Sports category, Page 489

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 150th Kentucky Derby produced one of the most dramatic finishes in its storied history: three noses at the wire. Mystik Dan desperately fought to hang on with two challengers coming to him in the closing strides. He did, too, after a delay of several minutes while...

PHILADELPHIA — Trea Turner will miss at least six weeks with a left hamstring strain after being injured in the fourth inning of Philadelphia’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday. The Phillies placed the two-time All-Star shortstop on the 10-day injured list Saturday, but Turner said he’ll...

The importance of family was underscored when Troy Fautanu decided where he would celebrate his selection in the NFL Draft. The league invited all potential first-round prospects to attend the draft in Detroit. That included Fautanu, the 23-year-old fifth-year senior from Washington who was projected to be among the tackle-heavy...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Twenty horses stampeding toward the first turn in a battle for position. A screaming crowd of 150,000 and maybe some showers that dampen the Churchill Downs dirt strip. It’s the 150th Kentucky Derby. Beyond a couple early wagering favorites, it’s a wide-open race. Post time is 6:57...

Todd Reirden is a sacrificial lamb. Like ex-Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada before him. Next up: Pirates hitting coach Andy Haines. Canada got blamed for not being able to polish excrement, specifically quarterback Kenny Pickett. Haines is taking heat because, for one thing, Oneil Cruz never learned how to...

The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be an all-day affair at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and the 2024 event has even more meaning with Saturday being the historic 150th Run for the Roses. The 2024 Derby has a 6:57 p.m. EDT scheduled post time with TV coverage on NBC and...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As a record crowd cheered, American Pharoah rallied from behind and took aim at his remaining two rivals in the stretch. The bay colt and jockey Victor Espinoza surged to the lead with a furlong to go and thundered across the finish line a length ahead in...

Baldwin track coach Ed Helbig has a favorite saying that he offers up as motivation to athletes on his team: “Get one day better, every day.” With tears in his eyes Friday at the Baldwin Invitational, Helbig shared a story about how the cross country team took a detour to...

Goaltender Jaxon Castor made 33 saves on 35 shots for the Wheeling Nailers in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Toledo Walleye in Game 1 of a Central Division final series at the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. Forward Jordan Martel scored the only goal for Wheeling. Former Nailers forward...

As Jared Jones walked off the field in the seventh inning, a chorus of cheers erupted from the rain-drenched fans in honor of the best start yet by the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander. Jones allowed only one hit in seven scoreless innings while tying his career best with 10 strikeouts...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 15-13) was knocked around by Buffalo (Blue Jays), 10-4. RHP Wily Peralta (5.40) started and was mostly effective, giving up one run on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks. RHP JC Flowers (2-1, 6.59) came on and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits and...

If their Friday night loss to the Colorado Rockies proves anything for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s that playing one of MLB’s worst teams offers no antidote to their ongoing issues, namely figuring out how to emerge from a frustrating multi-week offensive slump. The Rockies, who came to PNC Park with...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Fate has not been kind to Mike Repole in the Kentucky Derby. The outspoken owner is 0 for 7, although he is perhaps best known for his two champions that never made the starting gate. In 2011, Uncle Mo was scratched the day before the race because...

Kiski Area’s Mario Hutcherson, 15, is headed to El Salvador to compete for Team USA at the Pan-American Wrestling Championships on June 11-16. Hutcherson earned his spot on the team by winning the U.S. Open in the 15U 75 kg division April 28 in Las Vegas. Hutcherson put on a...

As one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 1 overall draft picks closes in on a highly anticipated MLB debut, Friday afternoon brought news that another will navigate an early career disruption. All eyes are on pitcher Paul Skenes, selected atop the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates, who is expected...

Tyler McCandless hopes to defend his Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon title Sunday morning. The Fort Collins, Colo., resident, who covered the 26.2 mile course through several Pittsburgh neighborhoods and downtown streets in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 8 seconds last year to claim gold, hopes to become the first repeat...

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Michael Bunting was selected to Canada’s roster for the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Championship tournament. Hockey Canada announced its roster via a release Friday. A native of Scarborough, Ontario, Bunting joined the Penguins late in the 2023-24 season as the primary return in a...

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after just two seasons in charge. The Lakers announced on social media that they were dismissing Ham four days after their season ended with a first-round playoff loss to Denver in five games. Ham led Los Angeles...

The Najee Harris situation is being blown out of proportion. Like all situations involving the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not picking up Harris’ fifth-year option wasn’t a good decision or a bad one. It was a meh decision involving a meh player. Harris still will be a Steeler this coming season. He’s playing...

Marcus Pettersson hijacked the conversation. Not in a malicious or vindictive way. But out of a sense of appreciation. In mid-April, late in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ prematurely ended season, a reporter pointed out to the defenseman that he was enjoying the best season of his seven-year career in part because...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Michael A. Taylor, it was with the intention of adding a pure center fielder with a Gold Glove on his resume to improve their outfield defense. What they got for the first eight games of the season was a player whose bat was better than...

The 2024 Dick’s Sporting Good Pittsburgh Marathon will be held Sunday morning in Downtown Pittsburgh. The handcycle division starts Sunday’s events at 6:50 a.m., and the marathon, half-marathon and marathon relay all begin at 7 a.m. The 4-mile fitness challenge will commence at 9:30 a.m. Here are some interesting facts...

In Friday’s “First Call,” are the Pittsburgh Steelers really planning to have Justin Fields return kicks? The pickings are getting slim at wide receiver if general manager Omar Khan is planning to make a move. A former Pitt Panther is getting a look from the Steelers. And No. 66 is...

There’s no glaring criticism of the future to be made about Thursday’s decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers to decline Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. In either direction. By rejecting the option, if Harris gets hurt or underperforms in 2024, his contract will expire, and they can let him walk and get...