Pirates Split Doubleheader In Game Two Shutout

August 15, 2021 7:46 am

PITTSBURGH — Rookie Aaron Ashby and three relievers combined on a four-hitter, Rowdy Tellez hit a long home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on Saturday night to split a day-night doubleheader. Ashby pitched the first four innings of the nightcap and allowed three hits while striking four and walking none. Making his third career start, the left-hander fell one inning short of qualifying for his first major league win. Brad Boxberger (5-3), Devin Williams and Hunter Strickland worked one inning each to finish the seven-inning game. Tellez blasted a two-run home run to cap a three-run fifth inning and give the Brewers a 5-0 lead. The drive, estimated at 445 feet, cleared the right-field stands and bounced off a walkway adjacent to the Allegheny River and into the water. Avisail Garcia added a solo home run in the seventh to complete the scoring. Milwaukee won for the fifth time in six games and leads the NL Central by eight games over Cincinnati.

World Series Saturday

August 14, 2021 3:54 pm

Johnstown, PA scored three times in the first and never trailed, rolling past Manchester, NH, 10-3, in a World Series game delayed by Friday’s storms. Ben Kormanski doubled in one run, then scored on a two-run double by Lucas Oleksa. The Host Area champions sent 11 batters to the plate in the sixth, crushing a late rally by the East Zone qualifier. Noah Durham’s two-run single had pulled Manchester to within 5-3 in the fifth. Aaron Smearman got the win, allowing just one run over 3.2 innings. Oleksa, Kormanski and Connor Jones all finished with a pair of RBI for Johnstown. The winners advance to play Brownsville TX in Sunday’s winners bracket. Manchester faces San Jose, CA in the tournament’s first elimination game Sunday at noon.

Juliomar Campos singled with two out in the fifth, scoring Eliel Ramos with the game-winning run as Bayamon PR downed Bay County MI, 3-2. Bay County got a solo home run from Talan Debo in the top of the first but saw the Caribbean champions get an RBI single from Joniel Cuadrado and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Argenis Garay to take the lead.  Debo walked in the fourth and scored on Jaxon Jenkins’ base hit tying the score before Bayamon went  in front an inning later. In the top of the sixth, Bay County put two on with one out. Kingston Dufort singled to right but Alejandro Mujica started a 9-3-2 to cut down the lead runner at the plate and protect the lead.  Bayamon advances to the winners bracket Sunday night (8 pm) while Bay County will play to stay in the tournament late Sunday afternoon (5:30 pm).

Washington County scored twice in the first, then loaded the bases with nobody out in the third but did not score. Youngstown exploded with a nine-run fourth, sending 13 batter to the plate. The Hosts didn’t have another hit in the game and managed only one more baserunner. A bases-loaded fielders choice got the Host Area runner-up on the board, then a wild pitch tied the game 2-2.  Later in the frame, Anthony Triveri stroked a two-run single, Jackson Cheeks and Hunter Gavin followed by driving in runs, Carter Wilson and Dom Cubellis added run-scoring doubles before Washington County could stop the attack.  Washington County drops into the elimination bracket late Sunday afternoon while Youngstown moves to the winners bracket Sunday night.

WJPA-AM (1450) serves as the Radio Home of the World Series. Games are available on-air and online: Listen Here!

World Series Friday

August 14, 2021 4:42 am

PONY World Series

Brownsville, Tx scored a walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th, downing San Jose, CA, 1-0. Jai Arenas singled to left and moved to third on Christopher Ramos’ double of the fence in right. After an intentional walk and a strikeout, Juan Garza fouled off a one-strike bunt attempt, then put down a successful squeeze to win the game. It’s the first 1-0 game at the PONY World Series since 2006 when Brownsville lost to West Tokyo.  Brownsville pitchers struck out a record-tying 10 consecutive batters from the fifth through the eighth innings. But San Jose starter Zack Koontz held the Texans to just one hit through 7-and-a-third innings before leaving due to pitch count restrictions. The game was twice delayed by lightning for a total of nearly 80 minutes.

Pirates and Brewers Postponed Friday Because Of rain

August 14, 2021 4:40 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – A game scheduled between the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night was postponed because of rain and will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Saturday. The first game will be played at 2:35 p.m. and the nightcap at 7:05 p.m. Both games are scheduled for seven innings under pandemic rules. Friday’s game was called 1 hour, 5 minutes after the scheduled start time. A heavy thunderstorm swept through the area about an hour before the game was eventually postponed, and the weather forecast called for more rain.

