerard Joseph Platero Rodriguez was suspended for four years and fined $15,000 after being convicted of courtsiding, the first player to be charged with the offense. The Tennis Integrity Unit said Wednesday that six months of the ban were suspended on condition that no further...
NASCAR turns right, adds variety to 2021 scheduleVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After two decades of the same left turns at the same tracks over and over again, NASCAR finally upended its stagnant calendar with a 2021 schedule that is as radical as the sport has ever seen. Three new venues. A dirt race for the first time in...
Rafael Nadal dominant in 2nd-round victory at French OpenVideo
PARIS — Rafael Nadal continued his campaign for a 13th French Open title Wednesday with a dominant 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 second-round win vs. Mackenzie McDonald, and Serena Williams pulled out with an Achilles injury. Two-time finalist Dominic Thiem also moved into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)...
Hunter Renfroe slam helps Rays sweep young Blue Jays in 1st round
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam, and the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays won a postseason series for the first time in 12 years, overpowering the young Toronto Blue Jays, 8-2, on Wednesday to finish a two-game sweep of their AL wild-card matchup. Renfroe launched the first...
Former Pirate Corey Dickerson homers as Marlins beat Cubs in playoff openerVideo
CHICAGO — Corey Dickerson hit a three-run homer off a fading Kyle Hendricks in the seventh inning, and the Miami Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-1, on Wednesday in Game 1 of their NL wild-card series. Jesus Aguilar also homered, and Sandy Alcantara pitched three-hit ball into the seventh as...
Finally! Braves snap record drought to beat Reds in 13 innings
ATLANTA — Freddie Freeman singled home the winning run in the 13th inning, finally ending the longest scoreless duel in postseason history as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 1-0, in the opener of their NL wild-card series Wednesday. The East champion Braves won the first game of a...
Changes coming for Pirates, but GM Ben Cherington credits Derek Shelton for ‘progress’
Not that Derek Shelton needed a vote of confidence from his general manager after one of the worst seasons in Pittsburgh Pirates history, but Ben Cherington gave his manager one anyway. That Cherington and Shelton were seated next to each other Wednesday for a final Zoom conference call with reporters...
Astros sweep as Twins lose 18th straight in playoffsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa hit a two-out, tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning for the Houston Astros, who produced another stifling pitching performance and swept Minnesota with a 3-1 victory Wednesday that sent the Twins to a record 18th straight postseason loss. Nine months after Houston’s rules-breaking, sign-stealing system...
Steelers brace for ‘height, weight, speed’ of bruising Titans RB Derrick Henry
They faced a former Pro Bowl running back during each of the first three weeks of the season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged with the NFL’s No. 1 rushing defense. But in Week 4, the Steelers’ defense is faced with its biggest challenge yet. Literally. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Derrick Henry...
James Franklin, Penn State ready to embrace the ‘new normal’
It rained Tuesday in State College. James Franklin didn’t mind. In fact, Penn State’s football coach enjoyed it. “I would actually say it was even positive (Tuesday),” Franklin said via video conference Wednesday. “We had bad weather. We had rain, and we were able to get wet-ball work, which I...
Plum grad Alex Kirilloff becomes 1st position player in MLB history to record 1st big-league hit in postseason
First he got the call. Then he got the hit. Former Plum standout Alex Kirilloff recorded his first Major League hit Wednesday afternoon in the Minnesota Twins’ wild card matchup with the Houston Astros at Minnesota’s Target Field. Kirilloff delivered in the bottom of the fourth, scorching a pitch from...
Pitt, linebacker Phil Campbell prepare for strong N.C. State ground game
Phil Campbell III is a senior communications major who has moved from safety to two distinctly different outside linebacker positions in his five seasons at Pitt. He has adapted well. Now, he has other important tasks to complete, such as minimizing the complications inherent to playing in a pandemic, getting...
