Sports category, Page 876
Pirates reliever Hunter Stratton gets strikeout to escape bases-loaded jam in MLB debut
Hunter Stratton’s journey to the major leagues became real when the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever took the ball and threw his first pitch to Mark Canha for a swinging strike in the eighth inning. An inning that started with a strike ended with an exhale when Stratton struck out Tyrone...
Giants RB Saquon Barkley enters season looking to prove his value once againVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After not getting a long-term contract with the New York Giants and signing his $10 million franchise tag, star running back Saquon Barkley is once again out to prove himself. It’s the same approach, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Penn...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 5, 2023: Canaan Smith-Njigba, Nick Gonzales collects 4 hits each
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 60-71) came back to defeat Toledo (Tigers), 8-6. Indianapolis scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth on back-to-back home runs from 1B Mason Martin (.239), his first with Indy, and C Grant Koch (.258), his eighth, and an RBI single from RF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.255). Martin...
Brewers beat Pirates behind Brandon Woodruff’s 7 shutout innings, 6-run fifth
For Andre Jackson, the first time pitching through the Milwaukee Brewers’ batting order was a breeze. The second time was a disaster. After Jackson pitched three perfect innings, the Brewers took advantage of his command issues by drawing five walks and used a six-run fifth inning to take a commanding...
Penn State’s James Franklin talks Drew Allar’s arm talent, a new WR’s early success
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State’s offense put on a show in the Nittany Lions’ season-opening 38-15 victory over West Virginia Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar was in the middle of all that success, throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. Seventh-ranked Penn...
Column: Ryder Cup is the ultimate test for the unflappable Swedish rookie Ludvig AbergVideo
The comparisons with Sergio Garcia are inevitable and appropriate based on the sheer skill and rapid rise. Just don’t look for Ludvig Aberg to be sprinting and strutting and leaping into the arms of his teammates at the Ryder Cup. “It was like a walk in the park for him,”...
Big 12 faces a week of big-time matchups after a tough start to the college football seasonVideo
LAWRENCE, Kan. — There are some heavyweight matchups for Big 12 schools in Week 2 of the college football season, headlined by the big one in ‘Bama, where No. 11 Texas visits the No. 3 Crimson Tide for a showdown of future SEC rivals. It’s a good chance for the...
Pitt assistant Andre Powell considers several factors when assembling a rotation for running backs
Running to daylight never has been enough for Pitt’s running backs in their quest to please Andre Powell, their position coach. They can penetrate the first wall of defenders, and that’s good. But after getting past defensive linemen, they must make a linebacker or safety miss (better yet, run him...
Arrivals of West Coast schools could cause Big Ten to depart from its traditional smashmouth styleVideo
MADISON, Wis. — The Big Ten’s westward expansion could challenge the league’s reputation for smashmouth football. No Power 5 conference has tended to rely more on defense and the running game than the Big Ten. The arrival of Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington next year just might change that....
Former Penguins forward Danton Heinen gets tryout with Bruins
Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Danton Heinen has signed a professional tryout contract (PTO) with the Boston Bruins. That team announced the transaction via release on Monday. Heinen spent the past two seasons with the Penguins. Initially signed as an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason, Heinen largely served as...
Kenny Pickett being lone offensive captain is ‘no disrespect’ to leadership of others, Mike Tomlin says
A year after the Pittsburgh Steelers had two captains designated to represent the offense, they have only one – second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. Mitch Trubisky was an offensive captain last season after winning the starting quarterback job in training camp. The other captain was running back Najee Harris. Pickett will...
Colorado, Duke surge into the AP Top 25 after huge upsets; Florida State climbs into top 5Video
No. 21 Duke and No. 22 Colorado moved into the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Tuesday after scoring the biggest upsets of the opening weekend of the season, and No. 4 Florida State jumped into the top five after its resounding victory over LSU in Week 1’s marquee...
