July 9, 2024 2:20 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mitch Keller pitched eight innings for his 10th win of the season and Joshua Palacios’ home run capped a five-run sixth inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Mets 8-2. Keller allowed two runs and seven hits in a 107-pitch outing while striking out six and walking none. He is the first Pirates pitcher to have double-digit victories before the All-Star break since Gerrit Cole in 2015 and Pittsburgh earned a split of the four-game series. Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz and New York’s Brandon Nimmo each hit two-run home runs.
July 9, 2024 2:50 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Cam Sutton for the first eight games of the 2024 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. The suspension stems from Sutton’s involvement in an alleged domestic violence dispute in Florida in March. Sutton eventually surrendered to authorities and entered a pretrial diversion program in April after the charges were reduced from a felony to misdemeanor battery. His agreement with prosecutors required Sutton to take a mental health evaluation. The NFL did its own investigation into the incident, leading to the suspension. Sutton will be eligible to apply for reinstatement on Oct. 29.
July 9, 2024 4:29 am
Keegan Bradley is the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2025 matches at Bethpage Black. The PGA of America made the surprise announcement on Monday. It follows months of negotiations with Tiger Woods. That was the first choice. Woods was trying to decide if he had time to fulfill all the duties. Bradley will be one of the most inexperienced captains when the Americans try to win back the cup from Europe. He has played on only two Ryder Cup teams and both ended in losses. He last played in 2014 in Scotland. Bradley has never been an assistant.
July 9, 2024 4:30 am
LONDON (AP) — Maybe the Centre Court spectators were saluting Novak Djokovic’s opponent by saying his name. Maybe they were booing Djokovic, trying to rattle him. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was sure it was the latter — and he let everyone know he was not happy about it. Djokovic easily beat 15th-seeded Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just over two hours Monday night to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, then made sure to get a message across to those fans he thought were against him. Rune’s supporters at various tournaments often will stretch out his last name, saying, “Ruuuuuune!” — which sounds rather similar to “Boooooo!” — and that happened again Monday.
July 8, 2024 4:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Paul Skenes’ first All-Star selection was as speedy as his fastball. Just eight weeks after his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 22-year-old right-hander was selected by Major League Baseball for the National League roster in the July 16 game at Arlington, Texas. Skenes’ final outing before the All-Star break is likely to be midweek, so he could be a possibility to start for the NL. He made his first big league start on May 11 and is 5-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts and 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. Outfielder Bryan Reynolds was also named to the squad. It will be his second All Star Game appearance.
July 7, 2024 4:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning against Aroldis Chapman for his third hit of the game, rallying the New York Mets to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nick Gonzales hit a two-run single in the eighth off Edwin Díaz to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead, but the Mets rebounded and again reached .500 at 44-44. Chapman walked Francisco Alvarez leading off the ninth and gave up Harrison Bader’s single. Chapman threw called third strikes past Mark Vientos and Luis Torrens, threw a wild pitch and walked Jose Iglesias before Lindor’s hit.
July 8, 2024 4:44 am
Pete Alonso will participate in his fifth straight Home Run Derby, with the New York Mets first baseman trying to win for the third time. Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm also have committed to the July 15 event at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Ken Griffey Jr. is the only three-time champion of the derby, which started in 1985, winning in 1994, 1998 and 1999. Alonso won the competition in 2019 as a rookie of Cleveland’s Progressive Field, then repeated in 2021 at Denver’s Coors Field.
July 8, 2024 4:43 am
SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Davis Thompson is a PGA Tour winner and it wasn’t even close. Thompson opened with five birdies in six holes to pull away. He shot a 64 and set the 72-hole scoring record at the John Deere Classic at 28-under 256, winning by four strokes. The victory gets him in the British Open in two weeks. The Georgia native also goes to the Masters for the first time next April. The real battle was for second place. C.T. Pan tied for second with Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton and Stanford alum Michael Thorbjornsen. Pan gets the British Open spot based on his world ranking.
July 7, 2024 7:21 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Luis Torrens had three hits, including a three-run double, and Edwin Diaz got the save after his 10-game suspension ended earlier in the day as the New York Mets defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 on Saturday. Torrens hit his double in the third inning to the deepest part of the park at the 410-foot sign in left-center to break a scoreless tie. The catcher also singled twice as the Mets snapped a three-game losing streak. Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 12 opportunities. Diaz was suspended by Major League Baseball after being ejected from a game against the Chicago Cubs on June 23 for having a foreign substance on his pitching hand.
July 7, 2024 7:40 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark posted the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history to rally Indiana to an 83-78 victory over New York on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, snapping the Fever’s nine-game losing streak to the Liberty. Clark finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for Indiana (9-13). Aliyah Boston finshed with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and had eight rebounds for the Fever. Sabrina Ionescu scored 22 to lead New York, which had won five straight games. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 20 points, Clark, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, was one rebound shy of a triple-double two games ago in an 88-82 road victory over the Phoenix Mercury.
