WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steeler quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar will get plenty of playing time when the New York Jets visit. Coach Mike McCarthy says Howard will start, with Allar coming on relief while starter Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph get the night off. Howard will start, followed by Allar. Howard and Allar combined to lead Pittsburgh on four touchdown drives in a win over Green Bay. The team hasn’t decided if it will keep four quarterbacks when rosters are trimmed to 53 later this month.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe homered off Detroit closer Kenley Jansen with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Tigers. Rafael Flores Jr. hit a pair of homers for Pittsburgh, including a tying shot off Jansen with one out in the ninth. Lowe followed two batters later with a towering shot to right field that clanged off the foul pole. The homer was the 27th this season for Lowe, the most in club history by a second baseman. Mason Montgomery pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to pick up the win.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pirates ace Paul Skenes is confident he can make a late-season push following the most challenging stretch of his career. The 24-year-old NL Cy Young winner pitched 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 victory over Detroit. His ERA rose to 3.95, more than double his career mark of 1.96. Despite the recent struggles, he’s confident he can fix the issues. His teammates believe it’s just the nature of baseball taking its course and that while Skenes isn’t as dominant as he was during his first two seasons, he remains an effective starter.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt from the New York Yankees. The 34-year-old had been playing for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. Pittsburgh expects Bethancourt to join them in Los Angeles for a three-game set against the Dodgers. Bethancourt has appeared in 427 major league games, hitting .229 with 35 home runs. Pittsburgh is seeking depth at catcher as Endy Rodriguez deals with hip inflammation. Bethancourt, who spent time in the Pirates’ farm system in 2021, hit .270 in the minors for the Cubs and Yankees this season.