August 29, 2021 10:32 am
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Blaney won for the second consecutive week when Saturday’s NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway ended under caution in overtime with a typical fiery finish. Tyler Reddick took the 16th and final spot in the playoffs with a seventh-place finish. Reddick needed only to beat Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon and hope for a repeat winner to earn his first playoff berth. The regular-season finale had fairly low stakes in that 15 of the 16 playoff slots were claimed before the start of the race. The only other competition was for the regular-season title, which went to Kyle Larson.
August 29, 2021 10:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco’s stay in Pittsburgh is over. The Pirates have released the veteran right fielder in order to give younger players an opportunity over the final six weeks of the season. The 29-year-old Polanco is hitting just .208 and had become a target of fan derision in recent weeks. Polanco was making $11.6 million this season, accounting for more than 20% of the team’s entire payroll. Manager Derek Shelton credited Polanco for the way he handled the news. Pittsburgh called up Cole Tucker to take Polanco’s roster spot. Tucker is expected to be among a group of several players who will get a look in right field going forward.
August 29, 2021 7:42 am
PITTSBURGH — Adam Wainwright is waiting for longtime St. Louis Cardinals teammate Yadier Molina to start pressuring him to return in 2022. Given the way the veteran right-hander is dealing at the moment, the line behind Molina in the St. Louis clubhouse to convince Wainwright to come back for a 17th season figures to be long. Really long. Forgive the Pittsburgh Pirates if they don’t join in. Wainwright’s final start of his 30s was another in a seemingly endless string of masterpieces against the Pirates. Two days before turning 40, Wainwright allowed three hits over seven innings in a 13-0 win on Saturday night. Wainwright (13-7) struck out five and walked just one to improve to 4-0 with a 0.30 ERA against the Pirates this season. He is unbeaten against Pittsburgh in his last 17 starts dating to 2016. Maybe, but not the Pirates, who were confounded by Wainwright for a third time in 17 days. He tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout at PNC Park on Aug. 11, followed it up with eight scoreless innings in St. Louis last Sunday and came back with another brilliantly efficient performance as the Cardinals won their second straight as they try to stay on the fringe of the NL playoff race.
August 28, 2021 4:00 am
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Sam Darnold completed 19 of 25 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and the Carolina Panthers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-9 in the preseason finale for both teams. Darnold, who saw his most extensive action of the preseason, spent most of the first quarter under duress despite playing against a defense that was resting all its starters. But Darnold stayed calm and rebounded, finding rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. for a 13-yard touchdown pass and former Jets teammate Robby Anderson for an 8-yard score before exiting at halftime. Dwayne Haskins got the start for the Steelers at quarterback and struggled.
August 28, 2021 4:02 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – West Virginia’s Bob Huggins has agreed to a two-year contract extension that includes the option for him to step aside or continue coaching after the 2023-24 season.
Huggins turns 68 next month and is entering his 40th season as a head coach. His 900 wins are the third most among active Division I coaches.
August 29, 2021 7:44 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore delivered a big crowd for its first PGA Tour stop in nearly 60 years, and Bryson DeChambeau delivered a big dose of entertainment. That covered a lot of territory Saturday at the BMW Championship. DeChambeau had back-to-back eagles with sheer strength and a remarkable touch with the putter. And then he had consecutive holes with shots into the water that cost him a four-shot lead. He had to settle for a share of the lead with Patrick Cantlay, whose classic style and unwavering patience in the wake of DeChambeau’s wild ride worked equally well. So crazy was this action that DeChambeau went from a one-shot deficit to a three-shot lead in the span of two holes with his long eagle putts, only for Cantlay to go from a four-shot deficit to a one-shot lead in two holes on the back nine with his birdies and DeChambeau’s blunders. DeChambeau steadied himself over the final three holes for a 5-under 67. Cantlay didn’t drop a shot until the final hole when he drove into deep rough and an 8-foot par putt caught the left side of the hole. His lone bogey gave him a 66.
August 28, 2021 4:01 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs, Paul Goldschmidt had three hits and the St. Louis Cardinals edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. J.A. Happ improved to 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in five starts with the Cardinals since being acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline. Alex Reyes worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his 29th save. Jacob Stallings had three hits for Pittsburgh.
August 28, 2021 4:02 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Louisville has given men’s basketball coach Chris Mack a six-game suspension for failing to follow procedures in handling an extortion attempt by one of his assistants. Mack’s former assistant, Dino Gaudio, pleaded guilty in June to a federal charge of attempted extortion. After Gaudio learned in March that he would be fired, he threatened to go to the news media with alleged NCAA violations by the team.
August 28, 2021 4:04 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – Bryson DeChambeau fired a 60 to take the clubhouse lead in the second round of the BMW Championship. DeChambeau had a chance to shoot a 58 before closing his round with consecutive pars, missing putts of 15 and six feet. He’s 16 under through 36 holes and one shot ahead of Patrick Cantlay, who shot a 63 on Friday. Jon Rahm was on the course at 15 under and faced a 15-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole when play was halted by darkness. Sergio Garcia and Sunjae Im are minus 12 and tied for third among those who completed their round. Afternoon thunderstorms halted play for 90 minutes and prevented 21 players from completing their rounds.
August 27, 2021 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Gregory Polanco turned boos into cheers with the decisive two-run double during an eight-run seventh inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for an 11-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Polanco’s double put the Pirates ahead for good at 9-7 and was one of six straight hits off reliever Genesis Cabrera. Down 7-3 going into the seventh, the Pirates tied it with two-run singles by Bryan Reynolds and Wilmer Difo. Polanco then one-hopped the left-center field wall with his double before pinch-hitter Yoshi Tsutsugo capped the outburst with a two-run home run.
