Keller Leaves Early; Red Sox Beat Pirates

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.

AP; Tiger Meets With Players Against LIV Golf

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.

PONY World Series-Monday

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

Pirates Infielder Rodolfo Castro Suspended For One Game

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.

MLB; Rangers Fire Manager Woodward

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.

Alabama Tops Preseason AP Poll

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.

PONY World Series-Sunday

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

Pirates Get Swept In San Francisco

August 15, 2022 3:52 am

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Thairo Estrada hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 in a back-and-forth game. Evan Longoria, whose wild throw gave Pittsburgh the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, started the rally in the bottom half with a leadoff single against Wil Crowe. After pinch-runner J.D. Davis was forced out at second on a grounder by Mike Yastrzemski, Estrada cleared the wall in left-center for his 11th homer. Bryan Reynolds homered, doubled and drove in five runs for the Pirates, who lost  their fourth in a row. They went 2-8 on a road trip that covered nearly 6,000 miles from Baltimore to Arizona to San Francisco.

Zalatoris Gets First PGA Tour Win In Playoff

August 15, 2022 3:54 am

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Will Zalatoris is finally a winner on the PGA Tour. It wasn’t easy at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Zalatoris got into a playoff with Sepp Straka. Zalatoris had to make a 15-foot par on the second extra hole to stay in it. And then he hit a shot that bounced on the rocks and stayed put. Straka hit off the rocks and went into the water. Both wound up going to the drop zone, and Zalatoris won with a 7-foot bogey putt. Lucas Glover was among four players who advanced in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

PONY World Series-Saturday

August 13, 2022 11:30 pm

Washington County, Johnstown and Monterrey, MX won Saturday games at the DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series. All three advance to winners’ bracket games.

LJ Zidek led a 15-hit attack that awakened after Washington County squandered multiple early opportunities. Zidek went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a triple and three RBI. MJ Maruschak and Nico Patragas stroked back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Hosts in front to stay. Both had two doubles on the day.  Trailing 6-0 and held to just one hit through five innings, London plated three runs only to see Washington County answer with three of its own. Zach Schrader got the win, throwing four shutout innings, striking out seven. Washington County will take on Palmview, TX in Sunday’s first game, set for 12 noon. London plays San Jose, CA in a Sunday afternoon (5 pm) elimination game.

Earlier Saturday, Monterrey returned to Lew Hays PONY Field for the first time since winning the 1972 championship.  The Mexico champions allowed a run in the San Jose first, then scored the next six markers to control the game. Four different players drove in runs for Monterrey to make Miguel Hernandez a winner. The starter allowed one run and four hits, all singles over 4.2 innings of work  San Jose settled for one run in the first despite having runners at 2nd & 3rd with just one out. In the seventh, Tommy Moran doubled with two on and one out to give the West Zone champions a chance. But the third-baseman lost track of runners in front of him and was retired between 2nd & 3rd for the second out. Monterrey had nine hits, all singles, to move to a Monday night winners’ bracket game against the Washington County/Palmview winner.

Host Area champion allowed leads of 7-1 and 12-7 slip away only to get a walk-off single from the 9-hitter, downing Hagerstown, 13-10, in eight innings. Brock Bryson and Drew Irons combined to hold Hagerstown to one run and two hits over the first five innings. The East Zone champions plated six runs, four of them after two out in the sixth to shake Johnstown, tying the game. Bryson keyed a five-run bottom of the frame with a two-run home run. Hagerstown pulled even, taking advantage of three hits, four walks and an errant throw to the plate to score five times, sending the game to extra innings.  After Hagerstown stranded the bases loaded, Irons singled to open the Johnstown eighth and stole second. After a hit batter and a strikeout, Grady Clark delivered a soft-serve single to right to score the game-winner. Clark started but was replaced for four innings before returning to deliver the hit and the win. Eric McAllister, the sixth Johnstown pitcher got the win, working a scoreless eighth inning. Shawn Higgins allowed only one of Johnstown’s runs but took the loss. Johnstown plays New Taipei City Monday night (5:30 pm) in the winners’ bracket. Hagerstown’s next game is a Monday morning game (10:00 am) against the Bay County, MI / Guaynabo, PR winner.

The 70th PONY League World Series continues with three games Sunday. Washington County takes on Palmview, TX at 12 noon followed by the first two elimination games in the 10-team tournament: Bay County, MI vs. Guaynabo, PR at 2:30 pm, San Jose, CA vs. London, England at 5:00 pm.  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