July 21, 2021 3:45 am
PHOENIX (AP) – The Arizona Diamondbacks have their first three-game winning streak since late April. Josh Reddick’s two-out, two-run single broke a tie in the seventh and Arizona scored eight times in the inning for an 11-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Josh VanMeter had a triple and a double in the seventh as the Diamondbacks sent 13 batters to the plate. There were six hits and four walks in the inning, and six of the eight runs scored with two outs.
July 21, 2021 3:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed second-round pick Anthony Solometo. The Pirates gave the 18-year-old left-handed pitcher a $2.8 million signing bonus. That’s nearly $1 million above the $1.99 million slot value for the 37th overall pick. The signing came two days after Pittsburgh agreed to terms with top overall pick, catcher Henry Davis. Solometo went 4-0 with one save, a 0.21 ERA, 64 strikeouts and just five walks in 32.2 innings as a senior at Bishop Eustace (NJ) Preparatory School.
July 21, 2021 3:48 am
MILWAUKEE (AP) – It had been been 50 years since the Milwaukee Bucks last won an NBA championship. Fittingly, their two-time NBA most valuable player scored 50 in Tuesday’s clincher. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks as the Bucks beat the Suns, 105-98 to win the series 4-2. He shot 16 for 25 from the field and made an unbelievable 17-of-19 free throws after entering the game shooting under 56% from the line in the postseason. The Greek Freak was named the NBA Finals MVP following his remarkable performance. Khris Middleton delivered 17 points and Bobby Portis had 16 off the bench for Milwaukee, which hadn’t won the title since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson carried the 1971 squad. The Bucks started strong and enjoyed a 29-16 lead heading into the second quarter. But the Suns dominated the reset of the half, outscoring Milwaukee, 31-13 to carry a five-point advantage into the locker room. The Bucks became the fifth team to win the NBA Finals after trailing 2-0 and the first to do it by winning the next four games since Miami against Dallas in 2006. Chris Paul scored 26 points to end his first NBA Finals appearance in his 16th season. Devin Booker added 19 points but shot just 8 for 22 and missed all seven 3-pointers after scoring 40 points in each of the last two games.
July 20, 2021 3:46 am
PHOENIX (AP) – Caleb Smith pitched 6 2/3 stellar innings, Eduardo Escobar hit a two-run homer for the second straight game and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2. It was a nice bounce-back outing for Smith, who was rocked for nine earned runs in one inning during a 22-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers just before the All-Star break. The left-hander even earned his first career stolen base, surprising the Pirates by getting a huge jump and swiping second. Escobar’s homer was his 22nd of the season.
July 20, 2021 3:47 am
UNDATED (AP) – New York Mets manager Luis Rojas has been suspended for two games and fined for excessive arguing with umpires. Rojas’ outburst followed a bizarre play at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Rojas started his suspension Monday night at Cincinnati. Bench coach Dave Jauss has temporarily taken over managerial duties. The argument followed a misplay by Mets starter Taijuan Walker that allowed the Pirates to score three runs. Walker swatted at a ball that he thought was foul, but it was called fair and no Mets players retrieved it. Rojas says he still believes the ball was foul.
July 20, 2021 3:49 am
ESPN has finally landed Peyton Manning as a “Monday Night Football” commentator. Walt Disney Company announced on Monday a partnership with Manning and his Omaha Productions company in which Peyton and Eli Manning will be part of a “Monday Night Football” MegaCast for 10 games a year the next three seasons. Manning, who will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.
July 19, 2021 3:06 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to complete a huge comeback and the New York Mets overcame an embarrassing gaffe by All-Star pitcher Taijuan Walker to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6. Trailing 6-0 in the first inning, the Mets rallied to salvage a rugged weekend at PNC Park. The NL East leaders lost stars Jacob deGrom and Francisco Lindor to injuries, then dropped Saturday night’s game when closer Edwin Diaz gave up a two-out grand slam in the ninth. Conforto connected off closer Richard Rodriguez. Walker gave up six quick runs. Three of them scored when he swatted at a slow roller up the third base line with the bases loaded, thinking it was foul.
July 19, 2021 3:11 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Penguins have released a “protected” list ahead of the 2021 Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken. Pittsburgh protected Teddy Blueger, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Kasperi Kapanen, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, Kris Letang, Mike Matheson and Tristan Jarry. Some notable names left off the protection list include forwards Brandon Tanev, Zach Aston-Reese and Jason Zucker. The NHL Expansion Draft will take place Wednesday.
July 19, 2021 3:07 am
SANDWICH, England (AP) -Collin Morikawa won the British Open in his debut and became the first player to capture two different majors on the first attempt. The 24-year-old from California closed with a bogey-free 4-under 66 Sunday for a two-shot victory over Jordan Spieth. Morikawa won on his PGA Championship debut 11 months ago at an empty Harding Park. This time he did it in front of a crowd, with 32,000 spectators at Royal St. George’s. Morikawa is the first player since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight or fewer starts, and his total of 15-under 265 was a 72-hole record at the links in Sandwich, England.
July 18, 2021 7:33 am
PITTSBURGH — Jacob Stallings hit a fly ball down the leftfield line and stood in the batter’s box. He was watching and hoping. Stallings liked what he saw. The ball sailed over the wall for a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer Edwin Díaz that rallied the Pirates to a 9-7 victory over the stunned New York Mets on Saturday night. Trailing 6-0, the Pirates scored all their runs in the final two innings – five in the eighth and four in the ninth. Stallings got his sixth career game-ending RBI. It was the third walk-off slam at PNC Park, which opened in 2001. The others were by Brian Giles in ’01 and Rob Mackowiak in 2004. J.D. Davis hit a pair of two-run homers for New York in his first start since coming off the 60-day injured list, and rookie starter Tylor Megill pitched six scoreless innings. But it wasn’t enough on a miserable day for the Mets, who detailed injuries to star shortstop Francisco Lindor and ace Jacob deGrom before the game. Lindor is out indefinitely with a strained oblique, and deGrom is sidelined with forearm tightness in the latest round of health setbacks for the NL East leaders. New York dropped to 2-4 against the last-place Pirates over the past 10 days — including two blown saves by Díaz in games the Mets led by at least five runs. This time, he was tagged for his third blown save in 21 chances this season after Seth Lugo gave up five runs in the eighth inning. Down 7-5 in the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases with one out as Ke’Bryan Hayes was hit by a pitch, Bryan Reynolds walked and John Nogowski hit an infield single. Díaz (3-4) struck out Gregory Polanco looking on a full-count pitch. But then Stallings pulled his slam down the left field line beyond the outstretched glove of Kevin Pillar, who climbed over the wall in a desperate attempt to make the catch. Díaz had not allowed a home run in 48 1/3 innings dating to last season, the longest active streak in the majors.
