August 4, 2020 3:57 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Raiders will play their first season in Las Vegas without any fans at their home games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team sent a letter to season ticket holders saying that after discussions with health care officials and local leaders, the decision was made not to allow fans. Both the New York Jets and Giants previously announced they would play without fans this season. Most other teams are hoping to be able to have at least limited crowds.
August 3, 2020 3:51 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Javier Báez singled through a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the 11th, scoring David Bote from third base and giving the Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bote, who made the last out in the 10th, started the inning on second base as mandated by Major League Baseball’s extra-inning rule for the pandemic-shortened season. He advanced to third on a deep fly to right by Anthony Rizzo and jogged home on Baez’s first career game-ending hit against Cody Ponce. Jeremy Jeffress worked a scoreless 11th for the win. The game was delayed 64 minutes by rain before the bottom of the ninth.
August 3, 2020 3:52 am
MIAMI (AP) – The nightmarish first stop of the season for the Miami Marlins has finally ended. On Sunday the Marlins left Philadelphia, where they were stranded for a week after their season-opening series because of a coronavirus outbreak that sidelined half of the team. The Marlins, minus the affected players who already returned to Miami, traveled to Baltimore, where they are scheduled to resume play Tuesday. A person familiar with the situation says that for the second day in a row, the Marlins had no new positive tests among players and staff. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the results had not been publicly released.
August 3, 2020 3:54 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Philadelphia Flyers have taken Game 1 of their NHL round-robin series that will determine seeding in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Michael Raffl had a goal and an assist while the Flyers scored three times in the second period of a 4-1 victory against the Boston Bruins in Toronto. Raffl opened the scoring 5:33 into the period and set up Nate Thompson about four minutes later. Phillipe Myers restored Philadelphia’s two-goal lead late in the period, eight seconds after Chris Wagner got the Bruins within 2-1. Scott Laughton also scored and Carter Hart turned back 34 shots in the Flyers’ 10th win in their last 11 games overall.
August 3, 2020 3:56 am
UNDATED (AP) – Justin Thomas has reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in men’s golf by capturing the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Thomas closed with a 5-under 66 to finish at 13-under 267 and take the $10.5 million winner’s check for his 13th PGA Tour title. He took the lead for good on the par-5 16th with his second straight birdie, while Brooks Koepka bogeyed the hole. Thomas is No. 1 for the first time since June 2018. Koepka finished in a second-place tie with Phil Mickelson, Daniel Berger and Tom Lewis at minus-10.
August 2, 2020 7:36 am
TORONTO — Montreal coach Claude Julien figured his young, largely inexperienced Canadiens had a real opportunity to grow after being given a second life by the NHL’s restart. The Canadiens did that, and a whole lot more, Saturday night — with a big hand from a couple of veterans. Jeff Petry scored at 13:57 of overtime, Carey Price made 39 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night in Game 1 of their best-of-five qualifying round series. Petry, who along with Price are two of the Canadiens’ oldest players at 32, picked up a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and ripped a shot past goalie Matt Murray. The game was played at empty Scotiabank Arena in the NHL’s return following a 142-day absence after COVID-19 ground the sport to a halt. Game two is Monday night.
August 2, 2020 7:38 am
CHICAGO — Tyler Chatwood matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in another terrific performance, and the Chicago Cubs used the long ball to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Saturday night. Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ homered as Chicago won for the fifth time in six games. The Cubs have gone deep in each of their first eight games for the first time since 1958. Chatwood (2-0) departed after Pittsburgh loaded the bases with two out in the seventh. Jeremy Jeffress came in and retired Phillip Evans on a grounder to third. The Pirates got three in the ninth on Colin Moran’s two-run homer off Kyle Ryan and Gregory Polanco’s run-scoring groundout. But Rowan Wick coaxed pinch hitter Jose Osuna into a fielder’s choice for his third career save.
August 2, 2020 7:42 am
Shortened doubleheaders are about to make their Major League Baseball debut. At least that’s the plan. In this most unpredictable and unusual of seasons, perhaps we shouldn’t take anything for granted. The Detroit Tigers are set to host the Cincinnati Reds in a pair of seven-inning games — a day after the teams were rained out at Comerica Park, more showers are in the forecast. This will be the first doubleheader since MLB approved condensing twinbills to seven innings each this season. Baseball could see an unusually high number of doubleheaders due to positive coronavirus tests causing postponements, plus rainouts.
August 2, 2020 3:30 am
The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League announced there will be fewer football games among other changes this season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. On Thursday, the WPIAL board voted to trade the traditional start dates for a “hybrid” option, allowing later dates to be established for each sport and giving schools added flexibility as they transition back to class amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a breakdown of the new plans specific to football:
- Heat Acclimatization may begin as scheduled on Aug. 10
- First scrimmage is now Sept. 3 (opponent as listed on WPIAL schedule for Week 1).
- Week 2 game listed on WPIAL schedule is replaced by Week 9 game.
- With high possibility of PIAA advancing the entry date for the state football tournament (as much as 2 weeks earlier than currently listed dates, WPIAL has adjusted schedules now to accommodate this change. Regular season will now conclude Oct. 23 with a maximum of seven competitions.
IF PIAA offers a state tournament, the following parameters/dates will be used for WPIAL playoffs:
Class 6A: Top 4 teams into Semifinals (Oct. 30-31), Finals Nov. 6-7.
Classes 1A-5A: Eight teams per class into Quarterfinals (Oct. 30-31), Semifinals (Nov. 6-7), Finals (Nov. 13-14).
Classes 1A, 3A, 4A, 5A will take top two teams in each section plus two Wild Card teams (Gardner Points).
Class 2A will take top two teams in each section.
IF PIAA does NOT offer a state tournament and advances the required completion date for the season, the following parameters/dates will be used for WPIAL playoffs: Semifinals (Oct. 30-31), Finals (Nov. 6-7).
Class 6A: Top 4 teams
Classes 1A, 3A, 4A, 5A: Section champions plus one Wild Card team (Gardner Points).
Class 2A: Section champions.
August 2, 2020 7:40 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Winning a World Golf Championship event easily would be the biggest victory of Brendon Todd’s career. He has a recent reminder of how to best protect a lead in the final round — even if that memory is a bit painful. Todd had a two-stroke lead going into the final round at the Travelers Championship in late June only to shoot a 75 and tie for 11th. He shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of this World Golf Championship event.
