May 23, 2021 7:33 am
ATLANTA — Ozzie Albies is feeling much better about Atlanta’s lineup lately. Of course, helping the Braves hit a combined 10 homers in back-to-back lopsided wins certainly helps. Albies hit home runs from both sides of the plate and Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with his major league-best 15th homer as the Braves again showed off their power game and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Saturday. The Braves’ three homers on Saturday followed a seven-homer attack, including blasts by Albies and Acuña, in a 20-1 rout of the Pirates on Friday night. After Acuña hit one of Atlanta’s two grand slams on Friday night, he didn’t wait to keep the offense rolling. With fans in the sellout crowd of 40,068 still arriving, Acuña pulled Mitch Keller’s first-pitch fastball over the left-field wall. Acuña hustled out of the box as there was no certainty the line drive was going to clear the fence. He slowed down for the rest of his home-run trot. It was his 22nd career leadoff shot, extending his franchise record, including three this season. The Braves lead the major leagues with 75 homers. At times, the all-or-nothing approach hasn’t worked, but Atlanta’s batters have connected in consecutive win over the Pirates.
May 22, 2021 3:38 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a grand slam in the second inning off Tyler Anderson, pinch-hitter Ehire Adrianza added another slam in the eighth against position player Wilmer Difo and the Atlanta Braves homered seven times in a 20-1 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Austin Riley homered twice for his first multihomer game, and Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna and Dansby Swanson also went deep for the Braves, who became the first team in major league history to have seven or more homers in a game that included two slams, according to STATS.
May 22, 2021 3:42 am
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Phil Mickelson is in position to become the oldest winner of a major championship. The 50-year-old Mickelson birdied five of his last nine holes for a 3-under 69 that leaves him tied with Louis Oosthuizen at minus-5. Lefty has fallen out of the top-100 ranking and hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in three years. His last major title was at the 2013 PGA Championship.
Mickelson is the oldest player to have a share of the lead at the midway point of a major since a 52-year-old Fred Couples in the 2012 Masters. Oosthuizen’s only bogey of the day came on his final hole. He shot a 68 to grab a share of the lead, one shot ahead of Brooks Koepka. Branden Grace was in great shape before going double-bogey-bogey on his last two holes, dropping him into a fourth-place tie with Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Hideki Matsuyama at 3 under. Those missing the cut include Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar.
May 22, 2021 3:44 am
STORRS, Conn. (AP) – UConn has extended women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma’s contract through 2025 in a deal worth $15 million. The 67-year-old coach has led UConn to a record 11 women’s national championships and guided the Huskies to their 13th consecutive Final Four this past season, when they lost to Arizona in the semifinal.
May 21, 2021 1:23 am
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Brandon Tanev scored the tie breaking goal with 3:36 left and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Islanders 5-4 in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Jeff Carter scored twice, Kris Letang had a goal and two assists and Jason Zucker also scored for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice, Scott Mayfield had a goal and two assists, and Anthony Beauvillier also scored for New York. Semyon Varlamov finished with 22 saves. Game 4 is Saturday at Nassau Coliseum. Tanev capped a wild third period as he swatted the puck out of the air past Varlamov for the winner.
May 21, 2021 1:23 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Kevin Newman hit a tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, Adam Frazier had four hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4. With the score 4-all and Ben Gamel starting the 10th on second base under the pandemic extra-innings rule, Frazier singled Gamel to third off Jacob Webb and Newman singled for a 5-4 lead. Gregory Polanco added a sacrifice fly off Grant Dayton. Atlanta, winner of the last three NL East titles, has lost seven of 10 and dropped to fourth place at 20-24.
May 20, 2021 3:54 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Jack Flaherty earned his major league-leading eight win of the season as the St. Louis Cardinals scored five runs in the second inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5. Flaherty (8-0) allowed two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out seven in six innings of work. He is the first Cardinals pitcher to win eight straight starts since John Tudor and Joaquin Andujar each accomplished the feat in 1985. Pirates starter Trevor Cahill (1-5) allowed four runs
May 19, 2021 2:00 am
SOFTBALL–Canon-McMillan ended Hempfield five-year stranglehold on the 6A championship, beating the Spartans in Wednesday’s opening round. Burgettstown and Chartiers-Houston picked up 2A wins while California, Charleroi, Fort Cherry & Carmichaels were eliminated. #3 Waynesburg (3A) & #1 West Greene (1A), both with first-round byes, see their first action in Thursday’s quarterfinals along with #7 Mapletown (1A). CLICK–WPIAL Softball
BASEBALL–First-round games were played Wednesday in 1A, 2A and 5A with 3A due on Thursday. West Greene and Jeff-Morgan advanced in the 1A bracket while Avella was eliminated. In Class 2A, California, Carmichaels and Chartiers-Houston all won while Bentworth, Beth-Center, Burgettstown and Fort Cherry’s seasons all ended. Peters Township topped South Fayette and moves to Friday’s 5A quarterfinals. CLICK–WPIAL Baseball
SOFTBALL — BASEBALL
Thursday, May 20
2 pm 1A #1 West Greene vs. #9 Bish. Canevin, at Waynesburg University
4 pm 1A #7 Mapletown vs. #2 Leechburg, at Norwin
4 pm 3A #4 McGuffey vs. #13 South Allegheny, at Wash & Jeff – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
5 pm 3A #3 Waynesburg vs. #11 Ellwood City, at Montour
630 pm 3A #16 Waynesburg vs. #1 Hopewell, at Wash & Jeff
Friday, May 21
11 am 5A #13 Peters Township vs. #12 Latrobe, at West Mifflin – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
12 noon 2A #9 California vs. #1 Seton-La Salle, at Burkett Complex
4 pm 6A #9 Canon-McMillan vs. #8 Upper St. Clair, at West Mifflin
4 pm 2A #6 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Carmichaels, at Burkett Complex – WJPA-AM (1450) or Listen Here!
Saturday, May 22
230 pm 6A #9 Canon-McMillan/#8 Upper St. Clair winner vs. #1 North Allegheny, at Shaler
Monday, May 24
1A #8 West Greene vs. #1 Eden Christian, site/time TBD
1A #6 Jeff-Morgan vs. #3 Rochester, site/time TBD
2A #6 Chartiers-Houston vs. #3 Frazier, site/time TBD
2A #7 Burgettstown vs. #2 Laurel, site/time TBD
Wednesday, May 26
6A #6 Canon-McMillan vs. #2 Norwin, site/time TBD
May 19, 2021 3:55 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer, his fourth in four games, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2. Tommy Edman added three singles and drove in two runs for St. Louis. The Cardinals returned home after dropping three straight at San Diego to win their fourth consecutive game this season against Pittsburgh. John Gant threw 5 1/3 innings to earn the win. Alex Reyes pitched the ninth to record his 12th save in 12 chances. JT Brubaker, who had been charged with two earned runs or fewer in six of his first seven starts, gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
