Sports category, Page 843
Luis Ortiz returns for spot start with Pirates, hoping to stay in starting rotation
Luis Ortiz was back with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, just not officially. Ortiz was in the home clubhouse as a member of the taxi squad, waiting to be activated to the major league roster on Wednesday. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said the 24-year-old right-hander will start the series finale...
Seahawks rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba to miss 3-4 weeks with wrist injury
SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will undergo surgery for a wrist fracture and miss approximately three to four weeks, coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday. Smith-Njigba was injured in the second quarter of Seattle’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, when he was tackled at...
Countdown to kickoff: More than 2 dozen new coaches prowling WPIAL sidelines
They are new faces in new places supplying new hopes and golden dreams. Some are rookie head coaches replacing experienced coaches while other veteran coaches are starting over at new venues. Some schools have a new football coach for the first time in decades while others continue to play roulette...
Andrew McCutchen hits 299th career homer as Pirates beat Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Adam Wainwright has made a career of having his way against the Pittsburgh Pirates, so it was no surprise that the St. Louis Cardinals 41-year-old right-hander pitched three perfect innings to start. That the Pirates batted around the order in a five-run fourth inning was another story, a twist of...
Pitt football notebook: Phil Jurkovec on another preseason award watch list
Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Pine-Richland grad, is among the preseason candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. It marks the second award to recognize Jurkovec as a preseason candidate. The Unitas Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with his class....
Knicks sue, accuse Raptors of using ex-Knicks employee as ‘mole’
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks sued the Toronto Raptors, their new coach and a former Knicks scouting employee Monday, saying the defendants conspired to steal thousands of videos and other scouting secrets over the past few weeks. The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court seeks unspecified damages and a...
White Sox fire executive VP Ken Williams, GM Rick Hahn
CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday, cutting ties with their leadership on the baseball side amid another disappointing season. Williams was in his 11th season in his position after serving as the club’s general manager for 12...
Guardians manager Terry Francona hints that this could be his final seasonVideo
CLEVELAND — Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona has had serious talks with the organization about his future, hinting that this could be his final season. The winningest manager in club history, the 64-year-old Francona, who has dealt with major health issues in recent years, did not announce his retirement Tuesday....
Last chance for Chandon Sullivan, Elijah Riley to state case for Steelers’ slot corner job
When the ball is teed up for the final game of the preseason Thursday night, perhaps no position group on the Pittsburgh Steelers will be scrutinized in terms of a starting job more than slot cornerback. Coach Mike Tomlin admitted Tuesday that the competition between Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley...
On cusp of Steelers preseason finale, Joey Porter Jr. takes 1st-team reps
Savvy enough as the son of a former NFL player and aware of his status as a rookie, Joey Porter Jr. isn’t ready to announce lineup decisions. “That,” Porter said after practice Tuesday, “is for the big man upstairs.” Porter didn’t clarify if he was referencing Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike...
Kenny Pickett seeks consistency as Steelers offense gears up for preseason finale
After making token appearances in the first two preseason games, Kenny Pickett is preparing to play longer than two series when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. How much longer remains to be seen. “They’ll pull us when they pull us,” Pickett said Tuesday as the Steelers...
Mayfield lands Buccaneers QB job, beats out Trask in competition to replace BradyVideo
TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield was selected as the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ending the competition for Tom Brady’s old job on Tuesday. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft prevailed over third-year pro Kyle Trask, a 2021 second-round draft pick who spent the...
Panthers RB Miles Sanders confident he’ll be ready to play in regular-season opener vs. FalconsVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders said Tuesday he will be ready to play in his team’s Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Atlanta Falcons despite missing more than two weeks of training camp with a groin injury. “Absolutely,” Sanders said when asked if he’s confident he’ll...
PIAA upholds 1-year suspension for Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke
The PIAA sided with the WPIAL on Tuesday and upheld the one-year suspension of Shady Side Academy girls basketball coach Jonna Burke. The decision came after a 90-minute appeal hearing in which Burke’s attorney argued that the longtime coach did not violate PIAA recruiting rules when she sent a direct...
Father of NFL cornerback Caleb Farley killed in explosion at North Carolina home
RALEIGH, N.C. — The father of Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley died overnight in an explosion that destroyed the NFL player’s North Carolina home and left another person injured, authorities said. Robert M. Farley, 61, was found dead in the debris of the Lake Norman, N.C., house Tuesday morning, said...
Steelers again will play (most) starters in preseason finale at Falcons
Most — but perhaps not all — of the starters will be in the lineup and taking the field in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason finale Thursday at the Atlanta Falcons. While Steelers coach Mike Tomlin left himself a qualifier by saying, “By no means am I guaranteeing that everyone plays,”...
Pitt’s defense earns revenge against offensive counterparts at 2nd scrimmage
First, it was the Pitt offense that stood out. This time around, the defense took center stage. The Panthers’ second scrimmage of the preseason has been tickling the senses of coach Pat Narduzzi — a defensive-minded guy, mind you — and creating a stir at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ever...
James Harden fined $100,000 for public comments about status with 76ers
NEW YORK — The NBA has fined Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden $100,000 for public comments he made about his status with the team. Harden made public comments on Aug. 14 and Aug. 17 saying he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless he were...
Conference realignment will mean longer trips, greater costs for traveling college football fans
POND GAP, W.Va. — In seven decades of following West Virginia football, little has gotten in the way when Terry Keenan wants to see his beloved Mountaineers. Conference realignment promises to be a headache. College sports and the traveling fan are on course for a big reset in 2024. TV...
Rays’ Wander Franco moved to administrative leave while MLB, Dominican authorities investigate
NEW YORK — Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by Major League Baseball on Tuesday while authorities in the Dominican Republic investigate the All-Star shortstop for an alleged relationship with a minor. The 22-year-old will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement...
Reese Memorial Fund accepting grant applications from youth recreation groups
Following their third successful 5K fundraiser, officials from the Mike Reese Memorial Fund will be accepting grant applications through the end of August. The annual Mike Reese Memorial 5K Roast, Run & Family Fun event began in 2021, in memory of Reese, 42, who served as state representative in the...
Tim Benz: Steelers defense views preseason finale against Falcons as ‘great test’ for 49ers in regular season opener
On the surface, one might think that a road game in Atlanta may not be the most effective tune-up for the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary in its final preseason game. After all, no team in the NFL ran the ball more times (559) than the Falcons did last season. With the...
First Call: Star is returning to future Steelers opponent, while another stays away; Ravens finally lose in preseason
Tuesday’s “First Call” eyes up some opponents on the Pittsburgh Steelers schedule. The Baltimore Ravens saw an end to their record-setting preseason win streak. Nick Bosa may be in jeopardy of missing the season opener at Acrisure Stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. The Las Vegas Raiders should be getting...
‘It saved us a ton’: Lefty Bailey Falter pitches 6 innings in relief to earn 1st win with Pirates
When Bailey Falter found out the Pittsburgh Pirates were using Thomas Hatch as an opener Monday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, the left-handed pitcher had no idea he would be finishing the game. “They didn’t give me much more information than that,” Falter said of manager Derek Shelton and...
Matt Canada on carries for Steelers RBs: ‘Najee (Harris) is our 1. There’s no doubt about that’
Something pretty well-known about Pittsburgh sports fans is that we really do love our backups. The backup quarterback. The backup goalie. The young prospects on the farm for the Pirates. Players who we have seen in brief flashes that we immediately believe will be better than the guy who is...
