May 20, 2025 4:26 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bailey Falter gave up four hits and had five strikeouts through seven innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates ended a four-game losing streak with a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Falter (3-3) has surrendered one run in 23 2/3 innings over his past four starts, including none in 16 2/3 in his past three. David Bednar pitched the ninth for his fourth save. Bryan Reynolds lined an RBI single into right to put the Pirates ahead in the sixth. Cincinnati’s Nick Martinez (2-5), who faced two batters over the minimum through the first five innings, allowed one runon four hits and two walks.
May 21, 2025 4:27 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored two tone-setting first-period goals while Sergei Bobrovsky remained strong in net as the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in Tuesday night’s opener of their Eastern Conference final series. A.J. Greer added a goal by finishing off a perfect 2-on-1 transition chance in the second period for Florida. Sam Bennett and Eetu Luostarinen scored in the third period. Sebastian Aho and Jackson Blake scored Carolina’s lone goals in the opener of a series that is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern final. Game 2 is Thursday night at Carolina.
May 21, 2025 4:28 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist, had nine assists. He made 8 of 14 field goals after halftime. Julius Randle scored 28 points for Minnesota, but just eight in the second half. Anthony Edwards, who had been averaging 26.5 points per game in the playoffs, was held to 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Oklahoma City was just two days removed from eliminating Denver in Game 7 of the conference semifinals. Minnesota hadn’t played in a week.
May 19, 2025 12:01 am
Canon-McMillan and Peters Township baseball, Bentworth, Chartiers-Houston and all three remaining Greene County softball teams won WPIAL quarterfinal games on Monday. The baseball winners come right back in semifinals on Tuesday, softball winners will play their semifinals on Wednesday. Tuesday’s previously scheduled action includes baseball quarterfinals for Avella, Burgettstown and the three remaining Greene County boys teams, plus a Canon-McMillan softball semifinal. State tournament spots were clinched by Peters Township baseball, Bentworth and Chartiers-Houston softball. The Greene County softball teams need one more win to secure their PIAA tickets. Canon-McMillan baseball and softball must win the WPIAL to qualify as only the champion advances. WPIAL Softball Brackets WPIAL Baseball Brackets
We have FOUR games on our broadcast schedule Wednesday, starting at 2:45 pm with the softball semifinals from Montour. Both of those games will be on WJPA-AM and online + NFHS video (subscription required). The Burgettstown baseball game will feature online audio. The Canon-McMillan baseball game will have online audio & NFHS video.
Tuesday, May 20
Softball Semifinals (winner to WPIAL Finals, May 28-29)
5A #3 West Allegheny vs. #2 Shaler, 2:45 pm at Montour, WJPA-AM (1450) + NFHS video Watch/Listen Here
6A #4 Canon-McMillan vs. #1 Hempfield, 4:45 pm at Montour, WJPA-AM (1450) + NFHS video Watch/Listen Here
Baseball Quarterfinals (winners to WPIAL semifinals Wednesday)
1A #10 Avella vs. #2 Eden Christian, 4 pm at Burkett Complex (Robinson Twp.)
1A #8 Jeff-Morgan vs. #1 Serra Catholic, 4 pm at Joe Maize Field (Peters Twp.)
2A #3 Burgettstown vs. #6 Riverview, 4:15 pm at North Allegheny, WJPA.com (audio only) Listen Here
3A #4 Waynesburg vs. #5 South Park, 7 pm at Joe Maize Field (Peters Twp.)
