April 16, 2023 7:50 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick shot his best round on the PGA Tour with a 63 Saturday for a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay through three rounds at the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick had six birdies and an eagle when he holed out from 149 yards away on the par-4 third hole. He was at 14-under 199, poised for his first tour win since that major title 10 months ago. Cantlay, who lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth a year ago, shot 66 to move to 13 under and into position for another try at the plaid, tartan winner’s jacket. Spieth was also again in the hunt, another stroke back after a 66. He’s seeking to do something he hasn’t in his career — defend a title. World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and second-round leader Jimmy Walker were among five players tied at 11 under. Scheffler shot 69 and Walker 72.
April 15, 2023 4:17 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Woodford and three relievers scattered eight hits, Nolan Gorman drove in two runs, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0. Woodford gave up seven hits in 5 1/3 innings but only one for extra bases, a double by Austin Hedges leading off the fifth. He retired the next three batters to escape that jam. Zach Thompson worked 1 2/3 innings for the win, striking out four. Drew VerHagen was perfect in the eighth, and Giovanny Gallegos followed suit in the ninth for his first save. Johan Oveido was outstanding for Pittsburgh, allowing one run in seven innings, striking out 10.
April 15, 2023 4:17 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) – The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired GM Ron Hextall after little more than two years on the job. President of hockey operations Brian Burke and Assistant GM Chris Pryor are also out. No successors have been named. The move comes in the wake of the Penguins’ failure to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2006. Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke were hired Feb. 9, 2021, a few weeks after Jim Rutherford unexpectedly stepped down as GM. Coach Mike Sullivan and his staff were spared.
April 15, 2023 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team has reached an agreement with a historic Black church to provide it development rights to a 1.5-acre parcel near the church’s former property. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church’s old sanctuary was demolished along with much of the surrounding Black neighborhood in the 1950s in a now-lamented urban-renewal project. The Penguins hold development rights in the area near the arena where they currently play. Bethel says public authorities compensated it in the 1950s for a fraction of its property’s value. The Penguins only came in existence a decade after that happened. But the agreement is being called “restorative justice.”
April 14, 2023 3:47 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis rookie Jordan Walker’s hitting streak ended at 12 games when he went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the Cardinals’ 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 20-year-old tied the record for longest hitting streak at the start of a career by a player 20 or younger, set by Eddie Murphy, who hit in 12 straight games with the Philadelphia Athletics from Aug. 26, 1912, to Sept. 5, 1912. Carlos Santana doubled twice, and Connor Joe and Rodolfo Castro hit consecutive homers in the eighth against Génesis Cabrera.
April 14, 2023 3:49 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Johnny Gaudreau scored a minute into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2, snapping a four-game losing streak and moving ahead of Chicago and Anaheim for the worst record in the NHL. Andrew Peeke and Emil Bemstrom also scored for Columbus. Michael Hutchinson stopped 34 shots. Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel scored for the Penguins, and Sidney Crosby added two assists. Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots.
April 14, 2023 3:50 am
Two people with knowledge of the situation tell The Associated Press that a group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales and including Magic Johnson has an agreement in principle to buy the Washington Commanders from longtime owner Dan Snyder. Harris and Rales are set to pay $6.05 billion for the storied NFL franchise. It’s the most money a professional sports franchise in North American has been sold for, topping the $4.65 billion paid by Walmart heir Rob Walton’s group for the Denver Broncos last year. The sale of the Commanders is pending approval from the rest of the league’s owners. That could happen as soon as their next meeting in Minnesota in May.
April 14, 2023 3:51 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays tied Major League Baseball’s post-1900 record of 13 consecutive wins at a season’s start, rallying to beat the Boston Red Sox 9-3 behind a seven-run fifth inning that Harold Ramirez began and capped with doubles. Tampa Bay matched the 13-0 start of the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers. The only longer opening streak was a 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association. Playing before a crowd of 21,175, the largest at Tropicana Field since opening day, the Rays set a team record for wins at any point in a season.
April 13, 2023 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH — It’s over. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 16-year playoff streak ended Wednesday when they were eliminated from playoff contention by the New York Islanders, who beat Montreal 4-2 at UBS Arena. The Penguins squandered their chance Tuesday when they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2. New York needed only one point Wednesday. Now, the Penguins face the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday at Nationwide Arena in a meaningless game. It is the final game of the Penguins’ 2022-23 season.
April 13, 2023 2:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — José Urquidy scattered two hits over six innings, rookie Corey Julks hit the first home run of his big league career and the Houston Astros rolled by the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0. Urquidy (1-0) allowed singles by Carlos Santana and Jack Suwinski as the reigning champions took two of three in their first visit to Pittsburgh since 2013. Alex Bregman homered for the second straight game for Houston. Pirates starter Rich Hill allowed two runs in six innings to fall to 0-2.
