April 18, 2021 7:30 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Stewart Cink is having a great time playing at the RBC Heritage with his son, Reagan, as his caddie. He’s winning, too. The 47-year-old Cink, closer to the Champions Tour than his PGA prime, maintained a five-shot lead and set another scoring mark at Harbour Town Golf Links on Saturday, moving closer to his third career win at this event. Cink is reveling in his time with Reagan, chatting away like long-lost best friends as they walk down fairways and between holes. Doesn’t seem like he is feeling much pressure as he heads into the final round with a big lead. Cink cooled off from his pace in the first two rounds, when he shot a pair of 63s for his lowest career 36-hole score and shattered the event’s halfway scoring mark shared by Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson. This time, Cink scrambled his way to a 2-under 69 to get to 18-under 195, also a tournament mark for lowest 54-hole score. The record had been held by Justin Leonard at 16-under 197 in 2002.
April 17, 2021 3:53 am
MILWAUKEE (AP) – JT Brubaker struck out eight in six impressive innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their recent surge by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 6-1. Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco homered for the Pirates, who have followed a six-game skid by winning five of seven. Adam Frazier added a two-run triple. Brubaker yielded one run and four hits, lowering his ERA to 1.76 in three starts this season. The right-hander didn’t walk anybody, though he did hit three batters. Adrian Houser allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings, ending Milwaukee’s franchise-record streak of eight straight games in which its starting pitchers worked at least five innings while allowing no more than one run.
April 17, 2021 4:12 am
The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed RHP Michael Feliz on the 10 day injured list. Feliz cracked a nail on his right middle finger. In a move to fill Feliz’s spot on the roster, RHP Sean Poppen has been recalled to the active roster. Poppen was claimed off waivers from Minnesota in October of 2020. Poppen made six relief appearances for the Twins in 2020.
April 17, 2021 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The lawyer for Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald says witnesses and surveillance video refute a man’s claim the player assaulted him at a Pittsburgh nightclub last weekend. Attorney Casey White said Friday the video indicates Donald didn’t assault anyone but was trying to save the victim, De’Vincent Spriggs. The station aired black-and-white video that shows about a dozen men and a melee. White says five witnesses say Donald helped pull people away. Spriggs’ lawyer Todd Hollis has said Donald and others assaulted Spriggs, causing multiple injuries that required hospital treatment. Police are investigating but no charges have been filed.
April 17, 2021 3:50 am
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) – Two-time champion Stewart Cink has moved into position for a third RBC Heritage title, shooting a second straight 63 to set the 36-hole scoring mark at Harbour Town. The 47-year-old Cink has played his first two rounds at 16-under 126, five strokes better than Corey Conners. The previous best midway score was 129, set by Jack Nicklaus en route to victory in 1975 and matched by Phil Mickelson, who wound up third in 2002. Conners and Emiliano Grillo each fired 64s on Friday. Grillo is six back.
April 16, 2021 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier scored in the shootout and the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Giroux and Couturier were the lone shooters for Philadelphia, as Jake Guentzel scored for Pittsburgh, but Carter Hart stopped Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang to seal the win. Jakub Voracek scored his eighth of the season in regulation for the Flyers, who snapped a two-game skid. The Flyers won for just the ninth time in their past 25 games. Hart stopped 31 shots for his first win in eight starts.
April 16, 2021 2:54 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Manny Machado hit his third home run of the season, Eric Hosmer added two hits and two RBIs and the San Diego Padres jumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates early in an 8-3 win. Machado took Mitch Keller (1-2) deep with a two-run shot down the left-field line during San Diego’s four-run first. Hosmer added a two-run single in the second. San Diego finished a seven-game eastern road trip 5-2. Keller struggled, giving up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings, a step back after pitching well in a victory over the Cubs last weekend.
April 16, 2021 3:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Vince Williams isn’t going anywhere after all. The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed the veteran inside linebacker to a one-year deal. The signing comes a month after the Steelers cut Williams in a cost-cutting measure. Financial terms were not disclosed but the salary comes at a significant discount against what Williams was scheduled to make in 2021 before being released in March.
April 16, 2021 2:53 am
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. (WPXI) — The entire Pine-Richland High School football staff has been fired. Reports say an email was sent to head coach Eric Kasperowicz informing him that his position will be advertised. Administrators had been questioning current and former players about allegations of misconduct in the locker room. Kasperowicz was supposed to meet with school administrators Wednesday night but was fired prior to the meeting. Kasperowicz won four WPIAL titles, two state championships and put the school district in the national spotlight for its success on the football field. Dozens of players showed up at the team’s football stadium angry and asking why their coaches were fired Wednesday night. They all told Channel 11 that despite a reported school investigation, there is no hazing and no wrongdoing by any of the coaches. They said Kasperowicz molded them into decent men and quality students on and off the field. Channel 11 has reached out to multiple district officials for a comment and to ask if any alleged hazing was under investigation by the police department. So far, there has been no response from anyone associated with the district.
April 15, 2021 2:56 am
UNDATED (AP) – Carlos Rodon has thrown the second no-hitter of the major league season, and second in five days. Rodon was two out from a perfect game before settling for a no-no in the White Sox’s 8-0 thrashing of the Indians. Perfection ended when he hit Roberto Perez on the foot with a pitch. Rodon recovered to fan Yu Chang before retiring Jordan Luplow on a grounder to third. The Chicago hurler pitched most of the night with a huge lead as Yermin Mercedes belted a three-run homer in a six-run first. Indians starter Zach Plesac was yanked after two-thirds of an inning, charged with six runs and seven hits.
