Sports category, Page 784
Blaney is back on track after disqualification, then reversal. NASCAR playoffs resume at HomesteadVideo
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Ryan Blaney has experienced a range of emotions since last Sunday, from disappointment to relief. The No. 12 Team Penske driver was disqualified after the opening race of the Round of 8 in NASCAR’s playoffs because of an alleged illegal front shock on his Ford. But NASCAR...
Harrison has TD catch, No. 3 Buckeyes defense steps up big in 20-12 win over No. 7 Penn StateVideo
COLUMBUS, Ohio — All-American Marvin Harrison Jr. made the difference for No. 3 Ohio State in a pivotal Big Ten matchup, and the snarling Buckeyes’ defense took care of the rest. Harrison made 11 catches for 162 yards and a late touchdown as Ohio State beat No. 7 Penn State,...
A third of way through the season, can Steelers remain in hunt in ultra-competitive AFC North?
By the time the Pittsburgh Steelers walk off the field Sunday at SoFi Stadium, they could be in sole possession of first place in their division. They also could be tied for last. Such is the state of the tightly bunched AFC North where, one-third of the way through the...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Barry Melrose belongs in Hockey Hall of Fame
We’ve lost the plot when it comes to Halls of Fame. Halls of Fame used to be grandiose and special. Look at the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first class: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. Unimpeachable. It was a special honor for special athletes. Halls...
Aggravated hamstring injury lands Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth on injured reserve
At the outset of the week, the Pittsburgh Steelers thought they were getting tight end Pat Freiermuth back for their game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. On Saturday, they made a decision that will keep him out of the lineup for at least another four games. The Steelers placed...
Why does Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson keep getting into so many fights?
Since the year 2000, Hockey Fights has documented the pugilistic side of the NHL and the sport as a whole. Founded when dial-up modems and gif-infested GeoCities pages were still prevalent, Hockey Fights has maintained detailed logs of seemingly every bout in league history. And not surprisingly, there are leaderboards...
Steelers 4 Downs: Generating pressure the key to defense’s success
1. Get to the QB It doesn’t take advanced analytics to come to the conclusion that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ strength is in their defense — and that defense is driven by the ability to rush opposing passers. But Sharp Football Analysis presented some numbers to show just how reliant the...
Pine-Richland’s punishing ground game too much for Woodland Hills
There is nothing fancy about Pine-Richland’s wildcat offense and by now, it could hardly catch anyone by surprise. These Rams won a state title a year ago by having their running back take direct snaps and barreling ahead. Yet, it keeps working. “What is comes down to, really, is who’s...
Alek Thomas, Gabriel Moreno lift Diamondbacks in Game 4
PHOENIX — Alek Thomas hit a tying, two-run homer in a three-run eighth inning, Gabriel Moreno followed with a go-ahead single and the Arizona Diamondbacks stunned the Philadelphia Phillies with a 6-5 victory on Friday night that tied the NL Championship Series at two games apiece. Arizona trailed 5-2 before...
Central Valley sets up showdown with Aliquippa by holding off West Allegheny
The pursuit for the Parkway Conference title was alive and well with three one-loss teams entering Friday night attempting to chase down unbeaten Aliquippa. There are many terms that can describe the Parkway Conference, but just listen to the words of Central Valley’s Jance Henry. “Every week is a dog...
Elizabeth Forward maintains undefeated record in victory over Greensburg Salem
Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Messina found success through the air and on the ground Friday night against Greensburg Salem. The junior quarterback threw for three second-quarter touchdowns and had another score on the ground in the Warriors’ 48-13 victory over the visiting Golden Lions in Interstate Conference play. Messina was effective...
Minor league report: Penguins shut out by Wolf PackVideo
Goaltender Magnus Hellberg made 29 saves on 32 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-0 loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. on Friday. Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue stopped all 35 shots he faced to defeat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (1-2-0-0) which was shut...
Freeport eliminates Valley from playoff contention
A funny thing happened Friday night at Freeport Area Athletic Stadium: Two winless high school football teams in conference play squared off with the winner still in the hunt for a WPIAL Class 3A playoff berth entering the final week of the regular season. Drew Ross passed for 133 yards...
