October 8, 2019 3:47 am
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Richard Sherman has a strong message for anyone still doubting the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers. “Don’t flip-flop,” Sherman said after the 49ers thumped the Cleveland Browns 31-3 on Monday night. “If you said we weren’t going to make it, you said we were some way early on, stick with that position. Hold it. Don’t try to give us credit now. At least stick by your word because I want you to sound like an idiot at the end. We know what we have in the building.” What the 49ers have is their best start since Joe Montana was throwing touchdowns to Jerry Rice. But it wasn’t the passing game that carried San Francisco past Cleveland. A steady, pounding running game and a dominant defensive effort did the trick this time. Matt Breida ran 83 yards for a touchdown on San Francisco’s first play from scrimmage, Baker Mayfield was harassed into his worst game as a pro, and the 49ers stayed unbeaten for their best start in nearly 30 years. Even then, there were some questioning San Francisco’s legitimacy. “I feel like they’re going to say that all year about us,” said Breida, who had 114 yards on 11 carries. “I don’t think anyone expected us to be 4-0 this year, to be honest. Probably expected us to be 0-4. They can say whatever they want. All that matters is who’s in this locker room.” Tevin Coleman added a 19-yard score as part of a dominant ground game on a day when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 181 yards and kicker Robbie Gould missed a pair of field goal attempts and had a third try blocked. San Francisco (4-0) joined the 5-0 New England Patriots as the only remaining undefeated teams in the NFL. It’s the first time the 49ers have won their first four games since 1990. “It’s a good start is really all it is,” Garoppolo said. “We have a good mindset in that locker room.” The Browns (2-3) are headed the opposite direction after losing two of three, with fresh concerns about their young quarterback.
October 8, 2019 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph appears on his way to recovery following a frightening hit against Baltimore that left him unconscious. Rudolph attended meetings with his teammates on Monday, though he remains in the concussion protocol. Pittsburgh could have to turn to rookie Devlin Hodges when it heads to Los Angeles next weekend to face the Chargers. Hodges played well in place of Rudolph, completing 7 of 9 passes for 68 yards in his first regular-season action.
October 7, 2019 3:48 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – After Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph was knocked unconscious by a head-high hit in the third quarter Sunday, Justin Tucker made a 46-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Baltimore Ravens past the Steelers 26-23 on Sunday. Baltimore (3-2) snapped a two-game skid when safety Marlon Humphrey stripped Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and recovered the fumble at the Pittsburgh 34. Tucker knocked through the winner four plays later. Lamar Jackson threw for 161 yards with a touchdown and three picks and also ran for a game-high 70 yards. Mark Ingram ran for a touchdown for the Ravens, who won in Pittsburgh (1-4) for the second straight season. Rudolph threw for 131 yards and a score before suffering a concussion following a hit to the chin by Baltimore safety Earl Thomas. Backup Devlin Hodges played admirably in Rudolph’s place, throwing for 68 yards and directing a pair of scoring drives after Rudolph’s exit. James Conner ran for 55 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh. Long one of the AFC’s most heated rivalries, the game took a turn in the third quarter with the Ravens leading 17-13. The Steelers were facing third-and-11 at the Pittsburgh 12 midway through the third quarter when Rudolph dropped back to pass. The play broke down and Rudolph scrambled to his left and stepped up field. He flicked the ball to teammate James Washington just before the crown of Thomas’ helmet hit Rudolph under the chin. Rudolph fell to the ground and lay on the field motionless for several minutes while several teammates became visibly upset as the stadium fell silent. Rudolph’s injury thrust Hodges, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Samford, into a role he couldn’t have envisioned when the Steelers signed him to be a “camp” arm before organized team activities. He played well in the preseason but didn’t make the cut only to find himself signed to the practice squad when Pittsburgh traded Josh Dobbs to Jacksonville. Hodges was elevated to backup status when Roethlisberger went down with an elbow injury. Rudolph was taken to the hospital for further evaluation but, according to reports, was released Sunday night and is resting at home. He is now in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
October 6, 2019 6:18 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Yankees have outscored the Minnesota Twins, 18-6 in taking the first two games of their AL Division Series. The Yankees followed Friday’s 10-4 win by erupting in the third inning of an 8-2 win over the Twins. Didi Gregorius had two hits and highlighted the Yankees’ seven-run third with a grand slam. Gleyber Torres and Brett Gardner provided RBI singles during the huge rally that chased Twins starting pitcher Randy Dobnak. Yanks starter Masahiro Tanaka struck out seven while holding Minnesota to a run and three hits over five innings. Minnesota also managed just three hits against the Yankees’ bullpen. Dobnak was reached for four runs and six hits over two-plus innings. The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Monday as the Twins try to avoid elimination. Jake Odorizzi will start for the Twins against Luis Severino. Like the Yankees, the Astros enjoy a 2-0 lead in their AL Division series after holding off the Rays, 3-1. Gerrit Cole was dominant over 7 2/3 shutout innings, scattering four hits and striking out 15. Cole’s performance comes after Justin Verlander tossed three-hit ball over seven scoreless frames to lead the Astros’ series-opening win. Alex Bregman broke a scoreless tie with a home run in the fourth off Rays starter Blake Snell, who was lifted from the game just one batter later. It remained a 1-0 game until Martin Maldonado poked an RBI single in the seventh, one inning before Carlos Correa’s single capped the scoring for the Astros. The Rays staged their only significant rally in the ninth, scoring on an RBI grounder before Robert Osuna before loading the bases for the second time in the inning. Will Harris followed Osuna and struck out Travis d’Arnaud before Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to end the game. Game 3 will be Monday in St. Petersburg. Zack Greinke will try to close it out for the Astros against Tampa Bay’s Charlie Morton.
