April 14, 2021 2:15 am
The Arizona Cardinals have signed running back James Conner to a one-year contract. The 25-year-old Conner played his first four seasons in Pittsburgh and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018. He ran for a career-high 973 yards and 12 touchdowns that year. He played in 13 games in 2020 and started 11, finishing with 721 yards and six touchdowns.
April 13, 2021 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Yu Darvish allowed three hits over seven dominant innings, Wil Myers drove in five runs and the San Diego Padres extended their strong start with a 6-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Darvish struck out six and walked one in a crisp performance as the Padres won their fourth straight. The four-time All-Star was efficient in his first win with San Diego, throwing 95 pitches and permitting just one runner past second base. Myers hit a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Padres in front to stay. He added a two-run single in the seventh. Phil Evans had an RBI double but Pittsburgh’s modest two-game winning streak ended.
April 13, 2021 3:58 am
UNDATED – The Chicago Cubs are concerned about a possible COVID-19 outbreak after two coaches tested positive for the virus and three relievers were placed on the COVID-19-related injured list.
The team announced the positive test for bullpen coach Chris Young on Monday, with first base coach Craig Driver already away from the team following his positive test. Relievers Brandon Workman, Jason Adam and Dan Winkler were placed on the COVID-19-related injured list. There was no word on whether their designation was the result of a positive test or contact tracing.
April 13, 2021 3:57 am
UNDATED- The Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins picked up forwards as they battle the New York Islanders for the NHL’s East Division title. The Capitals made a blockbuster deal to acquire Anthony Mantha from the Red Wings before Monday’s trade deadline. Detroit gets wingers Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik, a 2021 first- and a 2022 second-round pick. The Bruins acquired 2018 NHL MVP Taylor Hall in a trade with the Sabres. Boston also gets forward Curtis Lazar in a swap that brings Anders Bjork and a second-round pick. Only 17 trades were completed Monday, involving just 26 players. That’s down from the NHL trade deadline day record of 32 deals involving 55 players a year ago.
April 13, 2021 3:54 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s Twins, Wild and Timberwolves all postponed their games scheduled for Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a nearby suburb. The Red Sox and Twins were scheduled for a four-game series beginning Monday afternoon at Target Field. There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Wild’s game against the St. Louis Blues that was scheduled for Monday night was rescheduled for May 12. The Timberwolves’ game against the Brooklyn Nets also was postponed. Daunte Wright was killed Sunday when a police officer in Brooklyn Center fired a handgun instead of a stun gun after a traffic stop.
April 12, 2021 3:58 am
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Colton Sceviour scored two, quick goals just hours after coming off waivers and the streaking Pittsburgh Penguins rolled to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night. Bryan Rust scored a controversial goal and Jake Guentzel added two late ones as the Penguins won their third straight and improved to 9-2-1 in their last 12. Tristan Jarry was outstanding, making 28 saves. Miles Wood and P.K. Subban scored for the Devils, who are 1-4-2 in their last seven. Mackenzie Blackwood had 19 saves as New Jersey fell to 4-15-3 at home.
April 12, 2021 3:53 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Los Angeles Kings traded forward Jeff Carter to the Pittsburgh Penguins late Sunday night for a pair of conditional draft picks. Kings Vice President and General Manager Rob Blake said the franchise will have a conditional third-round selection in the 2022 NHL draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in the 2023 draft. Pittsburgh GM Ron Hextall spent seven seasons with the Kings as assistant general manager, including when they won their first Stanley Cup in 2012.
April 12, 2021 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – JT Brubaker pitched into the sixth inning and had the first three RBIs of his career to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Chicago Cubs 7-1. Brubaker allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and one walk. His two-run single down the right-field line capped a three-run second inning and gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead. Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds had the third four-hit game of his career. Trevor Williams áwas hit hard in his return to Pittsburgh, where he spent the first five seasons of his career before being released in November.
April 12, 2021 4:01 am
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – Hideki Matsuyama has become the first Japanese male to win a major championship. Matsuyama has captured the Masters by closing with a 1-over 73, good enough for a one-stroke win over Will Zalatoris. A five-time winner on the PGA Tour, Matsuyama took control of the tournament with a brilliant 65 on Saturday, doing his best work after a rain delay softened the greens. The new champion struggled to close it out. He carried a four-shot lead into the final round and was five ahead at the turn. Xander Schauffele got within two shots with three holes remaining following four straight birdies. But Schauffele’s chances of catching up ended with the first triple-bogey of his major championship career, a 6 on the par-3 16.
April 11, 2021 7:28 am
PITTSBURGH — Mitch Keller’s stuff has never been in question. It’s a lack of command that sometimes handcuff the pitcher the Pittsburgh Pirates view as one of the cornerstones of what they’re trying to build around. The 25-year-old has been searching for it all spring, with little progress to show for all the work he was putting in on the side. The search came to an end on Saturday night against Chicago. Working effectively up in the strike zone, Keller threw five efficient innings as the Pirates used an early burst to chase Zach Davies in an 8-2 win over the Cubs. Keller (1-1) bounced back from a rocky 2021 debut by allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Keller’s fastball can touch the high 90s. Locating it effectively, however, is another matter. He walked batters in 11 1/3 innings in spring training and issued four free passes in three innings in a loss to the Cubs last weekend. Things went far better in his second go-round with Chicago. At one point he retired nine of 10 batters and threw 57 of his 80 pitches for strikes, a significant step in the right direction after he threw just 42 of 77 pitches for strikes while laboring through three innings against Chicago last Sunday. Colin Moran, Bryan Reynolds and Jacob Stallings all drove in two runs during Pittsburgh’s seven-run outburst in the second against Davies (1-1). Phil Evans, with his brother Michael in the stands for the first time since Evans broke into the majors in 2017, added his team-high third home run.
