July 8, 2019 3:51 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Red-hot rookie Bryan Reynolds hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 Sunday in their final game before the All-Star break. The estimated 403-foot shot cleared the seats beyond the fence in right-center field and bounced toward the Allegheny River. Reynolds’ seventh homer of the season came after Kevin Kramer walked and Adam Frazier singled off reliever Junior Guerra (3-2). Reynolds also hit an RBI double in the fifth and is batting .342 with a .950 OPS. Brewers star Christian Yelich did not play and pulled out of Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby with a back injury. It’s unclear if Yelich will still play in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Jesus Aguilar hit a two-run home run in the seventh off Pirates starter Joe Musgrove that tied the game at 3. It was his second home run of the game and eighth of season. He also hit a solo shot to left off Musgrove in the fifth. Francisco Liriano relieved Musgrove and finished the seventh to improve to 3-1. Felipe Vazquez worked a four-out save, his 20th of the season. Milwaukee rookie Keston Hiura hit a two-run homer in the eighth, also his seventh of the season. Musgrove struck out five in six-plus innings, allowing five hits and three runs. His appearance was interrupted by a 40-minute rain delay in between the fifth and sixth innings. He also contributed at the plate during a two-run second inning against starter Chase Anderson. Colin Moran tripled and scored on Kevin Newman’s single to right. Newman and Jacob Stallings perfectly executed a hit-and-run that left Newman at third for Musgrove, who put a squeeze bunt down the right side for his first career RBI. Anderson allowed two runs on five hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked two. Orlando Arcia pinch hit in the fifth inning after a scary collision with Hiura on Saturday. Infield prospect Mauricio Dubon, recalled as insurance for Arcia, made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter in the eighth. Dubon is the first big leaguer born and raised in Honduras.
July 8, 2019 3:48 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – There’s more than a trophy and bragging rights up for grabs in this year’s All-Star Home Run Derby. There’s also a $1 million prize for the winner. Eight contestants will swing for the fences in Monday’s competition, which has grown in popularity and has sometimes overshadowed the All-Star Game. Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, the reigning NL MVP who has 31 homers, dropped out Sunday with a back injury.
July 6, 2019 4:01 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) – A person familiar with the negotiations says the Los Angeles Clippers will be landing Kawhi Leonard as a free agent after they acquire Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a massive trade for players and draft picks. George will be traded for at least four first-round picks, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity early Saturday because none of the moves have been finalized. And Leonard made his decision to sign with the Clippers after the team swung the deal to land George, the person said. ESPN, which first reported the trade, also said the Thunder were getting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari from the Clippers. Leonard going to the Clippers means that for the first time, a reigning NBA Finals MVP will be changing teams before the following season. Leonard was also being pursued by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, the team he led to last season’s NBA title. The most the Clippers can offer Leonard is $142 million over four years, which is the deal he is expected to sign. Players can sign with new teams as early as noon Eastern on Saturday.
July 6, 2019 3:55 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Lorenzo Cain delivered a go-ahead RBI single off Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vazquez in the top of the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers recovered after blowing a five-run lead in the ninth to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 on Friday night and snap a three-game losing streak. Pittsburgh trailed 6-1 going into the ninth, but rallied to tie it. Starling Marte’s sacrifice fly scored Melky Cabrera and got Pittsburgh going. All-Star first baseman Josh Bell followed two batters later with a three-run shot to the right-field seats off Delios Guerra to get Pittsburgh within one. Milwaukee reliever Junior Guerra came on in an attempt to get the final out. His first pitch to Jung Ho Kang ended up in the left-field bleachers to tie the game. The Brewers, however, bounced back against Vazquez (2-1). Orlando Arcia singled with one out, moved to third on Manny Pina’s single and scored when Cain’s sharp grounder got through the hole between first and second base. Junior Guerra (3-1) picked up the win after blowing the save when he struck out pinch-hitter Joe Musgrove – a starting pitcher by trade – with two on in the bottom of the 10th as Milwaukee moved a half-game in front of the idle Chicago Cubs for first in the NL Central. Bell, who will compete in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in Cleveland, now has 27 home runs on the season and five in his last five games. Adam Frazier finished with three hits and is batting .619 (13 of 21) over his last five games. Brault exited after walking Arcia leading off the fifth with discomfort in his left (throwing) shoulder. Brault, coming off a June in which he posted a 2.52 ERA after injuries forced him to join Pittsburgh’s starting rotation full-time, allowed one run on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
July 5, 2019 4:00 am
MIAMI (AP) – Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Kendrick Norton suffered multiple injuries in a car crash that required his left arm to be amputated. Sports agent Malki Kawa confirmed the injuries in a tweet on Thursday morning. The Florida Highway Patrol says the Ford F250 Norton was driving crashed into a concrete barrier and overturned early Thursday on State Road 836 near Miami. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews rendered aid to 22-year-old Norton, who was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Norton played at the University of Miami and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round in 2018. He spent much of last season on their practice squad. The Dolphins signed him in December.