October 4, 2019 3:49 am
SEATTLE (AP) – The Seattle Seahawks withstood a wild finish to beat the Los Angeles Rams, 30-29. Russell Wilson threw for four touchdowns, including a go-ahead, 5-yard pass to Chris Carson on fourth-and-goal with 2:28 remaining. The Rams had a chance to win it before Greg Zuerlein missed a 44-yard field goal with 11 seconds to play.
October 3, 2019 3:48 am
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – The Tampa Bay Rays are going to the American League Division Series after taking care of the Oakland Athletics in the wild-card game. Yandy Diaz homered twice and Avisail Garcia unloaded a two-run shot as the Rays downed the A’s, 5-1 in Oakland. Diaz became the third player to homer twice in a wild-card game, leading off the contest with a blast and adding a solo shot in his next at-bat. In between, Garcia delivered a two-run homer off Sean Manaea, who was tagged for all three homers and four runs in just two-plus innings. Charlie Morton picked up the win by limiting the A’s to an unearned run and five hits over five innings. Oakland’s run came on Ramon Laureano’s sacrifice fly in the third following a three-base throwing error by infielder Michael Brosseau. Brosseau had just moved from second the third base at the start of the inning. The outcome sends the Rays to Houston to take on the Astros, who finished with a major league-leading 107 wins during the regular season. The ALDS begins on Friday. The Athletics have lost nine straight winner-take-all games since 2000, going 1-15 with a chance to advance to the next round.
October 2, 2019 3:49 am
NEW YORK (AP) – San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has been suspended for the first three games of the season for abuse of an official. The punishment handed out Tuesday comes after a run-in Kane had with Vegas’ Deryk Engelland in a preseason game on Sunday. Kane responded with a slash after being cross-checked by Engelland. His stick also made contact with linesman Kiel Murchison. Murchison later grabbed Kane’s jersey to split the two players up and the two fell to the ice. Kane then appeared to shove the linesman as he got up. Kane was given a game misconduct for the play. The Sharks open the season Wednesday night in Vegas and then host the Golden Knights on Friday night. Kane will also miss a game in Nashville on Oct. 8. Kane will forfeit more than $112,000 based on his annual salary because of the suspension.
October 1, 2019 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Mason Rudolph was outstanding in helping the Pittsburgh Steelers get their first win of the season. Rudolph was 24 of 28 for 229 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers whipped the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3. Most of his passes were quick hitters that allowed Pittsburgh to control the clock and continue long drives. The Bengals led 3-0 until Rudolph connected with James Conner on a delayed screen for a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Pittsburgh broke the game open with Rudolph’s 43-yard heave to rookie Diontae Johnson midway through the third. Jaylen Samuels added new wrinkles to Pittsburgh’s offense, running for 26 yards and a touchdown and grabbing eight passes for 57 yards. Samuels also was credited with three completions on “pop” passes to teammates in motion that traveled all of three feet. The Steelers sacked Andy Dalton eight times, picked him off once and forced a second-quarter fumble of the Cincinnati quarterback. Dalton was 21 of 37 for just 171 yards. The Steelers avoided their first 0-4 start in 51 years and beat the Bengals for the ninth straight time. Cincinnati is 0-4 under new coach Zac Taylor.
September 30, 2019 3:54 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Aristides Aquino hit his 19th home run, Tyler Mahle pitched five shutout innings to pick up his first win since May and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pirates 3-1 Sunday shortly after Pittsburgh fired manager Clint Hurdle. Brian O’Grady connected for his second home run and Alex Blandino added a solo shot as Cincinnati finished 75-87 under first-year manager David Bell, an eight-win improvement over 2018 and the club’s best record since it posted a 76-86 mark in 2014. Eugenio Suarez went 0 for 4 to finish with 49 home runs. Mahle (3-12) struck out five and allowed three hits to win for the first time in 13 starts. Michael Lorenzen worked the ninth for his seventh save. Jose Osuna delivered an RBI single for Pittsburgh. Trevor Williams (7-9) gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings. Tom Prince managed the Pirates, who parted ways with Hurdle after nine seasons shortly before the game’s first pitch. Aquino connected in the second. He entered the day tied for ninth among major league rookies in home runs even though he didn’t debut until Aug. 1. The Pirates finished 69-93, a 13-game drop from 2018 and the franchise’s worst mark since losing a major-league worst 105 games in 2010, the year before Hurdle’s arrival.
September 29, 2019 7:12 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pirates broadcaster Steve Blass was honored in a pregame ceremony as he gets set to end his run of 34 years in the booth Sunday. Blass has spent a total of 60 years in the organization since being signed as an amateur free agent in 1960 from Falls Village, Connecticut. He pitched 10 seasons for the Pirates from 1964-74 and threw a complete game in Game 7 of the 1971 World Series to beat the Orioles. The Pirates announced that Blass will be part of the inaugural class next year when they establish a team Hall of Fame.
