September 1, 2019 8:01 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Virginia looks ready to live up to the preseason hype. Bryce Perkins threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns and the Cavaliers took advantage of a series of Pittsburgh miscues in a 30-14 victory on Saturday night. Perkins found Chris Sharp for a 2-yard score in the first quarter after Virginia blocked a punt and connected with Hasise Dubois on a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter following an interception by Matt Gahm to give the Cavaliers just their second win over the Panthers since Pitt joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013. Perkins also ran for 44 yards and Virginia’s defense knocked around Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had an uneven night operating new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple’s more pass-heavy attack for the first time. Pickett attempted a career-high 41 passes, completing 21 of them for 185 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The junior also spent large portions of the night on the run as Pitt’s offensive line – featuring four first-year starters -struggled to keep the Cavaliers at bay. The Panthers are coming off a surprising Coastal Division title last fall, when they emerged from a rocky start to become the sixth different team in as many seasons to win one of the most unpredictable divisions in major college football. The Cavaliers – coming off an 8-5 mark in head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s third season – were tabbed as the favorites heading into 2019 thanks in large part to Perkins and a defense coming off an impressive shutout of South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. Virginia took an early 10-point lead but the Panthers recovered as Pickett briefly found a rhythm. He hit 9 of 10 during one stretch in the second quarter, and his 3-yard flip to Tre Tipton with 38 seconds left in the first half gave Pitt a 14-13 lead and momentum at the break. It didn’t last. Brian Delaney finished off Virginia’s opening drive of the third quarter by hitting a 45-yard field goal. Pickett then tried to force a sideline throw on Pitt’s next possession that Gahm stepped in front of to give the Cavaliers the ball at the Pitt 29. Five plays later Perkins hit Dubois going over the middle and the senior extended every inch of his 6-foot-3 frame to stretch the ball over the goal line and put Virginia up by nine. Pitt never came close to getting back in it, not with Pickett under heavy duress on nearly every snap.
August 31, 2019 4:11 am
UNDATED (AP) – A medical examiner in Texas has ruled that Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died from an accidental overdose of drugs and alcohol. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a report released Friday that Skaggs had the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system along with alcohol. The 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Rangers.
August 28, 2019 3:46 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Rhys Hoskins botched an easy catch that cost the Phillies a game and gave their fed-up fans a reason to really boo the home team. The struggling first baseman has become the latest player to trigger the official sound of contempt in Philly with a drop that cost the Phils a chance to gain ground in the playoff race. Hoskins kept Phillies fans booing when he inexplicably flubbed a routine throw in the ninth inning, turning what appeared to be an inning-ending double play into the go-ahead run for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-4 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night. “Just missed it. Clanked it,” Hoskins said. After a pair of one-out walks by Hector Neris (2-5), Kevin Newman hit a grounder to second baseman Cesar Hernandez that could’ve let the Phillies escape. Hernandez flipped to Jean Segura for a force at second, and the shortstop threw a strike to Hoskins that should have finished the inning. But the struggling Hoskins seemed to close his mitt too early and the ball smacked off the leather and rolled away. Adam Frazier scrambled home to score the tiebreaking run in stunning fashion and the Phillies failed to gain ground in the NL wild-card race. “I think that he was in a good position to catch that ball,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “There’s no technique he could have done different to save it. It’s just a ball he missed.” Hoskins entered hitting .164 since the All-Star break and said he didn’t need a day off. Kapler said he would talk about the possibility with Hoskins. “I think we keep