July 26, 2021 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Padres just bolstered their middle infield while trying to stay in the NL West race. San Diego has acquired All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier from the Pirates for three prospects. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the deal who also says Pittsburgh is sending approximately $1.4 million to the Padres in the deal. The trade is pending a physical.
Frazier was the National League starter in the All-Star Game. He leads the majors with 125 hits and is batting .324. Pittsburgh is receiving infielder Tucupita Marcano, outfielder Jack Suwinski and right-hander Michell Miliano in the trade.
July 26, 2021 3:53 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – LaMonte Wade Jr. homered twice and the San Francisco Giants avoided a three-game sweep, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1. Wilmer Flores and Thairo Estrada also went deep for San Francisco. The Giants improved to a majors-best 62-37 and maintained their slim lead over the Dodgers in the NL West heading into a series between the two division rivals this week at Oracle Park. Alex Wood struck out eight and pitched into the sixth to help San Francisco bounce back a day after the Giants had their most-lopsided loss this season.
July 26, 2021 3:58 am
TOKYO (AP) – Caleb Dressel began his quest for six gold medals by leading off an American victory in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay. He gave the U.S. a lead it never relinquished as the quartet finished in 3:08.97, the third-fastest time in history. Zach Apple turned in an anchor leg of 46.69 to leave no doubt at the end.
– Australia’s Ariarne Titmus defeated American Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle at the Olympic pool in Tokyo. Titmus trailed by nearly a full body-length at the halfway mark of the eight-lap race. She turned on the speed to touch in 3 minutes, 56.69 seconds, the second-fastest time in history.
– American teenager Torri Huske had to settle for fourth in the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the Tokyo Games after being at or near the lead most of the race. She faded on her final strokes and just missed a spot on the podium, finishing one-hundredth of a second from a bronze medal. Like Huske, American Michael Andrew was a fourth-place finisher in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke.
July 26, 2021 3:56 am
UNDATED (AP) – Texas and Oklahoma could move closer to membership in the Southeastern Conference within 24 hours. According to multiple reports, the first and very significant formal step of the process could come as soon as Monday. That’s when the two schools are expected to inform the Big 12 they will not renew the contractual agreement that binds conference members until 2025.
The schools would likely negotiate an early exit that could cost the schools more than $100 million. But with the rich SEC on the horizon, the schools could leave the Big 12 early and change conferences in time for the 2022 college football season.
July 25, 2021 7:37 am
SAN FRANCISCO — Gregory Polanco homered, drove in three runs and scored twice, and Kevin Newman matched his career high with four hits for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who beat the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants 10-2 Saturday night. Polanco lofted a sacrifice fly in the first inning, hit an RBI single in the third and then connected for his 11th homer in the fifth, all against Giants starter Kevin Gausman (9-4). Newman added a two-run single in the fifth off John Brebbia, who relieved Gausman, to give the Pirates a 6-1 lead. The Pirates added three runs in the eighth. The highlight was when Michael Perez hit an RBI triple and scored on Wilmer Difo’s sacrifice fly. The Pirates accumulated a season-high 16 hits. Their run total was one shy of their best for 2021. Giants manager Gabe Kapler had outfielder Mike Tauchman pitch the ninth to spare the bullpen. Tauchman allowed one run and three hits. Pirates starter Wil Crowe (2-5) held San Francisco to two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out a career-high nine and issuing one walk. Pittsburgh is 16-6 at Oracle Park dating to 2014. The Giants still own the majors’ best record but have lost two games in a row to the Pirates, the NL Central’s last-place club.
July 25, 2021 7:38 am
PITTSBURGH — General manager Ron Hextall and the Penguins’ scouting staff drafted five players on Day Two of the 2021 NHL Draft held virtually on Saturday. Following selecting Tristan Broz with the Penguins’ top pick of the draft at 58th overall, Pittsburgh drafted Isaac Belliveau (5th round, 154th overall), Ryan McCleary (7th round, 194th overall), Daniel Laatsch (7thround, 215th overall) and Kirill Tankov (7th round, 218th overall).
July 24, 2021 3:58 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Bryan Reynolds homered, Adam Frazier drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning when Pittsburgh scored three times without a hit, and the Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4. Gregory Polanco added an RBI triple for Pittsburgh, which snapped a four-game skid. It was 3-all when Dominic Leone walked Jacob Stallings leading off the seventh and Kevin Newman reached when shortstop Thairo Estrada’s throw to second was late. After pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo walked, Frazier worked a 2-2 count before Leone threw consecutive pitches well out of the strike zone to force in Stallings. The Pirates added a pair of unearned runs when first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. fumbled a grounder.
July 24, 2021 4:02 am
University of Michigan dominates start of NHL draft with defenseman Owen Power and forward Matthew Beniers becoming the first teammates selected first and second overall since 1969. Power went No. 1 after being selected by the Buffalo Sabres. Beniers followed in being chosen by the expansion Seattle Kraken. The Wolverines then became the first college hockey program to have three teammates selected in the first round after Kent Johnson was chosen by Columbus at No. 5. There will also be a Hughes family reunion in New Jersey. The Devils selected Luke Hughes fourth overall, two years after drafting his brother Jack with the No. 1 pick.
July 24, 2021 4:00 am
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – The Buffalo Sabres have traded veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo acquired fifth-year defenseman Robert Hagg and the Flyers first-round pick hours before the NHL draft. Buffalo also acquired Philadelphia’s second-round pick in the 2023 draft. The trade could be the first of several made by general manager Kevyn Adams, who is also shopping captain Jack Eichel and forward Sam Reinhart. Ristolainen gives the Flyers another right-shot defenseman for their top four after acquiring Ryan Ellis from Nashville last weekend.
July 23, 2021 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL had to reschedule several games last season due to COVID-19 outbreaks within teams. The league won’t be as willing to do that this year. The NFL has informed teams they could potentially forfeit a game due to an outbreak among non-vaccinated players and that players on both teams wouldn’t get paid that week. In a memo sent to clubs that was obtained by The Associated Press, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league doesn’t anticipate adding a 19th week to accommodate games that can’t be rescheduled within the 18-week regular season. However, forfeits are among the consequences. For purposes of playoff seeding, the forfeiting team will be credited with a loss and the other team will be credited with a win. The league says more than half its teams have COVID-19 vaccination rates greater than 80% of their players, and more than 75% of players are in the process of being vaccinated.