1A #6 Carmichaels vs. #3 Leechburg, 7 pm at West Mifflin
Baseball Semifinals (winner to WPIAL Finals, May 27-28)
6A #2 Canon-McMillan vs. #3 Seneca Valley, 4:00 pm at Boyce-Mayview, WJPA.com (audio) + NFHS video Watch/Listen Here
5A #7 Peters Township vs. #3 Shaler, 7 pm at Plum
Monday, May 19
Softball Quarterfinals (winners to WPIAL semifinals Wednesday)
3A #3 Ellwood City > #6 McGuffey, 8-0
2A #12 Bentworth > #13 Shenango, 3-1 (will play #1 Neshannock, 7 pm at North Allegheny)
2A #2 Chartiers-Houston > #7 Seton-La Salle, 6-1 (will play #11 Riverside, 5 pm at North Allegheny)
1A #2 Carmichaels > #7 Serra Catholic, 9-0 (will play #3 West Greene, 6 pm at Pleasant Valley Elementary, Peters Township)
1A #5 Jeff-Morgan > #4 Sewickley Academy, 5-0 (will play #1 Union, 3 pm at North Allegheny)
1A #3 West Greene > #6 South Side, 7-6, 8 innings (will play #2 Carmichaels, 6 pm at Pleasant Valley Elementary, Peters Township
Baseball Quarterfinals (winner to WPIAL semifinals Tuesday)
6A #2 Canon-McMillan > #7 North Hills, 3-0
5A #7 Peters Township > #15 Mars Area, 7-6, 10 innings
4A #3 Elizabeth-Forward > #11 Ringgold, 8-5
May 20, 2025 4:34 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Austin Hays had three hits and two RBIs, and scored the go-ahead run as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-1 for their fifth consecutive victory. Gavin Lux hit two doubles, his second scoring Hays in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Hays singled with two outs, continued to second on shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s throwing error and then scored on Lux’s line drive to left field. TJ Friedl also had three of the Reds’ 11 hits and Elly De La Cruz had two hits and two RBIs. Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (4-4) allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
May 20, 2025 4:34 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gene Lamont hadn’t been in uniform since 2017, his last year as the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach. And it had been 25 years since he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now 78, he wasn’t necessarily looking to return to a big league dugout. But he couldn’t resist when Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly called last week and asked him to join the Pirates’ coaching staff. Lamont’s first game back was Monday night when the Pirates hosted the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series. Lamont returns to the Pirates for the first time since they fired him as manager at the end of the 2000 season.
May 20, 2025 4:36 am
The fate of the tush push will be up for discussion again along with the NFL’s history of giving division champions with mediocre records home field in the playoffs. There will be a new topic as well when NFL owners gather Tuesday and Wednesday at the headquarters of the Minnesota Vikings. The league has proposed allowing its players to participate in flag football when the sport makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. Owners were set to vote on Philadelphia’s famous tush push last month, but tabled the issue. The league also is discussing using records for playoff seeding rather than guaranteeing higher seeds for division champions.
May 19, 2025 3:25 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mick Abel outdueled Paul Skenes to win his major league debut, striking out nine over six innings to lead Philadelphia over the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 for a three-game sweep and the Phillies’ 15th win in 20 games. Brandon Marsh grounded into a run-scoring forceout in the fifth against Skenes (3-5), who pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk in his first complete game in 33 big league starts. Skenes is 0-3 in his last four starts despite a 2.52 ERA in that span, and his 2.44 ERA this season is fifth among NL pitchers.
May 19, 2025 3:22 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Jared Jones will be re-examined after a setback in his recovery from a strained ligament in his right elbow. Jones, 23, had been on a throwing program while making his way back from an elbow strain he sustained in mid-March. The Pirates said the initial exam of Jones showed that his elbow was stable and the club opted to shut him down for six weeks. Jones began throwing by playing catch in late April, with the potential to return to the mound after the All-Star break. Instead, there’s a chance he could miss the entire 2025 season.
May 18, 2025 5:51 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched six shutout innings, Bryson Stott homered and drove in three runs, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2. Stott launched his fourth homer of the season off starter Carmen Mlodzinski in the third and knocked in two runs an inning later with an opposite-field single. Wheeler posted another strong outing, allowing three hits and a walk. It was his second consecutive scoreless start, and he’s gone 16 innings without giving up a run. Bryce Harper had two hits and an RBI. Harper has reached base 11 times in his last 17 plate appearances, logging seven hits and four walks. Kyle Schwarber added an RBI double for the Phillies, who have won 14 of 19.
