July 31, 2021 4:16 am
CANTON, Ohio (AP) – Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said on social media Friday that he recently tested positive for COVID-19, a week before he’s due to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Polamalu told the hall of his diagnosis. He said they are working with health officials to determine whether he could be cleared to travel to Canton in time for his enshrinement, scheduled for next Saturday.
July 31, 2021 3:46 am
TOKYO (AP) – Simone Biles is taking a few more days off. USA Gymnastics says Biles has decided to withdraw from the Olympic event finals in the vault and uneven bars. She continues to be evaluated daily to determine whether she’ll compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam. Biles said she was putting her mental health first when she withdrew from the gymnastics team event after one rotation. She also decided not to compete in the all-around. Biles was the defending Olympic champion in the vault.
July 30, 2021 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Manny Pina hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs as the Milwaukee Brewers routed the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-0. Pina hit his sixth home run of the season off reliever Chris Stratton to cap a big sixth inning for the Brewers, and then added a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The Brewers outscored Pittsburgh 28-3 while sweeping the series and have won five of their last six. Milwaukee has increased its lead over second place Cincinnati in the NL Central to seven games.
July 30, 2021 3:49 am
TOKYO (AP) – Olympic star Simone Biles says she’s been dealing with a bout of “the twisties” since last Sunday and is uncertain whether she’ll continue to compete at the Tokyo Games. The “twisties” are gymnastics code for when an athlete can’t figure out where they are in relation to the ground during a routine. Biles withdrew from the team and all-around competition because she felt she wasn’t mentally prepared.
– United States swimmer Caeleb Dressel watched his Olympic record fall in the 100-meter butterfly, only to take it right back. Minutes after Hungary’s Kristof Milak took down the mark in the first semifinal heat, Dressel went even faster with a time of 49.71 seconds in the second heat.
– American Ryan Murphy was second in the 200-meter backstroke at the Tokyo Games with a time of 1:54.15. Murphy was a double-gold medalist at the 2016 Rio Games, extending what had been America’s dominance of the backstroke events that went back to 1992. Russia’s Evgeny Rylov set an Olympic record to win the event and complete a backstroke sweep.
July 30, 2021 3:51 am
NEW YORK (AP) – The Detroit Pistons are hoping Cade Cunningham will be a key component to their rebuilding program. The Pistons have used the first pick in the NBA Draft to take Cunningham, who a first-team Associated Press All-American as a freshman this past season. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound point guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists for Oklahoma State. He possesses a game that allows him to hit from 3-point range, score off the dribble or find teammates out of traps. The Rockets used the second selection to take G-League product Jalen Green. The Cavaliers went with center Evan Mobley with the third choice. The Raptors picked up Florida State forward Scottie with the fourth selection, and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs went to the Magic and No. 5.
July 29, 2021 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Lorenzo Cain and Luis Urias hit two-run doubles, Adrian Houser pitched five scoreless innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Wednesday night. Cain’s hit in the fourth inning pushed the Brewers’ lead to 3-0. Urias’ double came during a three-run sixth that made it 6-0. Houser allowed two hits while striking out two and walking one. He is 4-0 in his last 11 starts and the Brewers have won each of his last eight outings. Pirates rookie Rodolfo Castro became the first player in major league history to have his first five hits all be home runs.
July 29, 2021 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith seeks consistency heading into his second NFL season. He’s also excited to be back in the mix with the NFL’s top-ranked pass rush. Highsmith closed the 2020 season opposite T.J. Watt as the Steelers’ starting right outside linebacker. This season, Highsmith will compete for additional playing time on the right side with newly signed veteran outside linebacker Melvin Ingram.
July 29, 2021 2:32 am
Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been named U.S. men’s hockey coach for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. Sullivan will be behind the bench if the NHL participates. There is not a deal currently in place to send NHL players to the Olympics. Negotiations are ongoing. Sullivan coached the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017. USA Hockey expects to name his assistants later this summer.
July 28, 2021 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Omar Narvaez homered and had four RBIs, Brett Anderson pitched six strong innings and the Milwaukee Brewers scored eight runs in the first two innings to roll past the Pittsburgh Pirates for a 9-0 victory on Tuesday night. Narvaez’s home run started a three-run first inning, and his two-run single highlighted a five-run second against Luis Oviedo, who was making his first major league start. Anderson yielded three hits while striking out three and walking one. He has won both starts against the Pirates this season, allowing one unearned run in 13 innings. He is 5-1 against them lifetime.
July 28, 2021 3:44 am
SEATTLE (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates have indeed traded left-hander Tyler Anderson to a playoff contender – he’s going to the Seattle Mariners, not the Philadelphia Phillies. Earlier in the day, reports circulated the Pirates were close to sending the 31-year-old Anderson to the Phils. Instead, he wound up on the other coast, when the Mariners made their second trade of the day that involved pitching. Seattle sent a pair of minor leaguers, catcher Carter Bins and righty Joaquin Tejada, to the Pirates. Anderson is 5-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 18 starts. Hours before that, the Mariners traded Kendall Graveman, one of the best relievers in the majors this season, and pitcher Rafael Montero to AL West-leading Houston for infielder Abraham Toro and reliever Joe Smith.
