April 23, 2026 4:35 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Oneil Cruz had the hardest-hit homer in the majors this season, a three-run shot off the top of the right-field foul pole in the ninth inning that powered the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers. The Pirates took a 5-4 lead in the ninth when Nick Gonzales broke for the plate on pinch-hitter Jake Mangum’s one-out chopper to third base off Cole Winn. Josh Jung’s throw home pulled catcher Kyle Higashioka into foul territory, and Higashioka could not make the tag. Cruz followed with his 116.9 mph liner that bounced off the top of the foul pole and into the stands.
April 23, 2026 4:37 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Vientos blooped a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the New York Mets snapped their 12-game losing streak, beating the Minnesota Twins 3-2 after getting one superstar back only to see another exit with a similar injury. Juan Soto went 1 for 3 with a single and a walk in his return from a strained right calf, but shortstop Francisco Lindor was removed with left calf tightness after laboring around the bases while scoring from first on Francisco Alvarez’s go-ahead double in the fourth. Byron Buxton tied it 2-all with a leadoff homer in the sixth against Mets starter Clay Holmes.
April 22, 2026 4:28 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kumar Rocker allowed a run in six innings and Evan Carter drove in the tying run before robbing Oneil Cruz of a three-run homer, leading the Texas Rangers to a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. The Rangers (12-11) moved a game over .500 at the start of a nine-game homestand after playing 16 of their first 22 games on the road. Pittsburgh dropped to 5-5 on the road and 13-10 for the season.
April 22, 2026 4:29 am
Mike Tomlin is going from the glare of an NFL sideline to the glare of television lights. The former Pittsburgh Steelers coach will join NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” coverage as a pregame analyst, two people briefed on the move tell The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NBC has not announced the move. Tomlin stepped down in January after 19 seasons as Steelers coach. NBC had a studio opening as it is retooling its “Football Night in America” pregame show. Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy announced last month that he was told he would not be back after 17 years.
April 22, 2026 4:32 am
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Mike Vrabel said Tuesday that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff and players, following the publication of photos of the Patriots coach and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. The photos were of Vrabel and Russini at a Sedona resort and were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29, according to the New York Post, which published the photos. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, released written statements to the Post after the publication of the story downplaying what the photos depict. But Russini resigned from The Athletic less than a week later after the Post’s report prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.
April 21, 2026 4:35 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dan Vladar stopped 27 shots as the Philadelphia Flyers shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Teenage forward Porter Martone scored for the second straight game for Philadelphia. Garnet Hathaway added a short-handed goal for the Flyers. Luke Glendening chipped in an empty-netter late to seal it. The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3. Stuart Skinner made 20 saves for Pittsburgh but received little help in front of him on a night the Penguins’ power play went 0 for 5.
April 21, 2026 4:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wants to return for a 22nd season. Steelers general manager Omar Khan says the club remains in frequent communication with the four-time MVP, who led Pittsburgh to an AFC North title last season. Rodgers’ status is unlikely to play a significant role in the club’s strategy when the NFL draft descends on the Steel City this week. The Steelers will head into the draft with 12 picks, including the 21st overall selection in the first round.
April 21, 2026 4:40 am
BOSTON (AP) — Defending champion John Korir broke the Boston Marathon course record, riding a tailwind to outrun the fastest field in event history and win in 2 hours, 1 minute, 52 seconds for his second straight victory. The Kenyan broke away from the pack as it headed into Heartbreak Hill in Newton and opened a 40-second lead, peeking behind him as he went through Kenmore Square with a mile to go. Sharon Lokedi joined her fellow Kenyan as a back-to-back champion, winning the women’s race in 2:18:51. Marcel Hug of Switzerland won his ninth wheelchair title in 1:16:06. Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Britain won her second women’s wheelchair title in Boston.
April 20, 2026 4:31 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers silenced doubts about their young roster with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Twenty-four-year-old Jamie Drysdale scored in the second period while 19-year-old Porter Martone secured the game winner late in the third. The Flyers showed no signs of being intimidated by Pittsburgh’s veteran roster. Philadelphia held the Penguins to 17 shots and controlled the pace of play for long stretches. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet says he’s encouraged by the poise his young roster showed but stressed that it was just one game.
April 20, 2026 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Reynolds drove in three runs, Mitch Keller pitched seven strong innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3. Reynolds’ two-run single to left field capped a three-run fifth and put the Pirates ahead 4-2. The hit came after Nick Gonzales’ tying single drove in Joey Bart, who hit a leadoff double. Keller allowed two runs — on Hunter Feduccia’s single in the fifth — and five hits while striking out five.
