July 31, 2024 4:33 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Michael Taylor homered for the second straight game, Bailey Falter returned to the rotation and threw one-run ball into the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 6-2. Taylor hit a 403-foot, two-run homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown (9-7) in the sixth inning. Taylor hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning on Monday night in the Pirates’ 5-3 victory. His fourth homer of the season also marked the first back-to-back homer games for the 33-year-old outfielder since August with Minnesota. Falter (5-7), making his first start since July 6 due to triceps tendonitis, allowed six hits and one run with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 1/3 innings.
July 31, 2024 4:42 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates made several moves to bolster their roster before the trade deadline on Tuesday. They landed infielder/outfielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Toronto by trading away minor league infielder/outfielder Charles McAdoo. Kiner-Falefa, who is related to Pirates Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, made his MLB debut in 2018 and has been utilized in a variety of positions, but most frequently is used as a shortstop. He’s the sixth player in Yankees’ history to make at least 85 starts in a season and appear defensively at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. The Buc’s also acquired outfielder Bryan De La Cruz (pictured) from Miami by trading minor league right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim and minor league infielder Garret Forrester. In other moves, they acquired left-handed pitcher Josh Walker from the New York Mets for minor league left-handed pitcher Nicolas Carreno. Walker made 10 appearances this season with the Mets, posting a 2.08 ERA in his first eight outings and sent Martín Pérez to the San Diego Padres for minor league left-handed pitcher Ronaldys Jimenez.
July 31, 2024 4:36 am
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Russell Wilson took part in his first live team rep as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback during training camp on Tuesday. “It’s good to be back out here again with the guys, putting the helmet on,” said Wilson, who did not take part in any full-squad drills over the first four days of camp because of a calf injury. That injury compelled coach Mike Tomlin to sit Wilson when practices started, and that persisted all throughout the four-day acclimation period to start camp before a day off Monday leading into Tuesday’s first full-contact practice of camp.
July 31, 2024 4:43 am
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
July 31, 2024 4:44 am
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have the government backing the team needs to build a long-sought-after ballpark. The Pinellas County Commissioners approved on Tuesday the west-central Florida county’s share of the funding for the 30,000-seat stadium. The deal will guarantee the team stays put for at least 30 years. The county voted 5-2 to approve spending about $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs from revenue generated by a bed tax. The St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $417.5 million for the stadium earlier this month. The $1.3 billion ballpark is part of a broader $6.5 billion redevelopment project that supporters say would transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown.
July 30, 2024 4:36 pm
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
July 30, 2024 4:30 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Paul Skenes allowed one earned run over six innings in a no-decision and Michael A. Taylor hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth off Josh Hader that led the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Houston Astros 6-3. Skenes lowered his ERA from 1.93 to 1.90, giving up two runs, five hits and three walks with six strikeouts. His 103 strikeouts in his first 13 starts trail only Hideo Nomo (119), Kerry Wood (118), Herb Score (107), Jose DeLeon (106), while matching Masahiro Tanaka. Skenes’ streak of starts with seven or more ended at nine.
July 30, 2024 4:33 am
The St. Louis Cardinals added starting pitcher Erick Fedde and Milwaukee, the team they are chasing in the NL Central, acquired starter Frankie Montas. Those were among the flurry of trades Monday by playoff hopeful teams on the day before the MLB deadline. Kansas City got veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen. The NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers got hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopeck in the three-team deal that sent Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the lowly White Sox to the Cardinals. Houston and Seattle are in a tight race for the AL West lead, and both acquired players from Toronto. The Mariners got veteran infielder Justin Turner and the Astros added left-handed starter Yusei Kikuchi.
July 30, 2024 4:31 am
PARIS (AP) — The men’s Olympic triathlon has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris’ Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place. Organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon Wednesday instead of Tuesday as planned. The women’s competition is also scheduled for Wednesday, but both are subject to water tests. A risk of rain through Thursday could complicate rescheduling. The decision to postpone the men’s event followed a meeting that included the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, its medical team and city officials. The event is now scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m., which may make heat more of a factor.
July 29, 2024 4:38 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Ji Hwan Bae scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in Pittsburgh’s four-run 10th inning, Joey Bart hit a tying run-scoring double in the ninth and the Pirates rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5. Arizona took a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning, only to see it fall apart. Pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez led off the ninth inning with a double against Paul Sewald. Bart followed with a two-out double to tie it. The blown save was Sewald’s fourth in 20 chances. Bae scored on a wild pitch by Justin Martinez after opening the 10th inning with a bunt single. Martinez then hit Alika Williams with a pitch to score another run and Ke’Bryan Hayes made it 6-2 with a two-run bloop single.
