August 25, 2021 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – JT Brubaker pitched five scoreless innings for his first win in nearly three months, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2. Brubaker (5-13) allowed four hits with six strikeouts, stranding five runners in scoring position. Since last winning May 29, Brubaker went 0-9 with a 7.08 ERA in 12 starts. Diamondbacks starter Madison Bumgarner (7-8) surrendered four runs on six hits in six innings. Pittsburgh, which is 0-9 with a chance to sweep this season, has won four of five after taking the first two of the three-game set against Arizona.
August 25, 2021 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Caleb Smith has been suspended 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount for having a foreign substance on his glove during a game last week. Smith’s suspension is the second this season as Major League Baseball cracks down on pitchers using sticky substances to get a better grip on the ball. Seattle’s Hector Santiago had his 10-game suspension issued last month. Smith has elected to appeal his suspension, which otherwise would have begun Tuesday night against Pittsburgh. Smith had his glove confiscated after he came off the field in the eighth inning against Philadelphia last Wednesday and was ejected.
August 25, 2021 3:51 am
UNDATED, Fla. (AP) – Travis Etienne’s rookie season is over before it begins. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookie running back suffered a left foot injury during Monday’s preseason loss at New Orleans. The first-round draft pick from Clemson is expected to have surgery as soon as possible. Losing Etienne is a significant setback for the Jaguars, who planned to use him to create mismatches in the slot and as a third-down back. Jacksonville selected Etienne with the 25th overall pick in April’s draft and paired him with fellow Clemson star Trevor Lawrence.
August 24, 2021 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Yoshi Tsutsugo homered and Bryan Reynolds tripled in the seventh to help the Pittsburgh Pirates rally to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5. With the game tied in the eighth, Noé Ramirez (0-1) walked three straight to load the bases before Jake Faria came in to face Ke’Bryan Hayes with one out. Hayes sent a dribbler to short on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, scoring Kevin Newman.Pirates reliever Anthony Banda (2-0) struck out the side in the eighth. David Bednar retired the side in order in the ninth for his second major league save.
August 24, 2021 3:43 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Cornerback Joe Haden wants to finish his career with the Steelers. The 32-year-old Haden is entering the final year of his contract. He’s already gone public with his desire to possibly sign an extension, citing his love of the organization and coach Mike Tomlin. Haden’s proven reliable and effective in his four years in Pittsburgh, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 and missing just three games over the past three seasons. Haden believes the 2021 edition of the Pittsburgh defense can be even better than the one that finished 2020 ranked third in the league.
August 24, 2021 3:47 am
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – The Big Ten is the latest Power Five conference to announce that a team must forfeit if it doesn’t have enough players available for a league game because of COVID-19. The Big Ten said the team that forfeits will be assessed a loss in the conference standings and its opponent will be credited with a win. If both teams are unable to compete on the date of as scheduled conference game because of COVID-19, and the game can’t be rescheduled, it will be considered a no contest. The Power Five conferences appear headed toward having similar forfeit policies.
August 24, 2021 3:49 am
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) -Tony Finau is a winner on the PGA Tour again. Finally. Finau ended a drought of more than five years and 142 tournaments on the PGA Tour by winning The Northern Trust in a playoff. But he needed some help. Cameron Smith hit his tee shot over a wall and out of play on the first extra hole. Earlier, Jon Rahm played the closing stretch with two bogeys and no birdies to fall out of the lead. Finau shot 30 on the back nine and closed with a 65 at Liberty National. The victory moves him atop the FedEx Cup.
August 23, 2021 3:47 am
According to various reports, the Pirates have placed outfielder Gregory Polanco on waivers. If Polanco is not claimed by Tuesday, he can become a free agent or join Triple-A Indianapolis. He is the highest-paid and longest tenured Pirates player with a salary of $11.6 Million this year.
August 23, 2021 3:42 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Adam Wainwright allowed two hits in eight masterful innings and Paul Goldschmidt homered to lead the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0. The Cardinals snapped a two-game skid and kept the Pirates from earning their first series sweep of the season. They remain the only team in the majors without one. Wainwright threw 106 pitches and retired his final 11 hitters. He hasn’t permitted a run in his past 19 innings against the Pirates and has won his last seven decisions against them. The 39-year-old right-hander struck out nine and did not walk a batter in improving to 20-7 lifetime against Pittsburgh.
August 23, 2021 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Hockey Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert has died at 80. Gilbert spent his entire career with the New York Rangers from 1962-77, putting up big numbers despite a spinal fusion. He was the team’s all-time scoring leader when he was released by the team, finishing with 406 goals and 1,021 points. The eight-time All-Star also played for Team Canada in the Summit Series against the USSR in 1972. Gilbert was a First Team All-Star in 1972, the year he helped the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final as one-third of the famous GAG Line with Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield. The team didn’t provide details of Gilbert’s death.
