December 30, 2025 4:28 am
Pitcher Andrew Heaney says he is retiring after 12 major league seasons. He made his announcement Sunday on social media. A 34-year-old left-hander, Heaney was 56-72 with a 4.57 ERA in 208 starts and 22 relief appearances for Miami, the Los Angeles Angels, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas and Pittsburgh. He was 5-10 with a 5.52 ERA this year in 23 starts and four relief appearances. He was released by the Pirates on August 29, signed with the Dodgers three days later and made one appearance for Los Angeles.
December 30, 2025 4:35 am
Tiger Woods played a game with which hardly anyone could relate. And now he approaches a milestone that makes him like everyone else. Woods turns 50 on Tuesday. This celebration is more about appreciating the past than wondering about the future. Woods has had more surgeries than the 15 majors he won. He is eligible for the 50-and-older PGA Tour Champions without any indication he will play. Woods has played only 11 times since he was badly injured in 2021 car crash in Los Angeles. And this is the first year he didn’t play at all. His impact on the game remains huge.
December 29, 2025 4:26 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Brazeau recorded first NHL hat trick, Bryan Rust scored twice and the Pittsburgh Penguins rolled past the sliding Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 on Sunday night. Anthony Mantha had a goal and assist and Noel Acciari scored for the Penguins. Ryan Shea had three assists, and Arturs Silovs made 21 saves. Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno scored in his return after missing 19 games, and Wyatt Kaiser and Tyler Bertuzzi each had a goal. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight stopped only three of the first seven shots he faced before being relieved by Arvid Soderblom 12:03 into the game. Knight returned for the third period and stopped both shots he faced. Soderblom stopped 12 shots.
December 29, 2025 4:29 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have had multiple chances to clinch the AFC North. They’re down to their final one. Aaron Rodgers was limited to 168 yards passing and failed to lead a scoring drive on six second-half possessions, allowing the Cleveland Browns to top Pittsburgh 13-6. The Steelers could have locked up a playoff berth with a victory over last-place Cleveland or if the Baltimore Ravens had lost to Green Bay on Saturday. The Ravens remained alive with a 41-24 triumph over the Packers. As a result, Pittsburgh will host the Ravens in Week 18 with the division crown and final AFC postseason spot on the line in a winner-take-all matchup.
December 29, 2025 4:31 am
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings with 2:15 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers forced an incomplete pass on the final play from the 2 to beat the Chicago Bears 42-38 and set up a Week 18 showdown for the top seed in the NFC. Caleb Williams drove the Bears down the field in the closing seconds and had one last shot for the win. But Bryce Huff forced him out of the pocket and his throw short-hopped Jahdae Walker in the end zone to seal a sixth straight victory for the 49ers. San Francisco can secure the top seed by beating Seattle on Saturday night.
December 29, 2025 4:30 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen sailed a 2-point conversion attempt wide of open receiver Khalil Shakir in the back of the end zone with 5 seconds remaining, and the Philadelphia Eagles hung on for a 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills. Dallas Goedert caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, Jake Elliott hit field goals of 28 and 47 yards, and the Super Bowl champion Eagles barely avoided squandering a 13-0 fourth-quarter lead. Linebacker Jalyx Hunt had two of Philadelphia’s four sacks. Allen scored on a tush push on fourth-and-goal to pull the Bills within one point with 5 seconds remaining. Buffalo went for 2 and the win but Allen couldn’t connect with Shakir.
December 28, 2025 2:07 pm
NEW YORK (AP) — Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for a career-high 262 yards and two TDs, including a 73-yard strike to Trebor Pena early in the fourth quarter, and Penn State beat Clemson 22-10 in the Pinstripe Bowl. In his seventh start since Penn State lost Drew Allar to an injury, Grunkemeyer completed 23 of 34 passes, setting career bests for completions and attempts. His best throw was to Pena, who caught the ball at the Penn State 44, ran by Clemson safety Ricardo Jones and rumbled untouched down the left side for a 15-3 lead with 12:51 left in the fourth.
December 28, 2025 8:36 am
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — With their backs against the wall, the Baltimore Ravens made sure they wouldn’t underutilize Derrick Henry again. The five-time Pro Bowl running back responded by delivering one of the greatest performances of his brilliant career to keep the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive. Henry rushed for a season-high 216 yards — the most ever by a visiting player at Lambeau Field — and matched a career high with four touchdown runs in the Ravens’ 41-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. “It’s one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. The Ravens (8-8) now must hope the Pittsburgh Steelers lose at Cleveland on Sunday. A Steelers victory in Cleveland would end Baltimore’s playoff hopes. Green Bay (9-6-1) lost its third straight, enabling the Chicago Bears to clinch the NFC North title. The Packers already clinched a playoff berth on Thursday when the Detroit Lions lost 23-10 at Minnesota.
December 28, 2025 8:39 am
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Chaston Ditta threw two second-half touchdown passes, and East Carolina overcame an inadvertent whistle that negated a long touchdown in a 23-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl on Saturday. ECU faced fourth-and-1 from its own 32 in the third quarter when Marlon Gunn Jr. shed a couple of tacklers and went all the way to the end zone. That would have put the Pirates up 17-7, but the play was called back because of a whistle, and Gunn was credited with a 14-yard gain instead. Two plays later, Ditta fumbled on a sack by Pitt’s Rasheem Biles, who recovered the ball and returned it 23 yards to the end zone to give the Panthers a 14-10 lead. The Pirates rebounded quickly when Ditta threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Smith, and ECU led the rest of the way. The Pirates won the Military Bowl for a second straight year after beating N.C. State in 2024.
December 27, 2025 4:50 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Aaron Rodgers doesn’t plan on changing his sleep schedule Saturday night, even though his Pittsburgh Steelers could wrap up a division title without playing. If the Green Bay Packers beat the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers would secure their first AFC North title since 2020, making Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns essentially meaningless. Rodgers says he won’t change his approach even if the Steelers have the division wrapped up. One thing the Browns have to play for is Myles Garrett’s pursuit of the NFL single-season sack record. He needs one sack to beat the mark of 22 1/2 held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
