October 18, 2021 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Chris Boswell hit a 36-yard field goal with 2:50 left in overtime to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a 23-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Boswell’s third field goal of the game came three plays after Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt forced Seattle quarterback Geno Smith to fumble deep in Seahawks territory. Pittsburgh inside linebacker Devin Bush scooped it up to give the Steelers possession. Two snaps to center the ball in the middle of the field set up Boswell to win it.
Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor had movement in all of his extremities after leaving Seattle’s game Sunday night against Pittsburgh late in the fourth quarter on a stretcher with an unspecified injury. Taylor fell to the ground after a collision during a 3-yard gain by Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris with the Steelers driving near midfield with 3:10 to play in regulation. Taylor laid on the ground for more than 10 minutes while being attended to by medical staff. Players from both sides came out to offer support and he was taken by ambulance to a hospital. After the Steelers won in overtime, NBC reported Taylor had movement in all of his extremities.
October 18, 2021 3:49 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Arizona Cardinals remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team and continue their best start since 1974. Kyler Murray tied a career high with four touchdown passes and the Cardinals improved to 6-0 with a 37-14 dismantling of the Browns. Murray connected with DeAndre Hopkins for two TDs and finished 20 of 30 for 229 yards. The Cardinals built a 20-0 lead in the first half and kept their perfect record intact despite not having head coach Kliff Kingsbury or star linebacker Chandler Jones, who both tested positive for COVID-19. Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield threw for two TDs and was 19 of 28 for 234 yards and an interception. The Browns have dropped two straight for the first time under second-year head coach Kevin Stefanski.
October 18, 2021 3:51 am
ATLANTA (AP) – The Atlanta Braves hold a 2-0 lead in the NL Championship Series following their second walk-off win in as many nights. Eddie Rosario singled home the winning run in the ninth inning to send the Braves past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4. Rosario had four hits for the Braves, who trailed 2-0 and 4-2 before maintaining home-field advantage. Austin Riley doubled home the tying run in the eighth, one night after supplying a walk-off single. Joc Pederson belted a two-run homer for Atlanta, which also owned a 2-0 lead against the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS before losing in seven games. The Los Angeles runs came on Corey Seager’s two-run homer in the first inning and Chris Taylor’s two-run double in the seventh. Mookie Betts scored on both hits. Game 3 is Tuesday in Los Angeles.
October 17, 2021 7:46 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are doing just fine so far without injured stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Drew O’Connor scored his first NHL goal, Danton Heinen got his third in three games and Pittsburgh tallied four times in the first period to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 in its home opener Saturday night. With the victory, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan surpassed Dan Bylsma for most regular-season wins in franchise history. Brock McGinn scored his first goal with the Penguins and Teddy Blueger added his second of the season, both in the first period. Jason Zucker also scored for Pittsburgh, and Tristan Jarry made 18 saves. Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury started against his former team but lasted less than 12 minutes. Kevin Lankinen stopped 15 shots in relief.
October 17, 2021 7:45 am
BLACKSBURG, Va. — Kenny Pickett threw two touchdown passes and rushed for a score to lead Pittsburgh to a 28-7 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Pickett threw touchdown passes of 8 yards to Gavin Bartholomew and 36 yards to Jared Wayne, and he scored on a 3-yard run — all in the first half — as the Panthers (5-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their third straight game. Pittsburgh, which won in Blacksburg for the first time since 2015, moved into sole possession of first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division. Pickett, arguably the leader for ACC Player of the Year at the season’s halfway point, now has thrown 21 touchdown passes and just one interception. He completed 22 of 37 for 203 yards.
October 16, 2021 1:10 am
Chartiers-Houston held McGuffey to one score and handed the Highlanders their first Century Conference loss of the year. Wash High returned to play after missing the past two weeks and rolled Charleroi to remain atop the conference. Ft. Cherry stayed in control of their own destiny in the Big Seven Conference, needing just one more win to clinch a playoff spot. Burgettstown downed Northgate, the Blue Devils first win in league play. Avella trailed most of the night but rallied past Bentworth to get their first win of the year, snapping an 8-game losing streak. West Greene and Carmichaels both won, clinching Tri-County South playoff spots.
