April 24, 2021 4:12 am
WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Justin Layne has been arrested in Ohio after police say they found a loaded gun in his car during an early morning traffic stop. Willoughby Hills police say Layne was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. Police say they stopped Layne for speeding and conducted a search after smelling marijuana and seeing loose particles scattered throughout the vehicle. That search revealed there was a loaded Glock pistol in the center console. According to the police report, Layne acknowledged the gun was his and said he forgot it was there. A Steelers spokesman says the team is aware of the incident and is still gathering information.
April 24, 2021 4:14 am
AVONDALE, La. (AP) – Tony Finau and Cameron Champ shot a 4-under 68 in alternate-shot play for a share of the Zurich Classic lead with the Norwegian duo of Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura. Hovland and Ventura had a 69 to match Finau and Champ at 13-under 131 through 36 holes. Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose birdied seven holes, including the par-3 17th with a 12-foot putt by Rose. But they also bogeyed three holes in a four-under 68 that put them at 11 under and tied for third with Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler. The teams will play best ball Saturday, and close with an alternate-shot round Sunday.
April 23, 2021 3:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each scored their 19th goals of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Kasperi Kapanen returned to the lineup after missing the last 13 games with a left foot injury to score his eighth of the season and add an assist. Teddy Blueger scored a short-handed goal while Cody Ceci also scored for the Penguins. Matt Tennyson scored for New Jersey for his first goal since Dec. 15, 2015, when he played for San Jose. Aaron Dell was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots as the Devils lost their eighth straight.
April 23, 2021 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has aggravated his left wrist injury, delaying his potential return to the majors. The team says he tweaked the wrist while taking indoor batting practice against a high-velocity pitching machine in Detroit. The Pirates sent Hayes back to Pittsburgh for further tests. Pittsburgh called up two-time All-Star Todd Frazier to provide depth at both infield spots.
April 23, 2021 3:45 am
DETROIT (AP) – Phillip Evans kept Akil Baddoo’s drive to left field in the park in the seventh inning to help Pittsburgh escape a jam, and the Pirates scored twice in the eighth to beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2. Colin Moran and Erik Gonzalez hit RBI singles with two outs in the eighth. With the score tied at 2, Baddoo nearly put the Tigers ahead, but Evans reached above the fence in left, and the ball bounced off his glove and back into the field of play. Baddoo wound up with a double, and he didn’t end up scoring.
April 22, 2021 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen is nearing his return from a foot injury that’s sidelined him for nearly a month. Kapanen participated in a full-contact practice and could be back as early as this weekend. The Penguins have played well with Kapanen out to move within a point of Washington and the New York Islanders for first place in the East Division.
April 22, 2021 4:02 am
UNDATED (AP) – NFL owners approved eliminating overtime in preseason games and expanded selection of jersey numbers for receivers, running backs and defensive backs. The league also will allow on-field officials to get certain “objective information” from the replay official and designated members of the officiating department “when clear and obvious video evidence is present.”
The NFL is also exploring changes to the annual NFL scouting combine to improve the professional and medical experience for draft prospects. The combine in Indianapolis was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, so prospects displayed their talents for scouts, coaches and general managers at their college pro days instead. Teams interviewed players virtually and most medical and psychological testing was done by video. About 150 draft prospects did in-person medical evaluations in Indianapolis earlier this month.
April 22, 2021 3:59 am
NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown has settled a civil lawsuit by former trainer Britney Taylor who accused Brown of sexually assaulting her. Taylor filed the lawsuit in 2019 and lawyers for her and Brown released statements Wednesday revealing the agreement. The civil suit stemmed from what Taylor said occurred in 2017 and 2018, when she said the player sexually assaulted her twice, then raped her. Brown countersued Taylor, claiming defamation. Brown is currently a free agent after winning the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. He remains subject to discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
April 21, 2021 3:54 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jeff Carter picked up his first goal in Pittsburgh as part of a first-period deluge as the Penguins held on for a 7-6 win over New Jersey. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which nearly let a six-goal lead slip away in the third period. The Devils scored six times in the third but couldn’t quite draw even. New Jersey has dropped seven straight games.
April 21, 2021 3:52 am
DETROIT (AP) – Tyler Anderson pitched five solid innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates took the first game of a doubleheader, 3-2 over the Detroit Tigers. Pittsburgh scored all three of its runs in the fourth inning after Michael Fulmer retired the Pirates in order through the first three. Pittsburgh has now won five of its last seven to pull within a game of .500. The Pirates and Tigers were playing a doubleheader because Tuesday night’s game was postponed on a snowy day in the Detroit area. There was still a white dusting on top of the bushes beyond the wall in center field Wednesday, plus some flurries late in the game.
