Sports category, Page 946

BY ZACH EWING | Home Field Sports Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer. Here are...

Woody Turner couldn’t concentrate. He was working on an assignment, perhaps for a Roman history class, but he’s not sure. What mattered on Oct. 13, 1960, was that the University of Pittsburgh senior chose to be in — of all places — the library on the fifth floor of a...

In his own words, Canaan Smith-Njigba was rolling. Then the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder took a tumble that abruptly ended his season. Smith-Njigba isn’t going to allow it to ruin his dream. The 23-year-old became the first Pirates player in nine years to record an extra-base hit in his first plate...

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star closer David Bednar put the finishing touches on Team USA’s opening game in the World Baseball Classic, and did so in emphatic fashion. Bednar struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning to seal a 6-2 win over Great Britain in Pool...

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds underwent not-insignificant roster changes in the offseason, but a familiar face made sure the team didn’t leave its season opener empty handed. Upper St. Clair grad Robbie Mertz netted the equalizer in the 71st minute to give the Riverhounds a 1-1 draw at Birmingham Legion FC on...

This isn’t anything new for Nick Bonino. Given his role and style of play, pain and injury are old friends. Back in the spring of 2017, Bonino was able to play Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with a broken tibia he suffered after blocking a shot. He missed...

For the past six seasons, the NCAA Tournament was an event Pitt fans followed because it’s what you do in March. They rooted only for their brackets, hoping to have a reason to brag to their buddies. Now, Pitt fans actually can have a specific rooting interest in the tournament,...

METAIRIE, La. — For newly signed New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr, moving to town will mean learning new terminology — and not merely in the playbook. “Everybody’s saying words to me and I’m like, ‘What does that mean?’ ” Carr said with a grin in relaying his interactions with...

CHICAGO — Jalen Pickett scored 28 points, Seth Lundy had 16 and Penn State beat No. 19 Indiana, 77-73, on Saturday to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship. Andrew Funk added nine points as 10th-seeded Penn State (22-12) won for the eighth time in nine games. The Nittany Lions...

The Pittsburgh Penguins altered all four of their lines Saturday out of necessity. There were two reasons for the augmentation. First, and most tangibly, they learned Friday they would be without the services of forward Nick Bonino for several weeks because of a lacerated kidney he suffered Thursday. His absence...

Once viewed as a prototypical new-wave NFL inside linebacker — speedy with an ability to make plays sideline to sideline — Devin Bush was valued so highly by the Pittsburgh Steelers that they traded up 10 spots to select him at No. 10 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Four...

Johan Oviedo brought his family from Cuba to the United States, so his start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday was the first time his parents and sister saw him pitch as a professional. “They came to stay forever. They’ve been apart from me for a long time. I want...

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Bonino was hospitalized because of a lacerated kidney he suffered during a 4-3 home overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday. According to coach Mike Sullivan, Bonino underwent a procedure on the injury and was scheduled to be released from the hospital Saturday. Bonino...

MINNEAPOLIS — Bud Grant, the stoic and demanding Hall of Fame coach who took the Minnesota Vikings and their mighty Purple People Eaters defense to four Super Bowls in eight years and lost all of them, died Saturday. He was 95. The Vikings announced Grant’s death on social media. “We...

The Pittsburgh Pirates sent minor-league right-handed pitcher Ricky DeVito to the Texas Rangers on Saturday as the player to be named to complete the trade for infielder-outfielder Mark Mathias. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound DeVito was 3-6 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 70 innings over 35 appearances, including six...

If the Pittsburgh Penguins make the playoffs, they lose in the first round. It’s hard to imagine GM Ron Hextall keeping his job if that’s the case, especially given Hextall’s pronounced role in creating the team’s current state. It’s not all Hextall’s fault: The decision to age out with the...

Aside from simply knowing where she was going to college, Alyssa Laukus was surrounded by unknowns when she arrived at Chatham. How would she adapt to her class schedule and student life? She was even more inquisitive as far as basketball went. “I didn’t quite know what to expect coming...

For the past six seasons, the NCAA Tournament was an event Pitt fans followed because it’s what you do in March. They rooted only for their brackets, hoping to have a reason to brag to their buddies. Now, Pitt fans actually can have a specific rooting interest in the tournament,...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Carlos Santana to a free-agent contract, they discussed how his impact could be two-fold: by addressing offseason needs at first base and in the clubhouse. The Pirates considered Santana’s positive personality and veteran leadership as important as his good glove and big bat, especially with...

I used myself as my own baseball-fan guinea pig on Tuesday. I set up as much of a real life, everyday, control environment as I could to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays. I made a turkey sandwich. Brewed a cup of coffee. Opened...

He used to have long hair that curled out from beneath his hat and covered the back of his neck. But Mark Goetz has been wearing his hair shorter since he turned professional. While his barber will await his return for another trim, Goetz’s livelihood will soon be about cuts...

CHICAGO — Seth Lundy scored 16 points, Jalen Pickett had 15 points and nine rebounds and No. 10 seed Penn State beat second-seeded Northwestern 67-65 in overtime on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. It was Penn State’s second overtime win over Northwestern in nine...