Sports category, Page 983
Reds homer twice off Pirates starter Vince Velasquez to win opening weekend series
The Pittsburgh Pirates like the pitch repertoire right-hander Vince Velasquez offers but believe he needs to stay in the strike zone to be effective as a starting pitcher. Just not up in the zone. Velasquez surrendered a pair of solo home runs in his Pirates debut as the Cincinnati Reds...
Pirates move starter JT Brubaker to 60-day IL, claim righty reliever Edwin Uceta off waivers
The Pittsburgh Pirates don’t know the severity of JT Brubaker’s arm injury except that it’s serious enough to keep him out of the starting rotation for the next two months. The 29-year-old right-hander, who left spring training with right elbow/forearm discomfort, was moved from the 15-day injured list to the...
Penguins prospect Owen Pickering takes his 1st professional steps
Owen Pickering didn’t want to be in Wilkes-Barre by April. To be certain, he doesn’t have any kind of objection to Northeast Pennsylvania in the spring. He just wanted to be back in southwest Saskatchewan playing games that mean a bit more with his junior team, the Swift Current Broncos...
LSU-Iowa national title play and Premier League money line pick: Best bets for April 2
BY GABE HENDERSON | 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...
San Diego State vs. UConn odds: Huskies favored in 2023 NCAA Men’s National Championship
BY GABE HENDERSON | Home Field Sports The dust has settled, the chaos has calmed down and the 2023 Men’s NCAA Tournament is down to its last two teams. The Connecticut Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs are the only remaining challengers after their thrilling semifinal victories on Saturday. A...
Penn State’s Manny Diaz on spring challenges: Replacing Joey Porter Jr. and Ji’Ayir Brown, plus Abdul Carter’s next step
Penn State’s defense is flush with playmakers at some important spots. Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac are proven disruptors off the edge, and second-year end Dani Dennis-Sutton should take a big step forward in the fall. Kalen King, who led the Nittany Lions in pass breakups (18), leads a deep...
UConn puts Final Four beatdown on Miami
HOUSTON — Nobody was guarding UConn’s best player. So Adama Sanogo spun the ball to get his fingers just right, set his feet behind the 3-point line and splashed in the shot. Then, less than a minute later, he did it again. It was as much basketball clinic as highlight...
Minor league report: Penguins’ losing streak reaches 5Video
Goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 29 saves on 33 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-3 overtime home loss to the Syracuse Crunch at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. Penguins defenseman Ty Smith scored a goal, giving him four points (two goals, two assists) in his last three...
Rose Zhang holds on to win Augusta Women’s Amateur in playoff
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rose Zhang has won enough to realize that rarely does something so meaningful ever come so easily. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the final piece to her brilliant amateur career, meant the world to her. It turned out to be her toughest test. Staked to a five-shot...
Mishaps and missed opportunities killer in Penguins’ loss to BruinsVideo
Takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-3 loss to Boston Saturday at PPG Paints Arena: Ugly special teams Following the Penguins’ practice Friday in Cranberry, coach Mike Sullivan reflected on the two prior meetings his club had with Boston on Nov. 1 and Jan. 2, both of which were close losses....
Butler’s buzzer-beater sends San Diego State to title gameVideo
HOUSTON — Lamont Butler made a jumper at the buzzer, sending San Diego State to its first national championship game with a 72-71 win over fellow mid-major Florida Atlantic in the Final Four on Saturday night. “It’s unbelievable,” Butler said. “This is what I came here to do. I’m glad...
Koepka takes 3-shot lead in LIV Golf event ahead of MastersVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brooks Koepka became known for showing up big in the majors. He started to hit his stride Saturday with a 6-under-par 65 for a three-shot lead in LIV Golf-Orlando on the weekend before he heads for the Masters. Koepka played bogey-free at Orange County National. Sebastian Munoz...
Patrick Rodgers takes 1-shot lead into Texas Open finaleVideo
SAN ANTONIO — Patrick Rodgers shot a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Valero Texas Open, with his first PGA Tour title and Masters spot at stake. Making his 235th tour start, the 30-year-old Rodgers had a 12-under 204 total at...
Kevin Newman hits 1 of Reds’ 3 home runs to defeat Pirates
Rich Hill has stepped on and off too many pitching rubbers throughout his 19-season career to think about anything other than winning and losing. Sure, he recorded his 1,300th career strikeout Saturday (1,301 by the time he left Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati). Good for him, he retired 13...
Pirates farm report for April 1, 2023: Miguel Anduar smacks RBI single but Indy gets routed by Omaha
Indianapolis (Triple-A, 0-2) was pummeled 11-2 by Omaha (Royals) Saturday afternoon. Starting pitcher Caleb Smith allowed eight runs, all earned, in 4 2/3 innings on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks. He gave up two homers, including a grand slam by Jackson Reetz in the fifth inning. Carmen...
Penguins lose to Bruins, fall out of playoff position
The Boston Bruins weren’t at their best on Saturday as they rolled into PPG Paints Arena to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Having already secured the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top overall team in the regular season (and home-ice advantage throughout the postseason), the Bruins started their backup goaltender,...
Iowa, LSU both seeking first NCAA titles in women’s finalVideo
DALLAS — Caitlin Clark has captured the attention of basketball fans with her historic performance in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s sensational guard will try to finish off the unprecedented run with a championship when the Hawkeyes face LSU on Sunday in the title game. “I think winning a national championship...
Kyle Busch ahead of Richmond: Parity keeps it interestingVideo
RICHMOND, Va. — Kyle Busch is off to a solid start for Richard Childress Racing with a victory, two top-10 finishes and sitting fourth in points through six races. Now comes Richmond Raceway, where Busch leads all active drivers with six career victories, to start a stretch of three consecutive...
Analysis: Pirates would be better to pay Bryan Reynolds’ asking price than include an opt-out
Asked if he could envision signing a player to a $100 million contract in the near future, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told the Tribune-Review that it was “definitely inside the realm of possibility.” Nutting knew that it would be met with skepticism by a fan base that views him as...
Penguins scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry against Bruins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are scheduled to start goaltender Tristan Jarry for Saturday’s home game against the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. Jarry’s status was announced by coach Mike Sullivan approximately two hours before the opening faceoff. In 41 games this season, Jarry has a 22-10-6 record, a 2.90 goals...
Final Four picks are here, including one upset: Best Bets for April 1
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...
‘Nobody has a perfect system:’ PIAA, critics remain at odds over public-private school debate
The Philadelphia Catholic League opponent Deer Lakes faced in the state basketball finals played tremendous defense, but that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the Lancers’ coach said. “I could put together one hell of a defensive team right now if I could make some phone calls for next year,” coach Albie Fletcher...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Pirates should give Bryan Reynolds what he wants
The Pirates and outfielder Bryan Reynolds have reportedly agreed on money and term, namely an eight-year contract that would pay $106.75 million. Reynolds has dropped his demands by over $27 million. The sticking point: Reynolds wants an opt-out clause after the fourth year. The Pirates should give it to him....
Despite improvement this season, Robert Morris aiming higher in Horizon League
Robert Morris coach Andy Toole is not known as a man content with moral victories or incremental improvement. When the Colonials were members of the Northeast Conference, Toole had them competing at a high level, with Robert Morris capturing two NEC regular season titles and two league tournament championships between...
Party for first-timers: Caitlin Clark, Iowa will play LSU for title
DALLAS — Caitlin Clark gets the national stage for one more game this season. Same with the Texas homecoming for Alexis Morris. The standout guards have made it a party of first-timers for the women’s NCAA championship game Sunday. Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off undefeated defending national champion...
