April 14, 2026 4:23 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one hit in six strong innings and Brandon Lowe homered for the third time in two games, driving in five runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates steamrolled the Washington Nationals 16-5 to begin a four-game series. Skenes struck out six and walked one while improving to 7-1 in his last 11 home starts. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by CJ Abrams. Lowe became the first Pirates player to knock in at least five runs in consecutive games since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920. Spencer Horwitz also homered for Pittsburgh.
April 14, 2026 4:25 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in a shootout. Tyson Foerster scored the decisive goal on Monday night, setting up a first-round matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet and general manager Danny Briere have been instrumental in the team’s rebuild, focusing on young talent like Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras. Fans celebrated the long-awaited return to the playoffs, marking a significant milestone for a franchise with one of the NHL’s longest championship droughts.
April 14, 2026 4:26 am
Famed ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale is facing another battle with cancer. Vitale said Monday that biopsy results had confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in his lung and liver cavity, which will have him starting immunotherapy. It marks his fifth battle with cancer. That fight sidelined him from the airwaves for two years before his return shortly before March Madness in 2025. In a statement from ESPN, the 86-year-old announcer affectionately known as “Dickie V” says he’s “fully confident I’m going to make it 5 for 5″ in beating cancer.
April 13, 2026 4:25 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch ended an 0-for-30 slide with a tying, two-run single in the eighth inning and Carson Kelly had a winning single in the ninth as the Chicago Cubs overcame a five-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6. Brandon Lowe hit a grand slam and a solo homer off Jameson Taillon, and Oneil Cruz homered leading off the game for Pittsburgh, which led 5-0 before third-inning solo homers by Dansby Swanson and Moisés Ballesteros against Bubba Chandler.
April 13, 2026 4:23 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Phil Garner, a three-time All-Star infielder who went on to manage the Houston Astros to their first World Series appearance, has died. He was 76. Garner’s family issued a statement Sunday saying Garner died Saturday after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Nicknamed “Scrap Iron” for his blue-collar approach to the game, Garner had a 16-year playing career with the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. He made All-Star teams with Oakland in 1976 and with Pittsburgh in 1980 and 1981. (PHOTO: Pittsburgh Pirates)
April 13, 2026 4:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Logan Thompson stopped 24 shots, and the Washington Capitals kept their slim playoff hopes alive by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 in perhaps the final home of Alex Ovechkin’s brilliant career. To reach the postseason, the Capitals must defeat Columbus in the season finale Tuesday night and hope Philadelphia fails to win either of its last two games. The 40-year-old Ovechkin intends wait until the offseason to decide whether to retire or return for a 22nd season. The all-time NHL leader in goals with 929, Ovechkin has played in every game this season and leads the Capitals in goals (32) and points (63). The spirited, sellout crowd saluted Ovechkin during Sunday’s game with chants of “One more year!” and “Ovi! Ovi! Ovi!”
April 13, 2026 4:27 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has joined more elite company at the Masters. He pulled away with a pair of birdies around Amen Corner and, as usual, saved a little drama for the end before taking his place in Augusta National history as only the fourth back-to-back champion. McIlroy seized control for good with a bold shot over Rae’s Creek to 7 feet for birdie on the par-3 12th. Then he blistered a 350-yard drive on the par-5 13th that set up another birdie. There were a few dicey moments, but he shot a 1-under 71 to for a one-shot victory to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods as repeat winners.
April 12, 2026 7:12 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Yohan Ramírez escaped bases-loaded jams in the 10th and 11th innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of a throwing error by Caleb Thielbar to score the go-ahead run in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs that clinched the three-game series. Alex Bregman’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning on an 0-2 pitch off Dennis Santana tied the score 3-3 but the NL Central-leading Pirates rebounded and won for the eighth time in 10 games, improving to 2-0 this season in series against division rivals. Oneil Cruz was 4 for 5 with three steals.
April 12, 2026 7:11 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ilya Protas scored his first NHL goal and added two assists as the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday. Ovechkin scored a late empty-net goal to pass Ron Francis for the fifth-most road points in NHL history. Ryan Leonard scored twice for Washington, Aliaksei Protas scored and Tom Wilson continued a six-game point streak with a goal and an assist. Logan Thompson stopped nine shots for the Capitals. Anthony Mantha scored his team-best 32nd goal, while Noel Acciari and Kevin Hayes also scored for Pittsburgh. Arturs Silovs made 25 saves for the Penguins.
April 12, 2026 7:09 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The 100th career matchup between generational stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin never materialized during the Washington Capitals 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. But that didn’t stop the crowd from showing its appreciation for Ovechkin in what could be his final game in Pittsburgh. The Penguins opted to sit Crosby and several other regulars after securing a playoff berth for the first time since the 2021-22 season and home ice advantage throughout the first round. During a television timeout in the second period, the Penguins showed a video tribute honoring Ovechkin and his longstanding rivalry with Crosby.