ESPN To Use Young Broadcasters For Little League Games

August 14, 2021 4:41 am

(AP) – ESPN will be using young broadcasters as part of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The first of two KidsCast presentations will be the MLB Little League Classic between the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Indians on Aug. 22. The ESPN2 broadcast will complement the main feed on ESPN. Two nights later, one of the Little League World Series games will serve as the standalone telecast on ESPN. This is the second time the network has done a KidsCast from the Little League World Series. Mo’ne Davis, the ácelebrated pitcher for Pennsylvania in the Little League World Series in 2014, will be an analyst for a second time. She was in the booth in 2019 and now attends Hampton University.

PONY World Series Returns

August 12, 2021 2:49 am

The 69th PONY League World Series opens Friday night at Washington Park.  Eight teams will battle for the championship in a two-division double-elimination format. Friday’s game include Brownsville, TX, San Jose, CA, Manchester, NH and Johnstown, PA. First-round games Saturday pit Bay County, MI against Bayamon, PR followed by Washington County taking on Youngstown, OH. WJPA-AM (1450) will serve as the Radio Home of the World Series as we have each year.  Game will be available on-air and online: Listen Here!  This year’s tournament is the 58th played in Washington, the 57th at Lew Hays PONY Field, the world’s first PONY-sized diamond. San Jose and Manchester are making first-ever appearances. Bay County is here for the 14th time. Johnstown claimed its 10th berth with the Host Area championship. Bayamon is in the field for the 8th time while Youngstown makes its 7th appearance.  Brownsville won the South Zone, earning a sixth trip to Washington, where the Hosts have been in the field every year since 1984, including a 1955 championship and multiple runner-up finishes, the last coming in 1998.

Haskins Leads Steelers In Win Over Eagles

August 13, 2021 3:48 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Dwayne Haskins continued his push for the backup quarterback spot. He threw for 161 yards and a touchdown to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 24-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Ben Roethlisberger sat out Pittsburgh’s second preseason game. Mason Rudolph has been the team’s backup for the past three seasons and just may keep that job. Haskins is making a run at the backup spot. Jalen Hurts played two series for the Eagles and was a modest 3 of 7 for 54 yards. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni made his debut on the sideline. He replaced the fired Doug Pederson.

Pirates Losing Skid Hits 8

August 13, 2021 2:51 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Six St. Louis relievers combined to allow three runs in seven innings, Paul DeJong and Lars Nootbaar homered, and the Cardinals hung on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep. The Cardinals bullpen was pressed into duty after starter Wade LeBlanc exited with left elbow pain. He gave up three runs on three hits in two innings. St. Louis has won five of six overall and 10 straight games at Pittsburgh. The Cardinals’ last loss at PNC Park came on Sept. 17, 2020. Colin Moran homered twice for the Pirates, who have been outscored 50-18 during an eight-game losing streak.

USGA; Oakmont To Be Anchor Site For U.S. Open

August 12, 2021 3:52 am

UNDATED (AP) – Pennsylvania golf courses already have hosted 88 USGA championships and more are on the way. The USGA identified Oakmont as one of its anchor sites for the U.S. Open. The course outside Pittsburgh already has had a record nine U.S. Opens. It had already been announced as the 2025 host and will get three more through 2049, along with two U.S. Women’s Opens. Merion outside Philadelphia was awarded two U.S. Opens and two U.S. Women’s Opens. The USGA now has Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina and Oakmont as anchor sites for a rotation of U.S. Open venues. Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills and Winged Foot are in discussions to join them.

Cardinals, Happ One-Hit Pirates

August 11, 2021 3:50 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) – J.A. Happ combined with a trio of relievers on a one-hitter, Tommy Edman and Paul DeJong homered early and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the skidding Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. Happ retired the first nine batters, then gave up rookie Hoy Park’s first career home run to lead off the fourth inning. Making his second start for the Cardinals since being acquired from the Twins in a July 30 trade, Happ struck out five and walked two. Happ took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the Pirates on April 23 at Minnesota and wound up allowing one hit in 7 2/3 innings.