December 13, 2019 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Bryan Rust scored a power-play goal at 3:02 of overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0. Rust controlled a bouncing puck at the top of the crease and fired it past Joonas Korpisalo for the winner and his 10th goal of the year. Tristan Jarry stopped 17 shots for his third shutout in his last four appearances.
December 12, 2019 3:47 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – The International team wanted to at least hang with the powerful U.S. team in the Presidents Cup. It worked out better than even International captain Ernie Els imagined. It won four of the five matches in fourballs for a 4-1 lead. That’s the first time the Americans have trailed after any session since 2005. Tiger Woods did his part as playing captain. He made six birdies as he and Justin Thomas won the opening match. Woods now has 25 wins in the Presidents Cup, one short of the record set by Phil Mickelson. Foursomes are set for Friday.
December 12, 2019 3:42 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Washington Nationals were able to re-sign Stephen Strasburg this week, but it appears they have lost All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon. A person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press the Angels have worked out a seven-year, $245 million contract with Rendon. Rendon has played all seven of his major league seasons with Washington. He drove in a career-best 126 runs while helping the Nationals capture the franchise’s first World Series championship this year. Rendon has been worth 19.9 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs, since the start of the 2016 season. That trails only new teammate Mike Trout, Boston’s Mookie Betts and Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich among position players.
December 12, 2019 3:40 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – The Edmunds brothers’ sibling rivalry is going prime time when the Buffalo Bills travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a showdown of AFC playoff contenders Sunday. The game will feature Pittsburgh safety Terrell and running back Trey Edmunds on one side, and Buffalo linebacker Tremaine Edmunds on the other. The three are separated by 3 1/2 years of age and are the sons of former NFL tight end Ferrell Edmunds and his wife Felicia, a former college track star. Felicia is now a phys-ed teacher and earned credit for putting her then-preteen sons through daily early morning workout routines.
December 11, 2019 3:47 am
UNDATED (AP) – Davide Moretti scored 18 points and hit successive 3-pointers that helped Texas Tech knock off undefeated No. 1 Louisville 70-57 on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. It’s the third time an unranked team has beaten an AP No. 1 this season. The Red Raiders had their biggest win since they made the NCAA championship game last season. Louisville became the fourth top-ranked team to lose this season, joining Michigan State, Duke and Kentucky.
December 10, 2019 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg is staying with the Washington Nationals. Strasburg has agreed to a record $245 million, seven-year contract. The deal is the highest for a pitcher in total dollars and average annual value at $35 million. The largest contract for a pitcher had been David Price’s $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston that began in 2016. The 31-year-old Strasburg was drafted by Washington first overall in 2009 and has spent his entire career with the Nationals. He was 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA this season, topping 30 starts for the second time in his career and leading the NL with 209 innings. Strasburg was sensational in the postseason, going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five postseason starts and one relief outing.
December 9, 2019 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Baseball Hall of Fame will soon include longtime catcher Ted Simmons and former union head Marvin Miller. Both have been elected by the Modern Baseball Era Committee and will be inducted this summer. Simmons was an eight-time All-Star during a 21-year career spent with the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves. He batted .285 with 248 home runs, 483 doubles and 1,389 RBIs. Miller took control of the union in the 1960’s and molded it into the most powerful in professional spots.
December 8, 2019 11:27 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Top-ranked Ohio State trailed 21-7 before Josh Fields threw all three of his touchdown passes in the second half of a 34-21 comeback against No. 8 Wisconsin. Fields was 19 of 31 with 299 yards and no interceptions. J.K. Dobbins ran for 172 yards and a score for the 13-0 Buckeyes, who sealed their first playoff trip in three years and ran their winning streak to 19 games.
ATLANTA (AP) – Joe Burrow threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns as the second-ranked LSU Tigers rolled to a 37-10 rout of No. 4 Georgia. He was the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 41 yards on 11 carries, and even caught a pass on a ball that was batted down at the line and wound up in his arms, taking off for a 16-yard gain. Burrow’s busiest receivers were Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall Jr., who combined for 204 yards and three scores.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Trevor Lawrence threw three of his four touchdown passes to Tee Higgins as third-ranked Clemson stormed to its 28th consecutive victory and fifth consecutive ACC title, 62-17 against No. 22 Virginia. Lawrence set an ACC title-game record for touchdown throws while going 16 of 22 for 302 yards before coming out in the third quarter. Higgins set conference championship-game records with his three touchdowns and 182 receiving yards.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 5-yard run in overtime to lead sixth-ranked Oklahoma to a 30-23 win over No. 7 Baylor. Oklahoma secured the victory by stopping the Bears with a sack and three incompletions. Jalen Hurts threw for 278 yards and a touchdown, with CeeDee Lamb grabbing eight passes for 173 yards.
December 8, 2019 11:06 am
DETROIT (AP) – Evgeni Malkin is picking up the slack with Sidney Crosby out, making dazzling plays on offense and getting back on defense. Malkin and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and two assists to help the Pittsburgh Penguins build a two-goal lead midway through the second period en route to a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. The 33-year-old Malkin scored on a whirling shot that got past Jonathan Bernier midway through the second period, restoring a two-score lead with his eighth goal of the season and 399th of his career. “I’m thrilled with Geno’s game right now,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s having success at both ends of the rink.” Crosby missed his 13th game in a row, recovering from last month’s surgery to repair a core muscle. The Penguins have made up for the loss of the superstar by having an NHL-high 24 players score at least one goal this season. “It has helped us grab the points that we’ve grabbed over the last few weeks through some of the injuries that we’ve endured,” Sullivan said. “We have some pretty good offensive players that aren’t in the lineup right now.” Guentzel had his team-leading 16th goal early in the game, shortly after grimacing in pain on the bench. The winger appeared to score off his right skate, ending a sequence that started with teammate Bryan Rust laying on the ice in Detroit’s end without his broken stick and pushing the puck up the ice with his glove. Guentzel has been playing with Malkin instead of Crosby and is enjoying every shift. “He’s playing at a high caliber right now and it just fun to be a part of it and go along for the ride,” Guentzel said. Matt Murray made 26 saves for his first win in nearly a month, helping Pittsburgh earn its third straight victory. He didn’t help his case to compete with Tristan Jarry for playing time, giving up two goals in the third period.
December 8, 2019 8:07 am
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Kaleb Wesson scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and No. 6 Ohio State routed Penn State 106-74. Ohio State scored 100 points against a Big Ten rival for the first time since 1991. Four players hit double figures for the Buckeyes (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten), who shot 57.4 percent from the field. Andre Wesson scored 15, and sophomores Duane Washington Jr. and Luther Muhammad, each added 14. The Nitany Lions (7-2, 0-1) were led by Izaiah Brockington’s 19 points and Seth Lundy’s 10. Penn State lost for the second time in four games.
