WJPA Sports

(AP) – The New England Patriots have released receiver Antonio Brown after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct.   The team announced the move Friday in a statement emailed to reporters.  The statement said: “We appreciate the hard work of many people over the past 11 days, but we feel that it is best to move in a different direction at this time.”   Brown has been accused of rape in a lawsuit by a former trainer. He is also accused of exposing himself to a painter he had hired. He has denied the allegations.   The Patriots signed Brown this month hours after he was released by Oakland. He was traded to the Raiders after wearing out his welcome with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was a four-time All-Pro in nine seasons.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – The Jacksonville Jaguars have their first win of the NFL season after knocking off the Tennessee Titans.  Gardner Minshew completed 20 of 30 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 20-7 victory against the Titans. Minshew found James O’Shaughnessy wide open for a 7-yard TD, one play after Adoree’ Jackson’s muffed punt. Minshew was more precise with a 22-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark, who was blanketed by Malcolm Butler.  The sixth-round draft pick starting his second consecutive game in place of injured quarterback Nick Foles.  Jacksonville sacked Marcus Mariota nine times, including three by Calais Campbell.  Derrick Henry scored the Tennessee’s lone touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but he finished with just 44 yards on 17 carries.  Both teams are 1-2.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says he’s not going to change now that he’s filling in for Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury, opening the door for Rudolph to make the first start of his NFL career when the Steelers visit San Francisco. Rudolph says he’s been preparing as if he’s the starter since the day the Steelers selected him in the 2018 draft and he’s eager to help the Steelers emerge from an early 0-2 hole.

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Shed Long had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the 11th on an unusual inning-ending double play as the Seattle Mariners beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on  Thursday.  The Mariners swept the three-game series between last-place teams and sent the Pirates to their sixth straight loss.  Long reached base on first baseman Jose Osuna’s error to start the  11th and Omar Narvaez singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Austin Nola then hit a chopper to second baseman Kevin Kramer – rather than flip the ball to second, he ran at  Narvaez, who alertly stopped and began to retreat.  Kramer then threw to first, and Narvaez was eventually tagged in a 4-3-6-2 rundown as Long scored. Kramer likely would’ve had no chance to  throw home at the start to get Long.  Long also drove in two runs.  Pittsburgh’s Jake Elmore had three hits and two RBIs.  Brandon Brennan (3-6) pitched one scoreless inning and rookie Erik Swanson worked around a walk in the 11th for his first career save. Clay Holmes (1-2) took the loss, though the winning run was unearned.  Mariners left-handed Yusei Kikuchi lasted four innings in what figures to be his next-to-last start of the season, allowing four runs and eight hits with one strikeout and one walk.  Signed from Japan to a three-year, $43-million contract in the offseason, Kikuchi has made 31 starts and pitched 155 2/3 innings. He is 6-10 with 5.55 ERA.  Pirates starter Joe Musgrove gave up four runs – two earned – and five hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked two.  Seattle tied the score at 5-all in the seventh on Nola’s two-out single after Elmore put Pittsburgh ahead 5-4 in the fifth with an RBI single.  Both teams had four-run second innings.  Long’s two-run single capped the Mariners’ half in which Braden Bishop hit an RBI single and another run scored on shortstop Cole Tucker’s throwing error. The Pirates got run-scoring doubles from Elias Diaz, Elmore and  Musgrove before Kevin Newman capped the inning with an RBI single.  Elmore’s hit snapped a 0-for-19 skid.