reminding him how good he is,” Kapler said. Felipe Vazquez (5-1) got the win for the Pirates with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. “We’re never really out of it,” left fielder Bryan Reynolds said. “It’s just one swing away, one play away.” More like, one big error. Sean Rodriguez provoked the ire of Phillies fans a day after he won a game a with an extra-inning home run and blasted the crowd for booing. Rodriguez was booed during lineup introductions – though he signed a few autographs for fans before the game – and each time he came to hit. Rodriguez did hear cheers after his first at-bat – he was hit by a pitch and smirked at the reaction as he jogged to first. He was booed again even after he doubled in the fourth inning and he seemed to gesture in appreciation toward his teammates in the Phillies dugout. Rodriguez ripped the fans after he led off the 11th inning with a homer to beat the Pirates 6-5 on Monday night. “I’m not the one saying pretty disgusting things at times. That seems pretty entitled. You’re just making yourself look pretty bad as an individual, as a person, as a fan,” he said. The Phillies’ chase for a wild-card spot took a backseat Tuesday to wall-to-wall Rodriguez headlines. “Sean’s a fiery guy, he’s a fiery player,” Kapler said. “I think what he was attempting to convey was that he supports his teammates and thinks that his teammates perform best when they feel support, too.” Kapler was booed during introductions on his first opening day in Philadelphia last year and said it’s best for everyone connected to Philly sports to develop a thick skin. “I don’t think our fans are entitled,” Kapler said. “What they’re entitled to do is feel how they feel and express themselves accordingly. Let’s go at it directly, every great player in every sport that’s played here in Philadelphia has gotten booed. Charles Barkley was here and talked to our club not that long ago. Charles Barkley got booed. Ryan Howard got booed. Jimmy Rollins got booed. Mike Schmidt got booed.” All of those players are some of the greats in Philly sports history.
August 27, 2019 3:43 am
UNDATED (AP) – A former Penn State team doctor is suing the school, football coach James Franklin and athletic director Sandy Barbour, claiming he was ousted after complaining to school officials about being pressured to clear players to return from injuries. Penn State denies Dr. Scott Lynch’s claims. Lynch is seeking $50,000 in damages in the lawsuit filed Friday in Dauphin County.
August 26, 2019 3:47 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Ben Roethlisberger needed three short series to show he’s ready for the regular season. The Tennessee Titans did their best to protect Marcus Mariota on a wet and ugly night Roethlisberger capped his night with a 17-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Titans 18-6 Sunday night to remain perfect this preseason. The Steelers (3-0) came up with four of seven sacks by halftime and had a turnover as they pummeled all three quarterbacks for the Titans (1-2). Roethlisberger made his preseason debut and was a bit rusty with two short series. After Stephon Tuitt sacked Mariota in the end zone for a safety, Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 48 yards after the free kick and finished with the TD pass to Smith-Schuster. He nearly gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead but Jaylen Samuels fell down after catching the pass on a 2-point conversion attempt. Roethlisberger spent the rest of the night watching and was 8 of 13 for 63 yards passing. A night after Andrew Luck retired, the Titans played safe with their starting quarterback and pulled Mariota after he was sacked for the safety on his second series. Mariota was 0 of 3, including an uncharacteristic drop by veteran Adam Humphries. That proved a smart move with backup Ryan Tannehill sacked on his third play. Pittsburgh is still trying to figure out Roethlisberger’s backup, and Mason Rudolph helped himself with a 41-yard TD pass to James Washington on his first throw of the game. That put the Steelers up 15-0 after the first quarter with a 159-25 edge in total offense. Rudolph finished the first half and was 6 of 9 for 75 yards. Joshua Dobbs took over in the third quarter and didn’t get much help. One receiver was out of bounds after pushing off for offensive pass interference, and the Steelers needed review to show Trey Griffey did have control and both feet down on a catch after Dobbs scrambled to find him for a 23-yard catch. That set up a 31-yard field goal by rookie Matthew Wright. The Titans intercepted both Rudolph and Dobbs, who was 4 of 7 for 79 yards.
