July 29, 2026 5:41 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eduardo Rodríguez pitched eight shutout innings, Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday, clinching the three-game series. Arizona now sits two games up on the Pirates for the final NL wild card. Rodríguez struck out two while giving up five hits on 105 pitches before Brandyn Garcia closed out a hitless ninth inning for his second save of the year. Max Kepler drove in the only other score with an RBI single in the sixth inning.
July 28, 2026 4:26 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — James McCann singled in the winning run in the 12th inning with his fourth hit of the game and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates despite blowing a six-run lead. Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back home runs for the Pirates to spark a three-run rally against closer Paul Sewald in the ninth to tie the game at 6-all and force extra innings. Geraldo Carillo (1-0) got his first major league win as the Diamondbacks won for the 11th time in 17 games. McCann’s game-winning hit came off Wilbur Dotel (1-3).
July 29, 2026 4:27 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates rookie slugger Esmerlyn Valdez is back in the lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks a day after getting hit in the hand by a pitch. Valdez was forced from Monday night’s game after being hit on the left hand by a fastball. X-rays and other tests showed only a bruise, not broken bones. The 22-year-old right fielder is off to an outstanding start to his career. He is hitting .290 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 38 games to go with a 1.008 OPS.
July 29, 2026 4:32 am
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says there’s “zero debate” that this season will be his last. The four-time MVP’s status beyond 2026 is one of the few certainties for the Steelers as training camp begins. They have a new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who brings fresh ideas to the team. The team will practice earlier in the day and tackling will be limited. Pittsburgh will begin camp with defensive backs Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey on the physically unable to perform list.
July 29, 2026 4:30 am
Miami is the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship. The Hurricanes have never won the ACC title since joining the league ahead of the 2004 season. Miami is coming off a run to the College Football Playoff title game. The Hurricanes were the runaway choice in voting by media members at the league’s football media days earlier this month. SMU was picked second, followed by Louisville and Clemson among the top teams. Duke is picked 10th after last year’s unexpected run to the program’s first outright ACC title since 1962. Georgia Tech was picked fifth, followed by Virginia, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and reigning champion Duke.
July 29, 2026 4:34 am
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino plans to create a $20 billion company running the World Cup with private investors including the Kushner family. The plan was immediately attacked by European soccer body UEFA which says “None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.” Infantino plans to form FIFA Forward Enterprise running competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup. FIFA is working with J.P. Morgan while investors would include Thrive Eternal created by Joshua Kushner whose brother Jared is a son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump. FIFA is currently a Swiss-based not-for-profit association of its 211 national member federations worldwide. Those members must approve any plan.
July 28, 2026 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe singled home Billy Cook in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lowe finished off a three-hit night with a line drive that bounced off Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas, allowing Cook to score from third. Mason Montgomery worked around an error and escaped a bases-loaded jam to earn the victory. Pittsburgh pulled into a tie with Arizona for the third National League wild-card spot with the win. The victory came at a cost for the Pirates. Pittsburgh lost promising rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez to a left-hand injury in the fourth inning.
July 28, 2026 4:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder Esmeryln Valdez has been removed from a game against Arizona after being hit in the left hand by a pitch. Valdez, who has 14 homers in limited playing time this season, took a 92 mph fastball from Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly to the area around his left hand and wrist. The 22-year-old Valdez winced in pain while being tended to by medical staff. He walked slowly toward the Pittsburgh dugout and was replaced by Jared Triolo. Valdez’s emergence has helped the Pirates stay in playoff contention despite injuries to other key players.
July 28, 2026 2:20 am
Tuesday is the first day of Steelers Training Camp at Saint Vincent College. Players will report then and the first practice on Wednesday morning will be open to the public. On Monday, August 3rd, players will hold their first padded practice which is open to the public. Saturday, August 8th will be their annual night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium and on Thursday, August 13th, they’ll play a pre-season game with the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Monday, August 17th will be their final practice at Saint Vincent College and that will be open to the public. On Tuesday, August 18th, the players will break camp.
July 28, 2026 4:32 am
North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave. The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning. It didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.” Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013.
