July 19, 2021 3:06 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Michael Conforto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to complete a huge comeback and the New York Mets overcame an embarrassing gaffe by All-Star pitcher Taijuan Walker to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6. Trailing 6-0 in the first inning, the Mets rallied to salvage a rugged weekend at PNC Park. The NL East leaders lost stars Jacob deGrom and Francisco Lindor to injuries, then dropped Saturday night’s game when closer Edwin Diaz gave up a two-out grand slam in the ninth. Conforto connected off closer Richard Rodriguez. Walker gave up six quick runs. Three of them scored when he swatted at a slow roller up the third base line with the bases loaded, thinking it was foul.
July 19, 2021 3:11 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Penguins have released a “protected” list ahead of the 2021 Expansion Draft for the Seattle Kraken. Pittsburgh protected Teddy Blueger, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Kasperi Kapanen, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Brian Dumoulin, Kris Letang, Mike Matheson and Tristan Jarry. Some notable names left off the protection list include forwards Brandon Tanev, Zach Aston-Reese and Jason Zucker. The NHL Expansion Draft will take place Wednesday.
July 19, 2021 3:07 am
SANDWICH, England (AP) -Collin Morikawa won the British Open in his debut and became the first player to capture two different majors on the first attempt. The 24-year-old from California closed with a bogey-free 4-under 66 Sunday for a two-shot victory over Jordan Spieth. Morikawa won on his PGA Championship debut 11 months ago at an empty Harding Park. This time he did it in front of a crowd, with 32,000 spectators at Royal St. George’s. Morikawa is the first player since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in eight or fewer starts, and his total of 15-under 265 was a 72-hole record at the links in Sandwich, England.
July 18, 2021 7:33 am
PITTSBURGH — Jacob Stallings hit a fly ball down the leftfield line and stood in the batter’s box. He was watching and hoping. Stallings liked what he saw. The ball sailed over the wall for a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer Edwin Díaz that rallied the Pirates to a 9-7 victory over the stunned New York Mets on Saturday night. Trailing 6-0, the Pirates scored all their runs in the final two innings – five in the eighth and four in the ninth. Stallings got his sixth career game-ending RBI. It was the third walk-off slam at PNC Park, which opened in 2001. The others were by Brian Giles in ’01 and Rob Mackowiak in 2004. J.D. Davis hit a pair of two-run homers for New York in his first start since coming off the 60-day injured list, and rookie starter Tylor Megill pitched six scoreless innings. But it wasn’t enough on a miserable day for the Mets, who detailed injuries to star shortstop Francisco Lindor and ace Jacob deGrom before the game. Lindor is out indefinitely with a strained oblique, and deGrom is sidelined with forearm tightness in the latest round of health setbacks for the NL East leaders. New York dropped to 2-4 against the last-place Pirates over the past 10 days — including two blown saves by Díaz in games the Mets led by at least five runs. This time, he was tagged for his third blown save in 21 chances this season after Seth Lugo gave up five runs in the eighth inning. Down 7-5 in the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases with one out as Ke’Bryan Hayes was hit by a pitch, Bryan Reynolds walked and John Nogowski hit an infield single. Díaz (3-4) struck out Gregory Polanco looking on a full-count pitch. But then Stallings pulled his slam down the left field line beyond the outstretched glove of Kevin Pillar, who climbed over the wall in a desperate attempt to make the catch. Díaz had not allowed a home run in 48 1/3 innings dating to last season, the longest active streak in the majors.
July 18, 2021 7:35 am
The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Filip Hallander and a 2023 seventh-round draft pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Jared McCann. Hallander, 21, is signed through the 2022-23 season and his contract carries an average annual value of $764,167 at the NHL level. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward spent the 2020-21 season with Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League, recording 13 goals, 11 assists and 24 points in 51 games. Hallander’s 13 goals were tied for third-most on the team. Hallander has played parts of the last five seasons in the SHL and Allsvenskan in Sweden, split between Lulea HF and Timra IK. In 123 career SHL games, Hallander has recorded 25 goals, 34 assists and 59 points. The forward has tallied nine goals, 11 assists and 20 points in 48 career Allsvenskan games. Hallander was originally drafted by the Penguins in the second round (58th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft before being traded to Toronto on August 25, 2020 as part of the seven-piece deal that saw Pittsburgh acquire Kasperi Kapanen.
July 17, 2021 4:28 am
PITTSBURGH (WPXI) — In their first game out of the All-Star break, things got heated between the Mets and the Pirates at PNC Park on Friday night. With a runner on third and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Pirates first baseman John Nogowski lined out to Mets first baseman Pete Alonso to end the frame. Mets starter Marcus Stroman hopped off the mound fired up, shouting back to his dugout. But Nogowski took exception and pointed back at Stroman, who crossed by the first baseman on the way to the visiting dugout, as Nogowski shouted in his direction. Stroman responded, Nogowski walked toward him while continuing to voice his disapproval and the benches quickly emptied and joined together on the third-base side of the mound. The bullpens also emptied, but by the time those players arrived, Nogowski had begun to walk back to the dugout and Stroman appeared to be in some form of discomfort before sprinting back to the dugout. The tension dissipated on the field, and the umpires held a conference with managers Derek Shelton and Luis Rojas. The Pirates won 4-1.
July 17, 2021 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP/WPXI) – Two NFL teams remain under 50% vaccinated less than two weeks from the start of training camp, a person familiar with the vaccination rates told The Associated Press. As for Friday, Washington and Indianapolis had the two lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates among the 32 teams in the league, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league hasn’t released the numbers, which are changing daily. Pittsburgh, Miami, Carolina and Denver have the highest vaccination rates and are among 10 teams that have achieved at least 85%. About 73% of players have been vaccinated. Teams on the lower end of the vaccination table face potential competitive disadvantages.
July 17, 2021 4:29 am
SEATTLE (AP) – Former Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers star Richard Sherman says he’s “deeply remorseful” following his arrest in suburban Seattle this week. He tweeted a statement Friday before pleading not guilty to drunken driving, criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and other charges. Police said he drunkenly crashed his SUV in a construction zone, tried to break in to his in-laws’ home and fought with police as they detained him early Wednesday. Sherman said he’s been dealing with personal challenges for months but that’s no excuse for how he acted. Sherman was released from jail Thursday.
July 16, 2021 2:58 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Thursday’s only Major League Baseball game had to be postponed after three New York Yankees pitchers tested positive for COVID-19. Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta were the players who tested positive, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he expects three other players to test positive. The Yankees were supposed to begin a four-game series with the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox Thursday, but the COVID-19 cases could postpone Friday’s game as well.
July 16, 2021 2:56 am
CHICAGO (AP) – The Atlanta Braves have acquired Joc Pederson in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, bolstering their outfield after losing Ronald Acuna Jr. to a season-ending knee injury. Atlanta sent minor league first baseman Bryce Ball to Chicago for Pederson, who is batting .230 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs in 73 games. The 29-year-old Pederson spent his first seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing with the Cubs in free agency in February. The Braves are looking to return to the playoffs, but their pursuit of a fourth straight NL East title took a hit when Acuna tore the ACL in his right knee during Saturday’s 5-4 victory over Miami.
