August 18, 2022 3:48 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The maximum deal includes a player option for the 2024-25 season that would keep the second-leading scorer in NBA history with the Lakers past his 40th birthday. James was headed into the final year of his most recent deal with the Lakers, who signed the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time league champion in July 2018. Barring injury, James is likely to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s career scoring king this winter.
August 17, 2022 1:48 pm
New Taipei City scored a pair of unearned runs early, then added four runs over their final two frames to easily outdistance Johnstown, 6-1, Wednesday afternoon, clinching a spot in the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series Championship game. The Asia-Pacific Zone winner will face Monterrey, MX. Game time is 7 pm.
Doing what teams from Taiwan have done for years, NTC used a base hit, an error and a pair of ground outs to take a 1-0 lead in the first. The third inning opened with an error, a stolen base and back-to-back soft singles to make it 2-0. New Taipei City broke the game open in the fifth, scoring three runs on four hits. Johnstown’s only run came on a Charlie Manzi solo home run to open the sixth inning.
Taiwan teams have won the last four PONY Series which they attended, winning back-to-back title in 2015-16 and against in 2018-19. There was no World Series in 2020 due to COVID-19 and no international squads in the 2021 event. Monterrey is playing in the PONY World Series for the first time since winning the championship in 1972.All the action of the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series will be heard live on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
World Series website link: Click Here
August 16, 2022 11:45 pm
Washington County pitching finally ran out of steam, playing a third game in the span of about 33 hours. Monterrey pounded four home runs, three of them for three runs apiece as the Mexico champions advanced to the World Series title game Wednesday night. They play either Johnstown, PA or New Taipei City, TW who square off in a final elimination game Wednesday morning.
AJ Andronas lined a two-run home run to put Washington County in front in the third, much to the delight of the full-house crowd. That lead lasted all of five batters. That’s when Luis Guajardo hit a three-run shot, followed four batters later by Miguel Alejandro three-run home run. Winning pitcher Emiliano Martinez this a two-run homer in the fifth before pinch-hitter Israel Herrera ended the contest with a three-run homer, putting Monterrey in the finals for the first time since winning the title in 1972.
New Taipei City used small-ball. Johnstown did the long-ball thing. The teams went tied to extra innings when the wheels fell of for Johnstown. The Asia-Pacific champions got a scratch single and followed that with two consecutive bunt base hits. Add three walks, a hit-batter and a single and it adds to 7-2 lead for Taiwan. Johnstown managed a run in the bottom of the eighth but it was too little, too late to avoid a third game against New Taipei City. This one Wednesday with the winner taking on Monterrey in the World Series championship game.
In Tuesday’s daytime action: Nico Patragas stroked a three-run fifth inning home run to break a 2-2 tie, leading Washington County past Palmview, TX and into Tuesday’s division final vs. Monterrey, MX. The Hosts scored a run earlier in the frame to tie the game on an RBI grounder by MJ Maruschak. Washington County took advantage of a pair of Palmview errors to score their first and last run, the second proving to be the game-winner. Palmview scored three times in the top of the seventh but left the bases loaded when Cayden Laskosky coaxed a flyout to left to the game. Sebastian Shulsky pitched 6+ strong innings, hold Palmview to three unearned runs on just two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Earlier in the session, Yang, Wen-Wei homered, doubled and drove in four runs leading New Taipei City past Bay County in five innings. The Asia-Pacific champions score four in the first, added four more in the second to cruise to the win and a rematch with unbeaten Johnstown in Tuesday’s division final. Bay County’s only real threat came with three singles in the third but the North Zone champions left the bases loaded following a looking strike out and a fly out to left.
