December 7, 2022 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sidney Crosby scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Bryan Rust and Teddy Blueger also scored for Pittsburgh, which has won three straight. Crosby and Rust scored 47 seconds apart in the second period as the Penguins turned a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead. Tristan Jarry made 38 saves for Pittsburgh. Johnny Gaudreau scored his ninth goal of the season for Columbus, but the Blue Jackets lost to the Penguins for the 12th straight time in Pittsburgh.
December 7, 2022 4:06 am
SAN DIEGO — For the first time in league history, Major League Baseball conducted a draft lottery, which came live from the Winter Meetings in San Diego on Tuesday night. It was all good news for Pittsburgh as the Pirates landed the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The Pirates entered the lottery tied with the Oakland A’s and Washington Nationals for the best odds (16.5%) at securing the first overall pick. It marks the second time in the last three years that the Pirates hold the top pick in the draft. The club selected catcher Henry Davis.
December 7, 2022 3:47 am
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) – The Los Angeles Rams have claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers. The Rams made the move Tuesday to add Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft by Cleveland. Mayfield was released by the Panthers on Monday at his request after seven disappointing games with Carolina. The Rams need quarterback help. Matthew Stafford is almost certainly out for the season with a bruised spinal cord, and backups John Wolford and Bryce Perkins have been fairly ineffective while playing three of the past four games.
December 7, 2022 3:47 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk fired general manager Jon Robinson in the midst of his seventh season with the Titans off to a 7-5 start. The Titans announced Strunk’s decision in a statement. The Titans plan to start searching for a new general manager soon with a full search at the end of the season. Strunk said she thinks the Titans have made “significant progress” but she believes “there is more to be done and higher aspirations to be met.” The Titans were routed in Philadelphia in a loss featuring a big performance by the wide receiver Robinson traded to the Eagles during the first round of the NFL draft in A.J. Brown.
December 6, 2022 3:46 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Tom Brady threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final three minutes Monday night, helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rally from a 13-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 17-16 and tighten their grip on first place in the weak NFC South. The seven-time Super Bowl champion tossed a one-yard TD pass to rookie Cade Otton, finishing a 91-yard drive to pull within 16-10 with exactly three minutes remaining. He got the ball back with 2:29 to go, then won it with a 6-yard throw to another rookie, Rachaad White, with three seconds left.
December 6, 2022 3:49 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The Philadelphia Phillies have landed Trea Turner, agreeing to a $300 million, 11-year contract with the dynamic shortstop. The deal includes a no-trade clause, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no immediate announcement. Turner joins a Philadelphia team that made it to the World Series this year before losing to the Houston Astros. He also reunites with slugger Bryce Harper after the two played together with the Washington Nationals from 2015-18.
December 6, 2022 3:49 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) – A person familiar with the negotiations says Justin Verlander has agreed to an $86.7 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets. The deal reunites the AL Cy Young Award winner with Max Scherzer and gives the Mets a high-profile replacement for Jacob deGrom. The deal includes a vesting third-year option, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no announcement. Verlander leaves World Series champion Houston to step in for deGrom, who agreed to a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas last week. It also puts Verlander on the same team as Scherzer after they played together with the Tigers from 2010-14. Verlander turns 40 in February.
December 6, 2022 3:50 am
Quarterbacks Stetson Bennett of Georgia, Max Duggan of TCU, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Caleb Williams of Southern California are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy. The award given to the outstanding player in college football is determined by a vote of more than 900 sports journalists and past winners. It will be presented Saturday night at the Lincoln Center in New York. Williams and Stroud also are finalists for the Maxwell Award as the top performer in the college game. Williams, Stroud and Duggan also are up for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.
December 5, 2022 3:54 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Kenny Pickett tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Connor Heyward, Matthew Wright kicked four field goals and the Pittsburgh Steelers made it two wins in a row for the first time this season. They held off the Falcons 19-16 before thousands of towel-waving fans in Atlanta. Coming off a Monday night victory at Indianapolis, the 5-7 Steelers finally put together a winning streak in what has been a tough rebuilding year in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Atlanta squandered an opportunity near the goal line for the second week in a row. This time, a holding penalty wiped out a potential game-winning touchdown.
December 5, 2022 3:58 am
BALTIMORE (AP) – Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is not expected to miss significant time after injuring his knee in a 10-9 win over Denver. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said Jackson may not return in time for next week’s game against Pittsburgh, but he shouldn’t be far off. Backup Tyler Huntley appears far more comfortable in his role as stand-in for the 2019 NFL MVP after guiding Baltimore to a win against the Broncos. Jackson missed the final four games of the 2021 season with an ankle injury, and Baltimore lost every one of them.