Canon-McMillan jumped in front 14-0 but couldn’t hold off North Allegheny, leaving the Big Macs clinging to the last Quad County playoff position. A week ago, Peters Township just missed beating #1 Moon but the Indians were soundly handled by Bethel Park, leaving Peters Township winless in Allegheny Six play. Ringgold and Trinity lost to Big Eight leaders, the Rams all but eliminated. Trinity, meanwhile, remains in control of its own playoff destiny, clinching with wins over Laurel Highlands and Ringgold to finish the year.
Week 7 schedule/results:
6A North Allegheny 36, Canon-McMillan 14
5A Bethel Park 38, Peters Township 8
4A Belle Vernon 49, Trinity 0
4A Thomas Jefferson 42, Ringgold 0
2A Wash High 55, Charleroi 0
2A Chartiers-Houston 13, McGuffey 7
2A Frazer at Beth-Center, PPD
1A Burgettstown 17, Northgate 14
1A Ft. Cherry 26, Union 14
1A Avella 30, Bentworth 21
1A Carmichaels 35, California 20
1A Mapletown 43, Jeff-Morgan 12
1A West Greene 28, Monessen 14
October 16, 2021 4:02 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Atlantic Coast Conference can potentially take a step toward clarity in the Coastal Division when Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech this weekend. They are the only teams on that side of the league still unbeaten in ACC play. The winner Saturday gets a clear upper hand in the race for the division title. The Panthers are coming off a bye and lead the nation in scoring (52.4 ppg), are third in total offense (554.4 ypg) and fourth in passing offense (389 ypg). The Hokies are coming off a 32-29 loss to No. 14 Notre Dame and begin a stretch of seven consecutive weeks facing league opponents.
October 17, 2021 4:03 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to prove their offensive breakout against Denver wasn’t a fluke when they host Seattle. The Steelers put together their most complete game of the season in beating the Broncos. They’ll get a chance to build on it against a Seahawks defense that ranks as the worst in the NFL. Seattle will play without star quarterback Russell Wilson, who is out several weeks after undergoing finger surgery. Geno Smith will make his first start since 2017 while filling in for Wilson. Both teams come in with a 2-3 record.
October 16, 2021 4:04 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Jose Altuve did a nice job atoning for a run-scoring error as the Houston Astros took Game 1 of the AL Championship Game against the Boston Red Sox. Altuve crushed a game-tying, two-run homer in the sixth inning before Carlos Correa’s blast put the Astros ahead to stay in a 5-4 win over the Red Sox. Altuve also lifted a sacrifice fly that gave Houston a 5-3 edge heading into the ninth. The insurance run came in handing after Kike Hernandez smacked his second home run of the night and fourth hit. Altuve’s miscue contributed to a three-run third that put the Red Sox ahead. He also became the fourth player in major league history with 20 career postseason home runs. Neither starting pitcher got out of the third inning. Boston’s Chris Sale was lifted with two out in the third. Framber Valdez was chased in the third. Ryne Stanek retired one batter in the seventh to pick up the win. Ryan Pressly notched the save and Hansel Robles took the loss. Game 2 is Saturday in Houston. Astros ace Lance McCullers Jr. has been left off the team’s ALCS roster. The right-hander left Game 4 of Houston’s win at Chicago this week after four innings because of forearm tightness.
October 15, 2021 3:44 am
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – Carter Verhaeghe scored his second goal of the night 1:37 into overtime, and the Florida Panthers rallied from two goals down late in the third period to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Thursday night. Aaron Ekblad scored the two late goals to get Florida into overtime, and Verhaeghe finished it off moments after Sergei Bobrovsky stoned Evan Rodrigues on a breakaway. Bobrovsky made 43 saves for Florida. Jeff Carter got the 400th goal of his career for Pittsburgh. Jake Guentzel scored from behind the net for Pittsburgh, which also got goals from Danton Heinen and Rodrigues along with 34 saves from Casey DeSmith.
