WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft pitched six strong innings, batterymate Endy Roriguez drove in three runs and Ryan O’Hearn had three hits to help the Pittsburgh Pirates rout the Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Wednesday night. Ashcraft (7-3) had 10 strikeouts and no walks while allowing one run and five hits. He became the first Pirates pitcher to have at least two starts in the same season with at least 10 strikeouts and zero walks since at least 1901. Rodriguez’s two-run double opened the scoring in a five-run fourth inning against Bryan Woo (6-6) as the Pirates went ahead 5-1. Rodriguez also singled in a run in a four-run seventh that pushed the lead to 9-1. Carmen Mlodzinski pitched four scoreless innings for his second save.

The NHL has cleared the Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospective buyer.  U.S.-based Hoffmann Family Companies announced this week that it had received unanimous approval from the NHL Board of Governors to acquire the team.  In a release, the company said the transaction is expected to close “imminently.” Financial terms were not disclosed.  George Hoffmann will serve as the team’s governor, alongside alternate governors Greg Hoffmann, CEO of the HF Companies’ real estate arm; Kyle Dubas, Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations; and David Hoffmann, founder and chairman of HF Companies.  HF Companies would take ownership from Fenway Sports Group, which purchased the Penguins in 2021 for $900 million from Ron Burkle and Lemieux.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark left the Indiana Fever’s loss to Phoenix with a back injury in the third quarter. The All-Star guard has been dealing with a back issue this season and left with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter. She went back to the locker room and didn’t return. Clark appeared to tweak her back in the second quarter when she was fouled shooting a 3-pointer in the second quarter. She fell to the ground and was rubbing her back as she stood up. In the first quarter she went back to the tunnel and returned to the bench wearing a wrap around her back. She finished the game with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.