August 18, 2025 4:32 am
CLEVELAND (AP) — Coach Kevin Stefanski is expected to announce this week the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback for the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Stefanski said on Sunday that he wants to talk to the team first. The Browns had a day off after their 22-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. They return to practice on Monday, preparing for Saturday’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams. Joe Flacco has taken most first-team snaps during camp. Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders have been limited by injuries. Dillon Gabriel played well against the Eagles, completing 13 of 18 passes.
August 18, 2025 4:35 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler’s latest victory came with flair. He rallied from a four-shot deficit in the BMW Championship against Robert MacIntyre. Clinging to a one-shot lead, Scheffler chipped in from 82 feet on the 17th hole for a birdie that all but sealed his fifth victory of the year. Scheffler shot 67 at Caves Valley. He turned a four-shot deficit into a two-shot victory. And he’s the first player since Tiger Woods to win five-plus times on the PGA Tour in consecutive years. Harry Hall was the only player to move into the top 30 to reach the Tour Championship.
August 17, 2025 7:48 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Saturday for a sorely needed victory. Kyle Tucker hit a leadoff single against Evan Sisk (0-1) and stole second before coming home on Suzuki’s grounder into center field. Nico Hoerner tacked on a two-out RBI double following an intentional walk to Ian Happ. Chicago (69-53) had dropped four of five, including a 3-2 loss in the series opener on Friday. Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga pitched seven innings of three-hit ball. Andrew Kittredge (3-3) got three outs before Brad Keller handled the ninth for his first save. Tommy Pham homered for Pittsburgh (52-72), which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Rookie Mike Burrows permitted one run and five hits in five innings. Imanaga retired his first 10 batters before Pham connected for his sixth homer in the fourth, a 428-foot drive to left. The Cubs got the run back in the bottom half when Tucker scored on Carson Kelly’s two-out single.
August 17, 2025 7:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — For a high school football coach, Teddy Bridgewater can still sling it. The well-traveled Bridgewater threw for a pair of first-quarter touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s 17-14 preseason win over Pittsburgh on Saturday night, thrusting himself into the competition with Kyle Trask to be Baker Mayfield’s backup in the process. While Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles isn’t quite ready to say whether there’s now a choice to be made between Bridgewater and Trask, Bridgewater’s performance less than two weeks after signing provided pretty compelling evidence that there’s still plenty left in the 32-year-old’s right arm. Bridgewater, who joined the Buccaneers last week after being suspended from his high school coaching job in Miami for self-reporting that he provided financial benefits to his players, was sharp in his three series of work.
August 16, 2025 4:37 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Jack Suwinski hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the ninth inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win over the struggling Chicago Cubs. Suwinski, a Chicago native, hit Daniel Palencia’s (1-3) 1-1 fastball the opposite way, into the left-field bleachers for his third homer. The Pirates ended a five-game losing steak and sent the Cubs to their fourth loss in five games. Pete Crow-Armstrong broke out of a 3-for-41 slump by going 3 for 3 with his first RBI since July 30. Crow-Armstrong also was hit by a pitch and scored a run. The Cubs All-Star was thrown out twice on the bases; trying to stretch a single to double in the fourth and was caught stealing in the ninth after leading off with a single.
August 16, 2025 4:35 am
CHICAGO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk and right-hander Colin Holderman from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday before their series opener against the Cubs in Chicago. In a corresponding move, the Pirates designated lefty Ryan Borucki for assignment. Right-hander Cam Sanders had been optioned to Indianapolis on Wednesday following a 12-5 loss at Milwaukee that extended the last-place Pirates’ slide to five games.
August 15, 2025 5:46 pm
CHICAGO (AP) — Jack Suwinski hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the ninth inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 3-2 win over the struggling Chicago Cubs on Friday. Suwinski, a Chicago native, hit Daniel Palencia’s (1-3) 1-1 fastball the opposite way, into the left-field bleachers for his third homer. The Pirates ended a five-game losing steak and sent the Cubs to their fourth loss in five games. Pete Crow-Armstrong broke out of a 3-for-41 slump by going 3 for 3 with his first RBI since July 30. Crow-Armstrong also was hit by a pitch and scored a run. The Cubs All-Star was thrown out twice on the bases; trying to stretch a single to double in the fourth and was caught stealing in the ninth after leading off with a single. Andrew McCutchen and Isaiah Kiner-Falefa each had an RBI double. The Cubs entered eight games behind surging NL Central-leading Milwaukee. Matt Shaw added a sac fly. Dennis Santana (4-4) got the final four outs for the win. Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft allowed one run on three hits in five innings, striking our four and walking none in his third and longest start. Cubs starter Colin Rea allowed one run on three hits in five innings.
August 15, 2025 4:29 am
Ohio State and Pittsburgh each placed three players on The Associated Press All-Time All-America football team and four other schools have two players each on the first team. The unveiling of the all-time team is part of the news organization’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the AP All-America team. The Big Ten led all conferences with seven selections, two more than the Southeastern Conference. A panel of 12 AP sports writers who cover college football selected the all-time team. It cannot be considered definitive. There have been far more great players over the last century than spots available. The three players to make the list from Pitt are Bill Fralic, Hugh Green and Larry Fitzgerald.
August 15, 2025 4:23 am
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court says the NFL can be put on trial over claims that Brian Flores and other Black coaches face discrimination. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday. It upheld Manhattan federal Judge Valerie Caproni’s 2023 ruling that Flores can proceed with claims against the league and three teams: the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans. In February 2022, Flores sued the league and several teams, saying the league was “rife with racism,” particularly in its hiring and promotion of Black coaches. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the league disagrees with the ruling and will seek further review.
August 15, 2025 4:24 am
The NFL is continuing its on-field social justice messaging for a sixth straight season. The Associated Press has learned that all 32 teams will feature an end zone message at each home game throughout the season. They will select from four options, including “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” “Choose Love,” or “Inspire Change.” Once again, “It Takes All of Us” will be stenciled in the opposite end zone for all games. The only change from 2024 is that “Inspire Change” replaces “Vote.”
