September 1, 2021 3:56 am
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – The New England Patriots have shown Cam Newton the door after just one season with the team. The Pats have released the 2015 NFL most valuable player, paving the way for rookie Mac Jones to open the season as the starting quarterback. Veteran players say Jones has impressed them in training camp with his work ethic. Jones won a national title last year at Alabama. The Patriots are trying to rebound from a disjointed 2020 season. Newton finished 7-8 as the starter and the Patriots went 7-9 overall after Tom Brady’s departure.
August 31, 2021 2:10 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The last-place Pittsburgh Pirates have fired hitting coach Rick Eckstein. The Pirates have struggled to produce offense all season. Pittsburgh is dead last in the majors in runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging. The Pirates are also 27th in the majors in batting average and are on their way to a third straight fifth-place finish in the NL Central. The team is in the early stages of a franchise-wide reboot under general manager Ben Cherington. Eckstein had little to work with at the major league level while the organization focuses on stockpiling prospects.
August 31, 2021 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he likes what he’s seen from the team’s defensive line during training camp. The group has been practicing without veteran Stephon Tuitt, who has not suited up at all during camp following the death of his younger brother in June. Reserves Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs and Carlos Davis have performed well at times over the summer. Wormley says the group is taking a “next man up” mentality with Tuitt out and is doing whatever it can to support him. The Steelers open in Buffalo on Sept. 12.
August 31, 2021 3:54 am
DALLAS (AP) – The displaced New Orleans Saints have begun to practice in Arlington, Texas, after Louisiana was hit hard by Hurricane Ida. Saints players and staff, along with about 120 family members, relocated to North Texas in advance of the storm. Coach Sean Payton says the Saints will practice through Wednesday at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. That is before a previously planned break before the start of the regular season.
August 31, 2021 3:53 am
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Southeastern Conference teams that don’t have enough available players will have to forfeit games this year. The league released its policy on dealing with COVID-19 issues during the 2021-22 season in all sports on Monday. Unlike last season, the short-handed team will have to forfeit and will take a loss in the SEC standings for regular season games. The scheduled opponent will be credited with a win.
August 30, 2021 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a three-run homer off Alex Reyes in the ninth inning, sending the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Bryan Reynolds started the game-ending rally with a leadoff walk. After Colin Moran struck out swinging, Jacob Stallings walked and Tsutsugo drove Reyes’ next pitch deep to right. Five of Tsutsugo’s nine hits with the Pirates have been home runs. Reyes has allowed at least one run in four of his last six appearances.
August 30, 2021 3:49 am
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) – Jackson Surma drove in four runs and Ethan Van Belle struck out eight as Michigan beat Ohio 5-2 in the championship game of the Little League World Series. The team from Taylor North Little League delivered the first LLWS title for the state of Michigan since 1959. Both teams are from the Great Lakes, marking the only time clubs from the same region played in the championship. That was because international teams didn’t compete in the LLWS for the first time since 1975, due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
August 30, 2021 3:53 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – Patrick Cantlay emerged as the winner of a lengthy playoff that decided the PGA’s BMW Championship near Baltimore. Clutch down the stretch and for six dynamic playoff holes, Patrick Cantlay put a fitting end to an epic battle with Bryson DeChambeau by making an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. DeChambeau missed four birdie putts to win in regulation and in the playoff. He missed the most important putt of the week from just inside 10 feet to extend the playoff. They both finished regulation at 27-under 261. No one had ever shot 261 on the PGA Tour and didn’t take home the trophy. Cantlay earned the sixth and final automatic spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team by winning the tournament. Tony Finau was in the sixth spot until he was surpassed by Cantlay’s victory.
August 29, 2021 10:33 am
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Sunday’s Little League World Series championship will have a Big-Ten feel to it. Ohio and Michigan advanced to the title game by winning on Saturday. Cooper Oden struck out six and allowed two runs over five innings Saturday as Ohio hung on to beat South Dakota, 5-2. Cameron Thorning hit a two-run homer and struck out seven over 3 ⅓ innings as Michigan defeated Hawaii, 2-1. Ohio became the first team in LLWS history to reach the championship game without winning its regional tournament, finishing as a runner-up in the Great Lakes to Michigan.
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.