The PONY League World Series continues Wednesday with a final elimination game with Johnstown taking on New Taipei City at 11 am. The winner returns Wednesday night to play Monterrey for the 70th PONY championship. All the action of the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series will be heard live on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
World Series website link: Click Here
August 17, 2022 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Nick Pivetta pitched one-hit ball for seven innings for his first win since June 24, and the Boston Red Sox scored four runs in the first inning on their way to a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates’ only hit off Pivetta came on Ben Gamel’s two-out single in the first inning on a soft liner to left-center. Pivetta struck out six and walked three while throwing 99 pitches and retiring his last nine batters. The first six Red Sox batters reached in the first inning against Mitch Keller (4-9). He lasted just two innings allowing four earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked three. He was pulled after 46 pitches with what the Pirates called right shoulder fatigue.
August 17, 2022 3:53 am
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – The PGA Tour is in Delaware for the first time and so is Tiger Woods. Just not to play. Two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that Woods attended a private meeting of top players to discuss the threat of Saudi-funded LIV Golf. One person invited to the meeting said it was a time to get on the same page about the Saudi threat and how the PGA Tour needs to respond. Another person said the meeting was held away from Wilmington Country Club at a hotel. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was not invited. Woods has been a strong opponent of LIV Golf. The series has played three events offering $25 million apiece in prize money to a group of players that include Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
August 15, 2022 11:55 pm
A day after being shutout, Washington County banged out 13 runs on 14 hits to roll past San Jose, CA and stay alive at the PONY League World Series. MJ Maruschak went 3-for-3 with a home run, a pair of singles and three RBI to lead the Host team. LJ Zidek, Nico Patragas and Sam Wade drove in a pair of runs apiece to help the local squad advance to Tuesday’s elimination game (12:30 pm) vs. Palmview, TX. AJ Andronas was the winning pitcher.
Bay County, MI scored four runs over the first three innings, then four more in the final three to eliminate Hagerstown, MD. Dawson Lavender allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits over 5 innings to get the win. Jaxon Jenkins and Jack Wetters each drove in two runs as the North Zone champions move on in the elimination bracket to face New Taipei City Tuesday morning (10:00 am)
Drew Irons held New Taipei City to 2 runs on 4 hits over 6.2 innings, putting Johnstown into the Division Finals Tuesday. Irons also stroked a solo home run to lead off the fourth. Dante LaRocco homered in the bottom of the first for Bay County. The North Zone champions got a pair of run-scoring singles from Brock Bryson. New Taipei City managed just a pair of singles until the seventh. In the final frame, the Asia-Pacific winners got a lead-off double from Sun, Kai-You and an RBI single off the bat of Hong, Wei-Zhe to score twice before Eric McAllister got the final out to pick up a save. Johnstown awaits the Bay County / New Taipei City in Tuesday’s evening opener (5:30 pm).
Monterrey broke open a close game with a six-run fifth inning to drop Palmview, TX into the elimination brackets. Israel Herrera did not allow an earned run over his five innings of work to get the win. Miguel Alejandro, Jr. homered in the fourth to give Monterrey a 3-0 lead, then 8 of 11 batters in the fifth inning reached safely, six of them scoring to blow the game open. Diego Alvarado, Luis Guajardo and Yosiro Eguia each delivered two RBI. Palmview did not score an earned run for the second straight game at the World Series and will face Washington County Tuesday afternoon. The winner meets Monterrey Tuesday night (8:00 pm).
The 70th PONY League World Series continues Tuesday with four games, two elimination contests during the day, two winners’ bracket battles in the evening. Bay County, MI takes on New Taipei City, TW at 10:00 am followed by Washington County vs. Palmview, TX at 12:30 pm. Unbeaten Johnstown, PA plays the first game winner at 5:30 pm followed by Monterrey, MX meeting the second game winner. All the action of the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series will be heard live on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
World Series website link: Click Here
August 16, 2022 3:47 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro has been suspended for one game by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for having a cellphone in his back pocket during a game last week. Castro also was fined an undisclosed amount. The penalty had been set to take effect Tuesday night when the Pirates hosted Boston. The 23-year-old Castro appealed the penalty and can play until the process is complete. Castro’s phone flew from his pocket when he made a head-first dive into third base at Arizona on Aug. 9. Castro apologized, saying it was an honest mistake. MLB has cracked down on technology use by players in the wake of the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal on their way to winning the 2017 World Series championship and part of the subsequent season.
