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.
April 20, 2026 4:33 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick is a playoff winner at Harbour Town again with a familiar ending against an American favorite. This time it was the world’s best player he took down at the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick made a 13-foot birdie putt to beat Scottie Scheffler after hitting 4-iron to the tough 18th on the first extra hole. It was similar to when he hit 9-iron to inches away to beat Jordan Spieth three years ago. Scheffler shot 67 to make up a three-shot deficit over the last four holes. Fitzpatrick shot 70 after his only bogey on the 18th hole in regulation.
April 20, 2026 12:01 am
In a little over two weeks, the WPIAL Softball & Baseball regular seasons will be over with playoff pairings due late the week of May 4. The top four teams in each section quality in each class except for 6A softball where the top six teams will enter the playoffs. All softball sections involving teams from Washington/Greene Counties end section play by May 2. Most baseball teams play their final section games May 5. We’ll open our Stretch Drive coverage with a pair of games Monday: Bentworth at Wash High softball at 2:45 pm, South Fayette at Trinity baseball at 6:45 pm. Both games will be live on WJPA-AM (1450) and online Watch/Listen Here! Following is a rundown of playoff races for teams from the two-county area (section records).
Softball
6A Canon-McMillan (4-6) has lost 6 straight but currently hold the final playoff spot. The Big Macs have a game with last place Butler, then play three of the top four teams in the section.
5A Trinity (6-3) has clinched a playoff spot. Peters Township (4-7) has one game left. The Indians must beat Connellsville (4-5) Wednesday and see the Falcons lose one other game to qualify.
4A Ringgold (0-10) can not qualify.
3A McGuffey (5-2) has clinched with three games left. Charleroi (2-5) sits in fourth place and clinches with any win. The Cougars play first place South Park, then twice against winless East Allegheny.
2A-Sect. 3 Chartiers-Houston (7-0), Burgettstown (6-2) have both clinched. Fort Cherry (1-7) can not qualify.
2A-Sect. 4 Bentworth (5-0) is in first place, followed by Wash High (5-2). The two play Monday on WJPA-AM (3:45 pm). The winner clinches a playoff spot. Waynesburg (3-4) is currently a half-game back of Frazier for the final playoff spot. The two play Monday in Perryopolis. California (0-8) can not qualify.
1A Jeff-Morgan (7-1), Carmichaels (6-1), West Greene (6-2), Beth-Center (3-5) have all clinched playoff spots. Mapletown (1-8) and Avella (0-6) can not qualify.
Baseball
6A Canon-McMillan (7-2) has clinched a playoff spot and can wrap up at least a share of the section title with two wins against Hempfield this week.
5A Peters Township (3-3), Trinity (2-4) are part of a 5-team logjam separated by 2 games. Peters has two-game series with Upper St. Clair (2-4), Trinity and South Fayette (6-2). The Hillers take on section leader South Fayette Monday (WJPA-AM 6:4 5pm) & Tuesday, then play Peters Township and Moon Area (4-2), likely needing to win at least 4 of their last 6 games.
4A Ringgold (3-5) sits in 4th place at the moment and has series with Uniontown and Laurel Highlands, both 2-4. The Rams are one game up on both, having split with Belle Vernon (6-2) while the Red Raiders and Mustangs were swept by the Leopards.
3A Charleroi (4-4), Wash High (3-3) and Waynesburg (3-3) are tied for second. McGuffey (2-4) is a game back of the tie. Wash High takes on first-place Seton-La Salle (7-1) while Waynesburg & McGuffey play their two-game set this week. The Little Prexies and Highlanders meet next week. Charleroi is off this week, then closes with two-game sets against Brownsville (3-5) and Waynesburg.
2A Fort Cherry and California are both 6-0 and meet next week. The Rangers play third-place Chartiers-Houston (5-2) this week while the Trojans take on Frazier (2-3). Burgettstown (2-4) is a game outside the playoff picture and will play Frazier next week after taking on Bentworth (1-7) twice this week. Beth-Center (1-7) is off this week before facing Bentworth and Frazier to close the season.
1A Avella (7-1) needs just one win to clinch a playoff spot. The Eagles are a game back of first place Greensburg Central Catholic (5-0). The two play their two-game set this week, then the Centurions play a make-up game with third-place Carmichaels (4-3). The Mikes and Avella play next week. Jeff-Morgan (4-4) plays winless Mapletown this week while West Greene (2-4) takes on Jeannette (1-5). J-M swept West Greene and holds the tie-breaker for the final playoff spot at the moment.
April 19, 2026 7:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers opened the playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rookie forward Porter Martone and defenseman Jamie Drysdale also scored for the Flyers as Philadelphia won its first postseason game since 2020. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins but Pittsburgh struggled to sustain pressure against Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar, who stopped 14 shots to pick up the first playoff win of his six-year career. Game 2 is in Pittsburgh on Monday.
April 19, 2026 7:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cedric Mullins led off the 13th inning with a two-run home run and the Tampa Bay Rays outlasted the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 on a rainy Saturday. Mullins’ blast to right field off Yohan Ramirez scored automatic runner Jonny DeLuca. Mullins entered the day hitting just .129 after signing with Tampa Bay in the offseason as a free agent. Griffin Jax (1-2) pitched a scoreless 12th. Yoendrys Gomez allowed a run-scoring single to rookie Konnor Griffin in the bottom of the 13th, then struck out Joey Bart with runners on second and third to end it. The first pitch was moved up 30 minutes in hopes that the teams could beat the rain. However, play was stopped for 2 hours, 27 minutes, with Pittsburgh up 4-0.
April 19, 2026 7:50 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Matt Fitzpatrick had a slow start that let Scottie Scheffler back into the mix at the RBC Heritage. But Fitzpatrick rallied late with two shots from off the green. One dropped for birdie, the other for eagle and he wound up with a 68. That gives him a three-shot lead over Scheffler. The world’s No. 1 player closed ground quickly with five birdies in his opening six holes. He birdied two of the last three holes for a 64. Brian Harman had a 63 and was in the group of players four shots behind at Harbour Town Golf Links.
April 19, 2026 7:53 am
The NFL is not investigating Mike Vrabel’s behavior after published photos of the New England Patriots coach and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort prompted her resignation and an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday the league isn’t looking into the matter. The Patriots didn’t immediately respond to a question about whether the team has launched its own review of Vrabel’s actions. The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29
April 18, 2026 5:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Oneil Cruz hit a two-run home run, Brandon Lowe went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Tampa Bay 5-1 to snap the Ray’s six-game win streak. Bubba Chandler (1-1) allowed a run and three hits over six innings. Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Horwitz each had three hits. Rays starter Nick Martinez (0-1), who went winless with a 2.41 ERA in his first four starts this season, gave up two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Chandler Simpson singled with two out, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Bubba Chandler and scored the Rays’ only run when Junior Camerino singled.
April 18, 2026 4:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The longstanding rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers will receive a jolt when the two clubs meet in the opening round of the playoffs. The Penguins are returning to the postseason after a three-year absence, while the Flyers are back for the first time since 2020. Pittsburgh has won three of the four playoff series between the clubs since captain Sidney Crosby arrived in 2005. The Penguins are still choosing between goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner while the red-hot Flyers are hoping a lack of playoff experience isn’t a problem as they try to advance beyond the first round for just the second time since 2012.
April 18, 2026 5:13 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The family of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale of the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Padres aren’t commenting publicly on the process. The Wall Street Journal first reported the progress of a deal with private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife, Kwanza Jones. While the deal hasn’t been finalized, the team is expected to be sold for $3.9 billion, a record valuation for a Major League Baseball team.
