July 19, 2023 4:37 am
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping their strong end to the 2022 season carries over into 2023. The Steelers won seven of their final eight games last season to finish 9-8. Pittsburgh spent the offseason beefing up the protection in front of Pickett, signing veteran guard Isaac Seumalo and drafting tackle Broderick Jones in the first round. The back end of the defense also received an overhaul, with veteran defensive back Patrick Peterson signing a two-year deal in free agency. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts take over at inside linebacker, a position that was a weakness at times in 2022.
July 18, 2023 4:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Naylor had three RBIs with a home run and a double, helping the Cleveland Guardians rout the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 to end a four-game losing streak. Naylor’s sixth-inning RBI double extended his hitting streak to eight games and gave Cleveland a 5-0 lead. He drove a Yohan Ramirez sinker over the left-field wall in the seventh for a nine-run lead, the last of the Guardians’ trio of two-run homers. Steven Kwan added an RBI single in the eighth and Myles Straw had a run-scoring infield single in the ninth. Cleveland had totaled 10 runs during its four losses. Quinn Priester (0-1), the fourth-ranked prospect in the Pirates’ system, allowed seven runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings in his major league debut . “Just kind of getting the feel,” Priester said. “Feeling that confidence, feeling the game situation and learning. Ultimately I might have failed a little bit tonight, but those failures are gonna push me to get better. Endy Rodríguez, ranked third, also debuted to catch Priester in a battery often used at Triple-A Indianapolis. He was 0 for 4 and struck out three times.
July 18, 2023 4:39 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. is on pace to do more than just join an elite 40-40 club in baseball history. The Braves outfielder is threatening to obliterate the previous high mark for power-speed combination in a season. Of the four players who have delivered seasons with at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases, none accomplished the feat with more than 46 steals. Acuña is on pace for 41 homers and 77 steals. He could become the charter member of baseball’s 40-50, 40-60 and 40-70 clubs. Acuña’s 23 homers and 43 steals are big reasons the Braves boast the majors’ best record.
July 17, 2023 4:38 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Michael Conforto and Patrick Bailey hit two-run doubles in a five-run 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 to finish a three-game sweep and extend their winning streak to five. Pittsburgh tied the score 3-3 in the eighth when Andrew McCutchen singled in his first game off the injured list and came home on Jared Triolo’s sacrifice fly. With automatic runner Casey Schmitt on second, Wilmer Flores singled off Yerry De Los Santos starting the 10th and Joc Pederson hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly. Conforto doubled to the right-center gap for a 6-3 lead.
July 17, 2023 4:40 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans hope they’ve filled their major need at wide receiver with three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. A person familiar with the agreement said Sunday the Titans have agreed on a two-year deal worth $26 million with incentives that could push that to $32 million. The Titans had the advantage of being the first NFL team Hopkins visited after his release by Arizona in May. The person confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Hopkins hasn’t signed the contract. Hopkins would immediately boost a receiving group for a team whose head coach had more career NFL touchdown catches than anyone currently on the roster.
July 17, 2023 4:39 am
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz has ended Novak Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon by beating him 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in an engaging, back-and-forth final to win his first championship at the All England Club. Alcaraz’s victory gave him his second Grand Slam trophy overall. The No. 1-ranked Alcaraz prevented Djokovic from what would have been a record-tying eighth title, and fifth in a row, at the grass-court tournament. Djokovic also was kept from claiming his 24th career major. Alcaraz is a 20-year-old from Spain who became the third-youngest male champion at Wimbledon. The age gap between the two was the widest in any men’s Slam final since 1974.
July 16, 2023 6:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Michael Conforto’s tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning lifted the San Francisco Giants to a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night, extending their winning streak to four games. After LaMonte Wade Jr. walked and Joc Pederson singled with one out against rookie Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2), All-Star closer David Bednar entered and struck out J.D. Davis. Conforto then hit a line drive into right field. Wade scored on a play at the plate, beating right fielder Henry Davis’ throw. Pederson also came home when Pirates catcher Jason Delay threw wildly to second in an unsuccessful bid to get Conforto.
July 16, 2023 6:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitching prospect Quinn Priester is to make his major league debut Monday night for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pirates manager Derek Shelton says the Pirates plan to call up Priester from Triple-A Indianapolis to face Cleveland. Priester was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft. The 22-year-old right-hander is 7-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 18 starts for Indianapolis this season.
July 15, 2023 4:10 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — San Francisco rookies Patrick Bailey and Luis Matos hit RBI singles during a three-run rally in the seventh inning that sent the Giants past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4. With the Giants trailing 4-3, Wilmer Flores led off the seventh with a double and J.D. Davis walked with one out. Both runners advanced on Austin Hedges’ passed ball, and Flores scored on Bailey’s single. Davis also came home on the play when right fielder Henry Davis overran the ball for an error. Bailey stole second and then Matos capped the outburst with his two-out single off Ryan Borucki. All three runs were charged to Colin Holderman. Michael Conforto had a two-run single for San Francisco. Ji Man Choi homered for the Pirates.
July 15, 2023 4:15 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bo and Josh Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians became the first brothers major league history to hit multi-run homers in the same inning for the same team when each hit a two-run shot during the third inning at Texas. Bo Naylor hit a 1-0 changeup from Rangers starter Jon Gray an estimated 435 feet to right field at Globe Life Field with no outs in the third inning. Four batters later, Josh hit a 3-1 slider from Gray down the right-field line and it just barely stayed fair. The Guardians lost 12-4. The last brothers to go deep in the same inning were B.J. and Justin Upton of the Atlanta Braves on April 23, 2013.