August 16, 2022 3:52 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – The Texas Rangers have fired manager Chris Woodward with the team on pace for its sixth consecutive losing season. Woodward has managed the team for almost four seasons. The move came with Woodward two games short of his 500th game with the Rangers. He finished with a 211-287 record in his first managerial job. Woodward was under contract through next season, and the team held an option for 2024. Third base coach Tony Beasley was named the team’s interim manager. Texas is 52-63 after beating Oakland 2-1 on Monday night.
August 16, 2022 3:50 am
Alabama is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the second straight season. That is also the ninth time overall, second most in poll history. The Crimson Tide received 54 of 63 first-place votes. Ohio State is No. 2 with six first-place votes. Defending national champion Georgia is third with three first-place votes. Clemson is No. 4 and Notre Dame rounds out the top five. The Tide’s preseason No. 1 ranking is the seventh in 15 years. Since the preseason rankings started in 1950, only Oklahoma has been No. 1 in the initial poll more than Alabama.
August 15, 2022 2:06 am
An errant pickoff throw in the fifth inning led to the only run of the game as Palmview, TX edged Washington County, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at the PONY League World Series. With one out in the Palmview fifth, Nicolas Valdez singled sharply to right and moved to second when the ball wasn’t cleanly fielded. One out later, reliever Cayden Laskosky tried to pick Valdez off second and the throw went into centerfield with Valdez scoring. Palmview managed only three hits in the game but advances to take on Monterrey, MX in the winners’ bracket. Washington County picked up only two soft singles in the game, both by AJ Andronas. His second hit and a sacrifice bunt put the potential tying run at second with one out in the top of the seventh. Two infield pop-outs ended the game. Washington County stranded seven baserunners, including leaving the bases loaded in the third, two more in the fourth. The hosts drop into the elimination rounds, facing San Jose Monday afternoon.
Behind the complete game two-hit pitching of Jaxon Jenkins, Bay County, MI eliminated Guaynabo, PR, 3-1 Sunday afternoon. Jack Wetters singled with one out and move to third on Andrew Shufelt’s double. Ryan Brey walked to load the bases. Ben Briggs hit into a force play at home for the second out. Losing pitcher Khenluis Lopez uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Shufelt. Aiden Revette’s infield single scored Brey. Briggs scored with the Guaynabo shortstop threw wildly trying to get the out at first. John Lopez homered for the Caribbean champs’ only run. Jenkins worked seven innings, allowing one run, two hits (none after the second inning), while striking out 12 and walking one. Bay County had only two hits after the second as well, back-to-back singles to open the fifth, ending the day for Lopez. Carolos Aponte and Luis Matos retired nine straight batters. Guaynabo’s stay at the World Series ends as the first team eliminated. Bay County moves to Monday’s elimination round against Hagerstown, MD.
San Jose banged out a dozen hits, jumping in front early and cruising to an 11-0, five-inning win over London, eliminating the European champions. Enrique Sotelo drove in four runs for San Jose, Ethan Williams picked up a pair of RBIs with five other batters driving in a run for the winners. Sotelo, Toby Torres, Marcus Garcia and David Hall each had two hits. Adriel Ceja worked 2.1 innings to get the win, lifted in the third to stay eligible to pitch later in the tournament. San Jose takes on Washington County, Monday afternoon in an elimination game.
The 70th PONY League World Series continues with four games, two elimination contests during the day, two winners’ bracket battles in the evening. Hagerstown, MD takes on Bay County, MI at 10:00 am followed by Washington County vs. San Jose, CA at 12:30 pm. Unbeatens Johnstown, PA and New Taipei City, TW meet at 5:30 pm followed by Monterrey, MX and Palmview, TX. All the action of the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series will be heard live on WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here.
World Series website link: Click Here