Chiefs’ All-Pro TE Travis Kelce hyperextends knee in practice, status unclear for openerVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee during the Chiefs’ final practice before their opener against Detroit, leaving the status of the All-Pro tight end in question when Kansas City faces the Lions on Thursday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the injury occurred during...
As season approaches, Mike Tomlin keeping plans flexible for some Steelers’ defensive starters
Mike Tomlin’s initial depth chart of the regular season lists no definitive defensive starters at inside linebacker or strong safety. The same could be said at slot corner even though Chandon Sullivan is listed ahead of Elijah Riley. The Pittsburgh Steelers coach isn’t trying his hand at gamesmanship ahead of...
Pirates place RHP Paul Skenes on development list, ending season for No. 1 overall draft pick
Saying that pitcher Paul Skenes “checked all the boxes” and emphasizing that there are no health concerns, the Pittsburgh Pirates placed the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick on the development list Tuesday and shut him down from pitching for the remainder of the season. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington...
With the Obamas and Biebers, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Judge, the U.S. Open stars aren’t just on court
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff glanced up at one of the 35-foot-wide video boards high atop Arthur Ashe Stadium during a U.S. Open match last week and caught a glimpse of celebrity couple Justin and Hailey Bieber. “I saw them immediately on the jumbotron. I don’t know if the camera...
WNBA playoff spots still up for grabs with less than one week left in regular season
There are several playoff spots still up for grabs in the final week of the WNBA’s regular season. Only five teams have clinched berths in the postseason and just one knows its seeding with Connecticut locked in at No. 3. The rest will be decided over the next six days....
Coco Gauff reaches her first U.S. Open semifinal at age 19 by beating Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2
NEW YORK — Coco Gauff dealt just fine with the heat, the humidity, her big-hitting opponent and the task of trying to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time, defeating 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday. Gauff, a 19-year-old from Florida, is the first...
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expects healthy roster for opener with 49ersVideo
The first injury report of the season could be a light one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Mike Tomlin indicated the Steelers could have a healthy roster on Sunday when they open the season against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium. “We did have couple guys somewhat limited (Monday),”...
Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League teams post victories in Week 3 games
The Western Pennsylvania Youth Football League is well into its 2023 season as teams in all four classifications completed Week 3 games Sunday. This fall marks the 10th anniversary of the WPYFL, the largest youth football league in Pennsylvania with 44 member organizations in 43 school districts covering seven counties....
‘I didn’t believe it was gonna happen’: Reliever Hunter Stratton thrilled with Pirates promotion
Hunter Stratton was in his third season with Triple-A Indianapolis and the final year of his minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, so he had reached the now-or-never stage of his pro baseball career. A 16th-round pick out of Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn. — where Stratton...
USA rolls past Italy, 100-63, to reach Basketball World Cup semifinals
MANILA, Philippines — The United States is headed to the medal round of the Basketball World Cup, bouncing back from its first loss of the tournament in emphatic fashion. Mikal Bridges scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half, Tyrese Haliburton added 18 and the U.S. was airtight...
Fan ejected from U.S. Open match after German player said the man used language from Hitler’s regime
NEW YORK — A fan was ejected from a U.S. Open tennis match early Tuesday morning after German player Alexander Zverev complained the man used language from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. Zverev, the No. 12 seed, was serving at 2-2 in the fourth set of his match against No. 6...
Benzema’s Al Ittihad avoids path to face Man City in semifinals of Saudi-hosted FIFA Club World Cup
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabian champion Al Ittihad and its star striker Karim Benzema avoided Manchester City in the semifinals draw Tuesday for the first FIFA Club World Cup to be hosted by the kingdom. The Dec. 12-22 tournament for continental champions and the host nation’s league winner will...
Tim Benz: Steelers employing ‘greed is good’ approach to roster construction at just the right time
The Steelers’ newest player signing is the latest example of their Gordon Gekko approach to roster construction in 2023. Greed is good. Get as much as you can, while you can. Since the Steelers’ salary cap spreadsheet is blessed with starters at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, running back and...