August 25, 2019 7:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Josh Bell topped 100 RBIs for the first time in the majors, hitting a three-run homer as the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Cincinnati Reds 14-0 on Saturday night. After Colin Moran gave Pittsburgh a 7-0 lead with a pinch-hit grand slam in the sixth inning, Bell lined a fastball from Kevin Gausman into the left-field bleachers in the seventh to reach 102 RBIs. Bell’s career-high 32 home runs matched Bobby Bonilla’s mark from 1990 for the most by a Pirates switch-hitter. The Pirates have won the first two games against Cincinnati after entering the three-game series 8-30 since the All-Star break. The Reds lost their ninth straight game at PNC Park dating to an 8-6 win on June 17, 2018. Moran’s grand slam was his fourth in the majors. He sent a curveball from Lucas Sims 396 feet to right field for his major league career-high 12th homer. Trevor Williams (6-6) allowed three hits with three strikeouts in six innings, recovering from giving up six earned runs in two innings against Washington in his last start. Two of the three hits off Williams were the first two of the season for Reds starter Alex Wood (1-3). Wood allowed four earned runs on two hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings. Wood was pulled after hitting Bell to load the bases with one out in the sixth. A single off Sims from Jose Osuna produced Pittsburgh’s third run before Moran entered for his grand slam.
August 24, 2019 4:11 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Sean Clifford will start at quarterback for No. 15 Penn State in its season opener against Idaho. Clifford was expected to win the starting job after longtime backup Tommy Stevens transferred to Mississippi State following spring practice. Since Stevens’ departure, Clifford had been battling freshman Will Levis for the spot.
August 21, 2019 3:32 pm
(AP) – NBC will use a Skycam as its primary camera during the preseason game Sunday between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans. The network received plenty of critical reviews the last time it tried this for a Thursday night game between the Steelers and Titans. “Sunday Night Football” executive producer Fred Gaudelli is willing to try again after refining some things. The camera will be approximately 50 feet above the ground and perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. Skycams are normally 22 feet above the ground and positioned behind the offense or defense. Gaudelli said the new angle was first used for Notre Dame’s spring game and he hopes that the new view gets better feedback.
August 18, 2019 8:05 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Kris Bryant homered in the seventh inning, and the Chicago Cubs got out of three bases-loaded jams to snap a four-game skid with a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. After committing an error at third base each of the previous two innings, Bryant drove the first pitch of the seventh from Steven Brault (3-2) into the left-field bleachers to put Chicago ahead 1-0. It was Bryant’s 25th homer this season and third in five games. The Cubs moved within one-half game of first-place St. Louis in the NL Central. The Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, who are chasing the Cubs in the wild-card standings, were playing later Saturday. Jon Lester (10-8) gave up four hits and five walks in six innings after allowing Pittsburgh to load the bases with one out in the first and nobody out in the fifth. He got Kevin Newman to fly out to right in the fifth before striking out Bryan Reynolds and getting out of it when Starling Marte flied to center. Pittsburgh stranded 11 runners and fell to 7-26 since the All-Star break. It loaded the bases a third time with two outs in the seventh. After Ian Happ fully extended in left field to catch a sharp line drive from Reynolds for the second out with runners on first and second, Cubs reliever Tyler Chatwood hit Marte with a pitch. Josh Bell bounced to second to end the inning. Happ scored from third on a throwing error by catcher Elias Diaz in the eighth. Rowan Wick came in after Chatwood walked Adam Frazier to lead off the ninth. He retired each of the three batters he faced for his first major league save. Brault didn’t allow a hit until Addison Russell singled to third with one out in the fifth. He reached career highs in innings pitched with seven and strikeouts with eight, and allowed one run on two hits with one walk.
August 16, 2019 5:35 am
For the past 35 years, WJPA’s own Bob Gregg has served as Chairman of World Series Tournaments, Inc. a non-profit organization whose all-volunteer board prepares and runs the PONY League World Series. Prior to Thursday night’s championship game between Chinese Taipei and Bay County, Michigan, family, friends and co-workers gathered as he was recognized for all of his hard work as he retires as chairman. Gregg says the event has become “part of who I am for fifty years”. He recalled watching “kids from Hawaii hit home runs to win a world championship when I was nine-years old and I just fell in love with this event”. Gregg says he will still be around and will continue to do announcing and program work for the event but won’t be doing all of the administrative work that comes with the job.
