April 19, 2026 7:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers opened the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rookie forward Porter Martone and defenseman Jamie Drysdale also scored for the Flyers as Philadelphia won its first postseason game since 2020. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins but Pittsburgh struggled to sustain pressure against Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar, who stopped 14 shots to pick up the first playoff win of his six-year career. Game 2 is in Pittsburgh on Monday.
April 19, 2026 7:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cedric Mullins led off the 13th inning with a two-run home run and the Tampa Bay Rays outlasted the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 on a rainy Saturday. Mullins’ blast to right field off Yohan Ramirez scored automatic runner Jonny DeLuca. Mullins entered the day hitting just .129 after signing with Tampa Bay in the offseason as a free agent. Griffin Jax (1-2) pitched a scoreless 12th. Yoendrys Gomez allowed a run-scoring single to rookie Konnor Griffin in the bottom of the 13th, then struck out Joey Bart with runners on second and third to end it. The first pitch was moved up 30 minutes in hopes that the teams could beat the rain. However, play was stopped for 2 hours, 27 minutes, with Pittsburgh up 4-0.
April 19, 2026 7:50 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick had a slow start that let Scottie Scheffler back into the mix at the RBC Heritage. But Fitzpatrick rallied late with two shots from off the green. One dropped for birdie, the other for eagle and he wound up with a 68. That gives him a three-shot lead over Scheffler. The world’s No. 1 player closed ground quickly with five birdies in his opening six holes. He birdied two of the last three holes for a 64. Brian Harman had a 63 and was in the group of players four shots behind at Harbour Town Golf Links.
April 19, 2026 7:53 am
The NFL is not investigating Mike Vrabel’s behavior after published photos of the New England Patriots coach and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort prompted her resignation and an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday the league isn’t looking into the matter. The Patriots didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether the team has launched its own review of Vrabel’s actions. The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29
April 18, 2026 5:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run home run, Brandon Lowe went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Tampa Bay 5-1 to snap the Ray’s six-game win streak. Bubba Chandler (1-1) allowed a run and three hits over six innings. Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Horwitz each had three hits. Rays starter Nick Martinez (0-1), who went winless with a 2.41 ERA in his first four starts this season, gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Chandler Simpson singled with two out, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Bubba Chandler and scored the Rays’ only run when Junior Camerino singled.
April 18, 2026 4:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The longstanding rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will receive a jolt when the two clubs meet in the opening round of the playoffs. The Penguins are returning to the postseason after a three-year absence, while the Flyers are back for the first time since 2020. Pittsburgh has won three of the four playoff series between the clubs since captain Sidney Crosby arrived in 2005. The Penguins are still choosing between goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner while the red-hot Flyers are hoping a lack of playoff experience isn’t a problem as they try to advance beyond the first round for just the second time since 2012.
April 18, 2026 5:13 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The family of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale of the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Padres aren’t commenting publicly on the process. The Wall Street Journal first reported the progress of a deal with private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. While the deal hasn’t been finalized, the team is expected to be sold for $3.9 billion, a record valuation for a Major League Baseball team.
April 18, 2026 5:12 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Jon Rahm says he isn’t worried about the future of LIV Golf despite uncertainty about its funding. The two-time major champion has shown it’s not affecting his golf. After a poor week at the Masters, Rahm has started 65-67 for a one-shot lead at LIV Golf Mexico. Speculation centers around Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund cutting financial backing of the rival golf league. Scott O’Neil is the CEO of LIV. He has told the staff funding would continue without interruption. But in another interview, he suggests the league will have to “work like crazy” to create a business plan.
April 18, 2026 5:09 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Former Angels outfielder Garret Anderson has died. He was 53. The multitalented player became the Angels’ career hits leader and led the team to its only World Series title. The Angels announced Anderson’s death without immediately disclosing the cause or location. Anderson reached the majors with the then-California Angels in 1994 and played for the club until 2008, primarily as a left fielder. He was a fixture in the heart of their batting order for his entire tenure, becoming the franchise’s leader in hits, RBIs and games played among many other achievements. Anderson was a three-time AL All-Star from 2002-05.
April 18, 2026 5:10 am
SAO PAULO (AP) — Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer known to his Brazilian compatriots as the “Holy Hand,” died Friday. He was 68. Schmidt’s family said in a statement that he fought a brain tumor for 15 years “with courage, dignity and resilience . . . while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life.” Schmidt is beloved in Brazil for committing to the national team for 19 years and becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. He also starred in a historic victory over the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.