East Allegheny blocks extra-point attempt in OT, edges Knoch to clinch conference title
East Allegheny football coach Dom Pecora admitted he wasn’t sure it would ever happen. But after 11 long years and a blocked kick in overtime, he and his Wildcats can say they are conference champions. Brandon Penn blocked Knoch’s extra-point attempt in overtime to secure a 14-13 victory and the...
McKeesport takes control in 2nd half, runs past Latrobe
When Latrobe’s Ja’Tawn Williams took McKeesport’s second-half kickoff 95 yards for a game-tying touchdown, it seemed like the game was destined to be decided by a few plays in the final two quarters. And it was, as Latrobe (6-3, 4-2) proceeded to turn the ball over three times in the...
Bryan Abreu, Dusty Baker, Adolis Garcia ejected after brawl
ARLINGTON, Texas — Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu and manager Dusty Baker were ejected from Game 5 of the AL Championship series after the reliever hit the Texas Rangers’ Adolis Garcia with a pitch in the eighth inning Friday, triggering benches to clear two innings after the slugger’s go-ahead home...
Andre Iguodala, 4-time NBA champion with Warriors, retires
SAN FRANCISCO — Andre Iguodala, a four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors during a 19-year NBA career, is retiring. “It’s just the right time,” the 39-year-old Iguodala told Andscape on Friday in a telephone interview. “Time started to get limited for me, and I didn’t want to put anything...
Altuve hits go-ahead homer in 9th, Astros take 3-2 lead over Rangers in ALCS after benches clearVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Houston Astros, after getting into another bench-clearing scuffle with the Texas Rangers, rallied for a 5-4 victory in a wild and testy Game 5 of the AL Championship Series on Friday. After winning all three...
Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy vents over feuds, losses and his slow start
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jerry Jeudy had a lot to get off his chest this week: his dust-up with Steve Smith, the constant trade speculation, his lack of production and the Denver Broncos’ incessant losing. Jeudy pranced and preened in a squabble with Smith, the former Carolina Panthers star receiver and...
Jaguars build leads and close out games; Now time to end 2nd-half lulls
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are building double-digit leads and closing out games regularly this season, a combination that’s led to a four-game winning streak and their best start since 2007. Impressive, no doubt. But what’s happening in between has coach Doug Pederson a little concerned. Pederson would like...
Browns QB Deshaun Watson expected to start vs. Colts after missing 2 gamesVideo
BEREA, Ohio — Deshaun Watson’s official status for Sunday’s game at Indianapolis is questionable. Nothing looked uncertain about Cleveland’s quarterback Friday. Watson fired passes with his usual velocity during his second straight practice, and he is expected to start when the Browns visit the Colts. He has missed two games...
Bears QB Justin Fields expected to avoid thumb surgery; Tyson Bagent to start vs. RaidersVideo
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Bears quarterback Justin Fields is not expected to need surgery for his dislocated right thumb, coach Matt Eberflus said Friday. As expected, Fields was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders (3-3). Undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent will start for Chicago (1-5). It...
No. 2 Michigan suspends staffer after sign-stealing investigation start
No. 2 Michigan announced Friday it suspended a low-level football program employee a day after disclosing it is under NCAA investigation for allegedly stealing the play-calling signals of Wolverines opponents. Athletic director Warde Manuel issued a one-sentence statement saying analytics assistant Connor Stalions had been suspended with pay pending the...
LeBron on turf? Rams’ Cooper Kupp earns high plaudits from Steelers tasked to limit him
During his weekly news conference, Mike Tomlin aimed high in finding a comparable for the star receiver of his next opponent. Really high. As in, Tomlin started by comparing the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp to a pair of players who’ve combined for four NFL Defensive Player of the Year...
Steelers notes: T.J. Watt fine, signs point to Diontae Johnson also playing vs. Rams
It was early in the first quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most recent game when the pinky finger on T.J. Watt’s left hand was badly dislocated. Watt, though, didn’t realize the extent of it until the game was over. “When I took my glove off and it was the size...
