January 5, 2023 3:49 am
BOSTON (AP) – Rafael Devers has agreed to an 11-year contract worth $331 million to stay with the Boston Red Sox. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the agreement who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal. Locking up Devers was an important move for the Red Sox and their uneasy fans after All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi departed in free agency. The 26-year-old third baseman is a two-time All-Star. The deal was reached one day after Devers agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract to avoid arbitration.
January 4, 2023 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Blake Hinson scored 16 points, Jamarius Burton added 15 and Pittsburgh rallied past No. 11 Virginia 68-65. The Panthers used a 14-0 second-half run to get back in it and then took charge late to keep Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett at 326 career wins at Virginia, still tied with Terry Holland for the most in program history. A layup by Federiko Federiko with 59 seconds left put the Panthers up 62-60. Pitt forced the Cavaliers into a shot-clock violation on their ensuing possession. Six straight made free throws in the final seconds pushed the Panthers to their best start in ACC play since the 2013-14 season.
January 4, 2023 3:58 am
The NFL has informed the Bills and Bengals their suspended game will not be resumed this week while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged. The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the pivotal Bills-Bengals game at a later date. The game was suspended Monday night in the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old Hamlin remained in critical condition a day after the Bills said his heart stopped after making a tackle in the opening quarter of a game against the Bengals. Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance. Players from both teams were crying and praying during an emotional scene on the field.
January 3, 2023 3:50 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Buffalo defensive back and former Central Catholic and Pitt player Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after making a tackle hours earlier, leading to the indefinite postponement of Buffalo’s pivotal Monday night showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills said in a statement: “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.” The 24 year old is a native of McKees Rocks.
January 3, 2023 3:51 am
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – No. 9 Penn State rallied past No. 7 Utah 35-21 in the 109th edition of the Rose Bowl. Nicholas Singleton broke a tiebreaking 87-yard touchdown run and KeAndre Lambert-Smith had the longest touchdown reception in Rose Bowl history on an 88-yard pass from Sean Clifford. Clifford passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive farewell to Penn State, and Singleton rushed for 120 yards and two more scores on a day of spectacular big plays by the Nittany Lions. Two-time Pac-12 champion Utah couldn’t rally with quarterback Cameron Rising sidelined by a second-half injury.
January 3, 2023 3:55 am
BOSTON (AP) — Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the third period with just over two minutes remaining and the NHL-leading Boston Bruins rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Winter Classic on Monday at Fenway Park. Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for Boston, which is 8-0-3 in its last 11 games. Because the Bruins were the “home” team, they improved their home record to 19-0-3 this season. Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Penguins, and Casey DeSmith made 19 saves in relief of Tristan Jarry, who left with an apparent injury late in the first period. Playing on an unseasonably warm day with temperatures in the upper 40s (4 Celsius) early in the game, the Bruins won for the fourth time in the NHL’s 14th annual showcase event that was held at the home of the MLB’s Boston Red Sox in front of a sellout crowd 39,243. Playing with the stadium lights illuminating the ice, DeBrusk swooped in and banged home the rebound of Taylor Hall’s backhand shot with 2:24 left. DeBrusk collected a pass from Brad Marchand at the side of the net seconds after a power play expired, spun in front and slipped it behind DeSmith to tie it at the 7:46 mark of the period.
January 2, 2023 3:04 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kenny Pickett threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris with 56 seconds remaining, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 16-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens and improbably keeping their playoff hopes alive for another week. It was the first touchdown allowed by Baltimore at home in four games, and the Steelers needed it to avoid elimination. Just like they needed Miami to lose to New England earlier in the day, which also happened. Pittsburgh can now make the playoffs by beating Cleveland next weekend — if Miami and New England both lose. The Ravens’ chances of winning the AFC North took a hit.
January 2, 2023 3:05 am
The 109th edition of the Rose Bowl will feature the two-time Pac-12 champion Utah Utes and ninth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Led by quarterback Cameron Rising, the seventh-ranked Utes defeated Southern California in the Pac-12 title game to earn a second straight berth in the Rose Bowl after losing 48-45 to Ohio State last year. The Nittany Lions finished with a 10-2 record behind veteran quarterback Sean Clifford and freshmen running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State returns to Pasadena on Monday for the first time since 2017, a wild 52-49 loss to the Trojans.
January 2, 2023 3:06 am
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (AP) — Jalen Pickett finished with a season-high 26 points, Andrew Funk scored 20 and Penn State held on for an 83-79 victory over Iowa. Pickett made 10 of 16 shots from the floor and all six of his free throws for the Nittany Lions (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten Conference). Funk sank 7 of 12 shots, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Camren Wynter added 14 points, while Seth Lundy scored 10 and came up with the biggest play of the game. Funk hit all four of his shots from 3-point range and scored 16, while Pickett made his first five shots, scoring 14 to power the Nittany Lions to a 44-26 lead at halftime. Kris Murray scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half for Iowa (8-6, 0-3).
January 2, 2023 3:09 am
Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk are veterans when it comes to calling outdoor games. Yet, the Winter Classic still resonates for them as one of the biggest games of the season. This will be the fifth time Albert has done the Winter Classic, but only his second on television. Olczyk has been the television analyst for most of the Winter Classics since it started in 2008. Monday marks the second time TNT will carry the Winter Classic after it took over rights from NBC. The Penguins visit Fenway Park in Boston to battle the Bruins Monday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
