July 26, 2023 3:47 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s term was extended until 2029 on Wednesday by major league owners. The decision to give Manfred a third term in charge of the sport was made during a vote at an in-person meeting in Washington, D.C. The extension keeps Manfred in place until Jan. 25, 2029. Manfred, 64, succeeded Bud Selig in January 2015 and was given a five-year term. Owners voted in November 2018 to offer Manfred a new deal through the 2024 season. Manfred has overseen a period of on-field change for the sport, including instituting a pitch clock and limits on defensive shifts this season. Game times have dropped by about a half-hour and offense by left-handed batters has increased.
July 26, 2023 4:36 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Gary Sánchez homered to help the San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1 on Tuesday night. Blake Snell (7-8) limited the Pirates to two hits and one run in six innings. Steven Wilson, Robert Suarez and Josh Hader pitched three innings of one-hit relief. Pirates starter Rich Hill (7-10) allowed seven hits and two runs in 4 1/3 innings.
July 26, 2023 6:54 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially signed Joey Porter Jr. to his rookie contract. Porter was one of the last unsigned players from the 2023 NFL Draft class, waiting until less than 24 hours before his report date to St. Vincent College before the deal got done. Porter was the No. 32 overall pick, the first pick in the second round after the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-rounder.
July 26, 2023 4:39 am
Justin Herbert is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback by annual salary, agreeing to a five-year, $262.5 million extension with the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday. Herbert’s total value and $52.5 million average per season surpasses the $260 million, five-year extension Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson signed three months ago. Herbert is getting $218.7 million guaranteed, according to a person close to the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Chargers didn’t release the financial details. The Chargers are set to have their first training camp practice on Wednesday.
July 26, 2023 4:37 am
Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is hospitalized in stable condition a day after going into cardiac arrest while participating in a basketball practice at the University of Southern California. A family spokesman said USC medical staff treated the 18-year-old James on Monday at Galen Center after he went into cardiac arrest and he was transported to a hospital. The spokesman said James was in stable condition Tuesday after leaving the intensive care unit. James was one of the nation’s top high school prospects and is an incoming freshman with the Trojans.
July 25, 2023 4:36 am
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Carlos Santana hit a pair of two-run homers and the Pittsburgh Pirates went deep four times in an 8-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night. Liover Peguero also hit a two-run home run and Jack Suwinksi added a solo shot as the Pirates tagged Padres starter Yu Darvish four times. San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim slugged a pair of homers in the loss. Pirate starter Quinn Priester (1-1) earned his first victory in his second big league start. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed four runs and four hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out four.
July 25, 2023 4:40 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie quarterbacks C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans and Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts have both agreed to fully guaranteed four-year contracts. A person familiar with Stroud’s $36 million deal confirmed the contract to The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft, agreed to a $34 million contract. Both are expected to compete for starting jobs and eventually turn their struggling franchises around.
July 25, 2023 4:39 am
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States meets the Netherlands on Thursday in Wellington at the Women’s World Cup. The game is a rematch of the World Cup final four years ago in France, which the Americans won 2-0 for the team’s second straight title in soccer’s biggest tournament. Thursday’s match is the second for both teams in group play. Both come into the game with a Group E win in hand, so the results are important for positioning in the knockout stage. The Dutch have defeated the Americans just once in 10 matches, back in 1991 in their first-ever meeting.
July 24, 2023 4:44 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit his major league-leading 36th homer in the two-way superstar’s final home game before the trade deadline, and the Los Angeles Angels wrapped up a strong homestand with a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ohtani drilled a low line drive to center field in the first inning, giving him 24 homers in his last 45 games. Fans still left Angel Stadium not knowing whether they’ll ever see Ohtani in the home uniform again, although the Halos’ success decreases the odds of a trade. Bryan Reynolds homered for the Pirates, who have lost seven of nine.
July 24, 2023 4:48 am
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb was one of several NFL running backs to take part in a Zoom call on Saturday night to discuss the current trend of their position being underpaid and devalued by some teams. Chubb is under contract through next season, but said he has already contemplated his future in a market increasingly becoming less friendly to running backs. Chubb was on the call with Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and others. Barkley has threatened to sit out training camp in protest after he couldn’t come to terms on a long-term contract last week.
