May 10, 2021 3:58 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a failed post-race drug test. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert called a news conference to announce that Medina Spirit tested positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone that is sometimes used to treat pain and inflammation in horses. Churchill Downs immediately suspended Baffert and said Medina Spirit would be disqualified if the drug findings were upheld. Baffert denied all wrongdoing and promised to be fully transparent with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission during its investigation. Medina Spirit is Baffert’s fifth horse known to have failed a drug test in just over a year. If he is disqualified from the Derby, second-place finisher Mandaloun will be declared the winner.
May 9, 2021 7:42 am
PITTSBURGH — Jeff Carter scored and Maxime Lagace stopped 29 shots for his first career shutout as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 1-0 on Saturday. Lagace, making his first start in more than two years, got his seventh career win, and helped Pittsburgh clinch first place in the East Division when Washington needed overtime to beat Philadelphia. The Penguins were without Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, their top two goaltenders, for the regular season finale. Carter scored his 17th goal as the Penguins finished the regular season with 13 wins and points in 14 of their last 16 games. Pittsburgh also finished 22-4-2 at home, one of the best marks in the league. Michael Houser, who grew up in northern Pittsburgh suburbs, made 22 saves for Buffalo. Houser made his fourth straight start for the Sabres, who used a NHL-high six goalies this season. Lagace played with the Vegas Golden Knights when he made his last start on Feb. 1, 2019, against Carolina. Lagace, who played in his 18th NHL game, joined Pittsburgh as a free agent in the offseason, and split the year on the team’s taxi squad and minor league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He served as the backup for five games with Pittsburgh, including the last two before Saturday’s start.
May 9, 2021 7:44 am
CHICAGO — Pinch-hitter Matt Duffy had a go-ahead single in the seventh inning, reliever Keegan Thompson pitched three scoreless innings for his first major league victory and the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 Saturday for their fifth straight win. Willson Contreras and Eric Sogard each drove in a run for Chicago, which has won seven of nine to improve to 17-16. Thompson (1-0) allowed two hits and a walk following starter Trevor Williams, who gave up two runs and five hits in four innings. Andrew Chafin worked a scoreless eighth and Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his sixth save. Duffy pinch hit for Thompson and blooped a two-out single to right off reliever Clay Holmes to score Jason Heyward — who led off with a walk against Sam Howard (2-2) and stole second — with the winning run. Ka’ai Tom hit his first big league homer and Frazier had three hits for Pittsburgh, which has dropped eight of nine. The Pirates have totaled eight runs in their last six games. They are 2-17 in their last 19 games at Wrigley Field.
May 8, 2021 3:36 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Capitals missed an opportunity to reclaim first place in the East Division by losing to the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Rookie Wade Allison scored twice and veteran goaltender Brian Elliott made 28 saves for Philadelphia. T.J. Oshie and Daniel Sprong scored for the Capitals. Washington’s regulation loss means Pittsburgh could clinch the division title as soon as Saturday with a victory against last-place Buffalo and a Capitals loss. The Capitals and Flyers face off again Saturday night.
May 8, 2021 3:00 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Zach Davies allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings, Rex Brothers got his first save in eight years and the Chicago Cubs held on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2, extending their winning streak to four. Joc Pederson had three hits and an RBI for the Cubs, who were coming off a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Javier Baez and David Bote had two hits each. Chicago got back to .500 at 16-16. Pittsburgh has lost seven of eight. The Pirates have six runs in their last five games.
May 8, 2021 3:38 am
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – There’s a three-way tie for the lead through two rounds of the PGA’s Wells Fargo Championship. Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland fought through morning gusts while shooting a 2-under 69 that leaves him tied with Matt Wallace and Patrick Rodgers. Wallace fired a 66 for a 6 under total. Kramer Hickok is one shot back and one ahead of five others, including Rory McIlroy. Phil Mickelson followed a 64 with a 75 that puts him 3 under.
May 8, 2021 1:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without their top two goaltenders for Saturday’s regular-season finale against Buffalo. Coach Mike Sullivan ruled Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith out with minor injuries on Friday. DeSmith is dealing with an upper-body injury while Jarry is working through a lower-body injury. DeSmith was injured in a loss to Philadelphia on Monday. Jarry played in an 8-4 victory over Buffalo on Thursday. Maxime Lagace is expected to make his first start in more than two years as the Penguins try to move closer to locking up home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
May 7, 2021 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jeff Carter scored a career-high four goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins moved back into first place in the crowded East Division with an 8-4 victory over Buffalo. Jared McCann had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh. Brian Dumoulin, Sidney Crosby and Kasperi Kapanen also scored for the Penguins. Pittsburgh moved two points ahead of Washington for the top spot in the East. The Capitals, however, have three games remaining. The Penguins have just one, their regular-season finale against the Sabres.
May 7, 2021 3:56 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Rangers have been fined $250,000 by the NHL for criticizing head of player safety George Parros. The team commented after the league fined but did not suspend Washington’s Tom Wilson for his role in a scrum that injured Rangers star Artemi Panarin on Monday. Commissioner Gary Bettman says the extent to which the Rangers expressed their disagreement was “unacceptable.” Also, the league has handed Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich a one-game suspension for for cross-checking Capitals forward Anthony Mantha in the second period of Wednesday’s rematch. Buchnevich was one of two Rangers who were sucker-punched by Wilson on Monday.
May 7, 2021 3:57 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Los Angeles Angels are dropping a Hall of Fame candidate. Albert Pujols has been designated for assignment, abruptly ending the 41-year-old superstar slugger’s decade with his second major league team. Pujols is fifth in major league history with 667 career homers, and 13th with 3,253 hits. The oldest active player in the majors is batting just .198 this season with five homers and 12 RBIs. Pujols joined the Angels in late 2011 after 11 successful seasons with the Cardinals.
