August 3, 2019 1:34 pm
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) – Byeong Hun An is the leader through two rounds of the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, one shot ahead of Brice Garnett.
An followed Thursday’s 62 with a 5-under 65 for a 13-under total. Webb Simpson and first-round co-leader Sungiae Im are among six players just two shots off the lead.
August 2, 2019 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Recently retired forward Matt Cullen is sticking with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team announced Cullen is joining the club’s hockey operations department in a player development role. General manager Jim Rutherford called Cullen a “valuable asset” who will put his 21 years of NHL experience to use while working closely with Rutherford and head coach Mike Sullivan.
July 31, 2019 3:44 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – The Pirates have suspended bullpen coach Euclides Rojas for two games because of what it termed a contract violation, Pittsburgh’s second suspension this month involving the bullpen. Rojas began serving the penalty Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. The club had no further comment. Reliever Keone Kela also served a two-game suspension in July for an unspecified violation of his contract. Yahoo Sports reported that Kela was suspended due to an altercation with a team employee.
July 30, 2019 3:53 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Jordan Lyles is heading back to the Milwaukee Brewers, who are desperate for starting pitching as they try to repeat as NL Central champions. The Brewers acquired the veteran right-handed pitcher from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday in exchange for pitching prospect Cody Ponce.
July 29, 2019 3:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) – All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman was acquired by the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday for a pair of top prospects, a trade that makes it likely New York will deal one of its current starters by Wednesday’s deadline. A 28-year-old right-hander who made his first All-Star team this season, Stroman is 6-11 in 21 starts despite a 2.96 ERA that is fifth-best in the American League. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season. Toronto received 24-year-old left-hander Anthony Kay and 18-year-old righty Simeon Woods Richardson. As part of the deal, New York gets $1.5 million from the Blue Jays to offset much of the $2,506,452 remaining on Stroman’s $7.4 million salary this year. The 5-foot-7 Stroman is 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA in six big league seasons. He grew up on Long Island near Mets starter Steven Matz, about 50 miles from Citi Field.
July 28, 2019 9:31 am
Coming off a fast first half mile, Brian Scears took Southwind Ozzi to the front down the back stretch and ran away from the field to win the 53rd Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids Saturday at The Meadows. Southwind Ozzi crossed the finish line in 1:48.0, just one-fifth of a second off the Meadows track record set in the 2012 Adios, and the fastest mile pace of the season at the local track. Prince of Tides, with Dave Palone in the sulky, set the early pace, covering the first quarter in 25.3 seconds, hitting the halfway point at 53.3. That’s when Scears had seen enough and moved to the front for good. For Scears, it’s his third Adios Pace victory (2001, 2010), this time by seven lengths on Prince of Tides. Stag Party was third, Captain Victorious fourth. Southwind Ozzi, Prince of Tides and Captain Victorious won elimination heats a week ago at The Meadows.
July 27, 2019 9:10 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Matthew Fitzpatrick shot a 6-under 64 in the FedEx St. Jude Invitational to take a two-stroke lead at the midway mark of the World Golf Championships event.
The 24-year-old Englishman birdied the first four holes and finished with seven birdies and a bogey. He took the lead with his fifth birdie and added two more on the back nine to finish at 9-under 131 at TPC Southwind. Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay, Cameron Smith and first-round leader Jon Rahm were tied for second. Horschel shot a 66.
July 25, 2019 3:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pirates reliever Keone Kela has returned from a two-game suspension for an unspecified violation of his contract and was cagey when asked about what led to the ban. Yahoo Sports reported that Kela was suspended due to an altercation with Hector Morales, the team’s director of cultural readiness and peak performance coach. Asked specifically about that report, Kela said he “wouldn’t say it’s not true” but also “wouldn’t say it’s a fact.”
July 23, 2019 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt hit his fifth career grand slam in the top of the 10th and right fielder Jose Martinez threw out the tying run at the plate to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 on Monday night. Goldschmidt took an offering from Clay Holmes (1-1) and sent it to the concourse that runs behind the wall in right-center field as the streaking Cardinals improved to 8-3 since the All-Star break. Goldschmidt’s 19th home run of the season was just enough after St. Louis closer Carlos Martinez nearly let a four-run cushion get away. Pittsburgh drew within a run in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI single by Josh Bell and a two-run home run by Jung Ho Kang. The Pirates put the tying run at second base with no outs but couldn’t draw even. Martinez threw out Pittsburgh’s Kevin Newman at home on a sharp single to right by Jacob Stallings for the second out. The call stood after the Pirates challenged and Carlos Martinez retired Adam Frazier on a fly ball to right to collect his ninth save. Matt Wieters hit his eighth home run for the Cardinals – and fourth this month – and added a sacrifice fly. Chasen Shreve (1-0) picked up his victory since last August by escaping a two-on, two-out jam in the ninth. Starling Marte had three hits for Pittsburgh. Bell, Colin Moran and Bryan Reynolds all drove in runs but the Pirates left 11 runners on base to fall to 2-8 since a 12-5 surge pulled them within 2 1/2 games of first in the NL Central at the break. Pittsburgh’s Trevor Williams looked crisper with a few extra days to prepare for his 14th start thanks to a bout with flu-like symptoms that forced the Pirates to skip his normal turn in the rotation over the weekend. Williams allowed two runs, one earned, in five innings with two walks and tied a season high with seven strikeouts in his most effective outing since returning from a month-long stay on the injured list in May and June due to a strained right side. St. Louis rookie Daniel Ponce de Leon was roughed up by the Pirates last week, getting tagged for eight hits and four runs in less than four innings of work. The 27-year-old wasn’t any sharper in the rematch. He labored through three innings while battling his command, allowing three hits and four walks while needing 86 pitches to record nine outs.
July 22, 2019 3:55 am
LOUDON, N.H. (AP) – Kevin Harvick picked up his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season by holding off Denny Hamlin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The two made contact coming out of the final turn before Harvick finished just over 0.2 seconds ahead of Hamlin for his 46th series victory and first since last November in Texas. Driving a backup car after wrecking during a practice lap Friday, Hamlin led 113 laps but couldn’t catch Harvick after pitting on a caution on the 265th lap. Erik Jones was third, and Ryan Blaney fourth.
