October 23, 2024 4:33 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fernando Valenzuela, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching ace who inspired “Fernandomania” in the early 1980s, has died. He was 63. The Mexican-born phenom won the National League Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981, when he helped the Dodgers win the World Series. His death comes as the Dodgers are preparing to open the World Series on Friday night at home against the New York Yankees. Valenzuela had left his job on the Dodgers’ Spanish-language television broadcast in September without explanation. He was reported to have been hospitalized earlier this month. He was one of the most dominant players of his era and a wildly popular sports figure in the 1980s.
October 23, 2024 4:34 am
Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball has sold at auction for nearly $4.4 million, a record high price not just for a baseball, but for any ball in any sport. Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season, reaching the milestone on Sept. 19 when the Los Angeles Dodgers star hit his second of three homers against the Marlins. The auctioneer in a statement Wednesday said bids came in from around the world. No information about the winning bidder was disclosed. The auction has been overshadowed by the litigation over ownership of the ball.
October 23, 2024 4:35 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father and son to play in the NBA together when they checked into the game together in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener. LeBron James is the 39-year-old top scorer in NBA history, while his 20-year-old namesake son was a second-round pick by the Lakers last summer. They are the first father and son to play in the world’s top basketball league at the same time, let alone on the same team. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were in attendance at the Lakers’ downtown arena to witness the same history they made in baseball.
October 21, 2024 12:01 am
WPIAL Soccer (click for brackets)
BOYS 4A 3A 2A 1A
GIRLS 4A 3A 2A 1A
The WPIAL Soccer playoffs continue with first round matches through Tuesday. Opening-round wins by Bentworth boys and Canon-McMillan girls have them in the quarterfinals along with Peters Township boys & girls who had first-round byes.
Monday, Oct. 21, First Round
Boys 2A #12 Seton-La Salle > #5 Charleroi, 3-2
Boys 2A #1 South Park > #16 Waynesburg, 6-0
Girls 4A #6 Canon-McMillan > #11 Hempfield, 11-0
Tuesday, Oct. 22, First Round
Girls 1A #10 Riverview at #7 Waynesburg, 6:00 pm
Boys 2A #15 McGuffey at #2 Avonworth, 6:00 pm (moved from Monday)
Boys 4A #9 Gateway at #8 Canon-McMillan, 6:30 pm
Girls 2A #16 McGuffey at #1 Mt. Pleasant, 6:30 pm
Girls 1A #3 Bentworth vs. #14 Our Lady/Sacred Heart, 8:00 pm at Waynesburg
Girls 1A #11 Chartiers-Houston vs. #6 Winchester Thurston, 8:00 pm at Avonworth (location/time change)
Wednesday, Oct. 23, Quarterfinals
Boys 1A #1 Bentworth vs. #9 Trinity Christian, 8:00 pm at Peters Township
Thursday, Oct. 24, Quarterfinals
Girls 4A #6 Canon-McMillan at #3 Penn-Trafford, 7:00 pm
Girls 4A #8 Pine-Richland at #1 Peters Township, 7:30 pm
Saturday, Oct. 26, Quarterfinals
Boys 4A Seneca Valley/Mt. Lebanon winner at #2 Peters Township, time to be determined
WPIAL Girls Volleyball (click for brackets)
4A 3A 2A 1A
The WPIAL Girls Volleyball playoffs get underway Monday with 11 Washington/Greene County teams included. Canon-McMillan is seeded second in the 4A bracket and received a first-round bye while Carmichaels is #5 in the 1A bracket. Peters Township (4A) and Waynesburg (2A) both are slotted sixth.
Monday, Oct. 21, Preliminaries
2A #14 McGuffey > #19 Bentworth, 3-0
Tuesday, Oct. 22, First Round (all 7:00 pm)
4A #11 Kiski Area at #6 Peters Township
1A #9 Beth-Center at #8 Serra Catholic
1A #12 California at #5 Carmichaels
1A #14 West Greene at #3 Greensburg Central Catholic
Wednesday, Oct. 23, First Round (all 7:00 pm)
3A #11 Ringgold at #6 Freeport
2A #11 Avonworth at #6 Waynesburg
2A #14 McGuffey at #3 Hopewell
Thursday, Oct. 24, Quarterfinals
4A #7 Pine-Richland/#10 Hempfield winner at #2 Canon-McMillan, time to be announced
October 22, 2024 4:34 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for 281 yards and five touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens overcome an early double-digit deficit and extend their winning streak to five games with a 41-31 victory Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs lost their top two receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, to injuries. Jackson improved to 23-1 against NFC teams, the best mark by a quarterback against an opposing conference in NFL history. He’s 3-0 against the Bucs, who faded after taking a 10-0 lead. Godwin suffered an ankle injury that appeared to be severe in the final minutes with the game out of reach.
October 22, 2024 4:35 am
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray ran for a 44-yard touchdown and led the Cardinals on a drive that set up Chad Ryland’s 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Arizona rallied for a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals for the Chargers, and his 40-yarder gave the Chargers a 15-14 lead with 1:54 left. But the Cardinals quickly moved into field goal range, aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty. James Conner’s 33-yard run eventually set up Ryland’s short field goal. The Chargers gained 395 yards but couldn’t find the end zone.
October 22, 2024 4:31 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year. Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. His collapse triggered some Browns fans to cheer as he laid on the ground. The team says an MRI confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and that he is expected to make a full recovery. It’s his second significant injury in two seasons. He broke a bone in his throwing shoulder last year. The Browns signed Watson to a $230 million contract in 2022 as he dealt with accusations of sexual assault brought by two dozen women in Texas.
October 22, 2024 4:37 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could return this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals after medical experts cleared him to return to practice following his latest concussion. Coach Mike McDaniel says Tagovailoa will practice on Wednesday, and if that goes well, the plan is for him to start at home on Sunday. Tagovailoa got hurt in a Week 2 game against Buffalo when he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.
October 21, 2024 4:39 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score in his Pittsburgh debut to lead the Steelers to a 37-15 win over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. The 35-year-old Wilson, who spent the first six weeks watching from the sideline while recovering from a calf injury, completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards as Pittsburgh won its second straight. Rodgers threw for 276 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Davante Adams has three receptions for 30 yards in his Jets debut. The Steelers are 5-2. The Jets dropped to 2-5.
October 21, 2024 4:45 am
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton scored a pair of quick third-period goals to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 to remain the only unbeaten NHL team. The victory extended Winnipeg’s franchise-record, season-opening win streak to five games. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter scored for Winnipeg. The game was tied at 3 in the third period before the Jets scored three consecutive goals to win. Both teams had backup goaltenders starting for the first time.
