June 26, 2021 4:10 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Wil Crowe gave up four runs over five innings for his first major league win, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 for their fifth victory in seven games following a 10-game losing streak. Jacob Stallings and Phillip Evans drove in two runs each for the Pirates. St. Louis has lost five straight, seven of eight and 18 of 24, dropping a season-worst four games under .500 at 36-40. The Cardinals are fourth in the NL Central, seven games back of first-place Milwaukee. Crowe was making his 13th big league start and 14th appearance.
June 26, 2021 4:14 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Steelers to find a replacement for David DeCastro. The Steelers have signed five-time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner to a one-year deal shortly after cutting DeCastro in a somewhat surprising move. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Pittsburgh did find itself with a little money to spend after releasing DeCastro, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. Turner comes to Pittsburgh three months after being let go by the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old Turner spent just one season in Los Angeles, playing in a career-low nine games.
June 26, 2021 4:12 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Lightning have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year by defeating the New York Islanders, 1-0 in Game 7 of the semifinals. Yanni Gourde put the Bolts ahead with a short-handed goal 1:49 into the second period, setting up a meeting with the Montreal Canadiens. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 18 saves in his second shutout in three games.
June 26, 2021 4:17 am
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) – Jason Day fired an 8-under 62 in taking the second-round lead at the PGA’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut. Day is 9 under as he seeks his first top-3 finish in three years. The former world No. 1 missed three straight cuts before he tied for 44th at the PGA Championship. Day then withdrew from the Memorial with a back injury and did not qualify for last week’s U.S. Open. First-round co-leader Kramer Hickok was at 10 under before flying the green on the par-3 16th hole and then three-putting from 18 feet for a double bogey. Hickok is one shot off the lead with Bubba Watson, whose neon pink driver broke apart mid-swing on the second tee before he completed a 4-under 66.
June 25, 2021 3:45 am
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Bryan Reynolds had a three-run homer among his three hits, Chad Kuhl pitched six strong innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a nine-game losing streak against the St. Louis Cardinals with an 8-2 victory. Adam Frazier and Phillip Evans also homered for Pittsburgh in its first win over St. Louis since Sept. 18, 2020. Kuhl allowed one run and three hits in six innings to improve to 2-3 in 10 career starts against the Cardinals. St. Louis has lost four in a row and 15 of its last 20 since June 2. Carlos Martínez allowed five runs and five hits with seven walks in five innings.
June 25, 2021 3:28 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have cut six-time Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro. The surprising move means the team’s entire offensive line will be revamped heading into the 2021 season. The 31-year-old DeCastro had one year remaining on the five-year, $50-million contract he signed in 2017. The Steelers selected DeCastro in the first round in 2012 and he quickly became one of the league’s most dominant linemen, twice being named first-team All-Pro.
June 25, 2021 3:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are staying home for training camp. The team says it will not go to Saint Vincent College for the second straight summer after the NFL declined the organization’s plan. The Steelers say they are “disappointed” they will not be returning to the small school in Latrobe, about an hour from downtown Pittsburgh. It has served as the team’s camp since 1966. The defending AFC North champions will instead split time between Heinz Field and their training complex on the city’s South Side.
June 25, 2021 3:50 am
MONTREAL (AP) – The Montreal Canadiens are going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, the last time a Canadian-based team won the title. Artturi Lehkonen scored 1:39 into overtime and Carey Price stopped 37 shots as the Canadiens knocked out the Golden Knights, 3-2 in Game 6 of the semifinals. Nick Suzuki gained the Vegas zone and slipped a pass to his left to Lehkonen, who lifted a shot beating Robin Lehner high on the short side. The goal came after Price stopped former teammate Max Paccioretty. Cole Caufield and captain Shea Weber also scored for the Habs, who have won 11 of 13 since they trailed three games to one in the opening round against the Maple Leafs. Montreal will make its playoff-leading 35th Stanley Cup Final appearance with a shot to add to its 24 championships. The Canadiens will take on the winner of Friday’s Game 7 between the Lightning and Islanders.
June 24, 2021 3:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run double and the Chicago White Sox stopped a five-game losing streak, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3, Leury Garcia added a home run as the AL Central leaders ended their longest skid of the season. Chicago starter Dylan Cease bounced back from rough outing to work 5 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run while striking out seven. Liam Hendricks pitched a perfect ninth for his 19th save of the season.
June 24, 2021 3:49 am
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – The New York Islanders have forced a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Final as they try to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1984. Anthony Beauvillier scored 78 seconds into overtime to cap the Islanders’ comeback in a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders had to wipe out a 2-0 deficit to force OT before Beauvillier ended his 10-game goal drought. Brayden Point scored for the ninth straight game to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead in the first period. Anthony Cirelli made it 2-0 late in the second, giving Tampa Bay 12 consecutive goals in the series. But Jordan Eberle sparked the comeback by scoring less than two minutes later. Scott Mayfield tied it midway through the third before Beauvillier set up a winner-take-all meeting with the Lightning in Tampa on Friday. Mat Barzal had two assists and Semyon Varlamov stopped 22 shots for the Islanders.