July 5, 2019 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Kris Bryant hit his 17th homer and the Chicago Cubs erupted following manager Joe Maddon’s fourth-inning ejection, routing the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3 on Thursday to stop a four-game losing streak. Bryant tied a season high with four hits, including a first-inning shot to the seats in right-center off Jordan Lyles (5-5). Robel Garcia finished a double short of the cycle in his first major league start. Willson Contreras drove in three runs for the Cubs, who moved back into a tie with Milwaukee for first place in the crowded NL Central, where all five teams are separated by 3 1/2 games. Maddon watched the final 5 1/2 innings from the Chicago clubhouse after getting tossed following an exchange with the Pittsburgh dugout that ended with Maddon being restrained by home plate umpire Joe West. Maddon appeared to take exception with Lyles pitching up and in to All-Star Javier Baez. He walked onto the field pointing his finger at Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. West and Bryant teamed up to hold Maddon back while Hurdle watched from just outside the Pittsburgh dugout.
July 3, 2019 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Adam Frazier is enjoying his return to the leadoff spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The second baseman hit a three-run home run off Chicago’s Mike Montgomery after a long rain delay to lead the Pirates to a 5-1 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday night. One game after tying a major league record by clubbing four doubles, Frazier finished 4 for 4 and scored three runs as the Pirates won for the ninth time in 13 games. Frazier hit those four doubles on Monday while filling in at the leadoff spot while rookie Kevin Newman got the day off. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle kept Frazier in the top spot even with Newman back in the lineup, and Frazier responded by continuing to torch the listless Cubs. Frazier led off the bottom of the first with a single off Kyle Hendricks (7-6), doubled off Hendricks again in the third, then took Montgomery into the seats above the Clemente Wall in right field shortly after a two-hour, five-minute rain delay to give Pittsburgh a five-run lead it never came close to squandering. The Cubs managed just six hits against starter Joe Musgrove and five relievers and didn’t get a runner past first base until a two-out double by Addison Russell in the eighth. Willson Contreras hit an RBI double in the ninth against Pittsburgh closer Felipe Vazquez to avoid the shutout. Clay Holmes (1-0) worked two scoreless innings to pick up the win. When Frazier ripped a single leading off the seventh, it gave him a hit in seven straight at-bats, becoming the first Pirate to reach that milestone since Freddy Sanchez did it on May 25-26, 2009. Frazier is 9 for 10 through the first two games of a crucial homestand for Pittsburgh, which is trying to stay in the NL Central race despite a series of injuries to the pitching staff. Starling Marte had two hits for the Pirates and Josh Bell picked up his major-league leading 78th RBI on a sacrifice fly as Pittsburgh backed up an 18-run outburst against Chicago to pull within two games of .500 (41-43) for the first time since June 2. Hendricks, making his first start since going on the injured list on June 15 with right shoulder inflammation, ran into early trouble. Frazier laced the third pitch he saw from Hendricks into center field. Marte followed two batters later with a single of his own and Bell’s drive to right field easily scored Frazier to put the Pirates up. Pittsburgh pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third when Frazier led off with a double and scored when Marte doubled to right. Hendricks gave up two runs in three innings with a walk and four strikeouts for Chicago, which has dropped three straight and four of five.
July 2, 2019 3:51 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Golden State Warriors have reason to smile again after losing All-Star forward Kevin Durant to a free-agent contract with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. All-Star guard Klay Thompson has announced on Instagram that he is staying in the Bay Area. He is expected to sign a five-year max contract for $190 million when the NBA free agent moratorium period ends, remaining with Golden State just as he had hoped all along. Thompson had been scheduled for surgery this past week for a torn ACL in his left knee after he was injured during a Game 6 loss to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
July 2, 2019 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Josh Bell certainly looks ready for the Home Run Derby. Pittsburgh’s All-Star first baseman hit three home runs to boost his season total to 25, leading the Pirates to an 18-5 rout over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. Bell, who will be part of the eight-man derby field in Cleveland next week, hit a three-run shot off rookie Adbert Alzolay (1-1) in the first, a two-run drive off Alzolay in the second and finished off a four-hit, seven-RBI night by taking new Chicago closer Craig Kimbrel deep in the eighth as Pittsburgh began a pivotal seven-game homestand by pounding out a season-high 23 hits. Adam Frazier finished 5 for 6 and tied a major league record with four doubles. Colin Moran had a career-high five hits for the Pirates. Jung Ho Kang hit his seventh home run of the season off Chicago infielder Daniel Descalso, who made a cameo on the mound in the seventh with the game well out of hand. Jose Osuna hit a solo home run off Kimbrel, who came on to get some work after making his debut with the Cubs last week. Bell became the 20th Pirates player to hit three home runs in a game and the first left-handed batter to do it since Hall of Famer Willie Stargell in 1971. Frazier’s four doubles matched a mark shared by many players – Matt Carpenter of St. Louis was the last to do it on Aug. 26, 2018.
July 2, 2019 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford began his team’s longer-than-expected offseason by talking about the need for a culture change. Two months later, the process is finally underway. The Penguins opened free agency by signing versatile forward Brandon Tanev to a six-year deal worth $3.5 million annually. The 27-year-old Tanev spent the first four seasons of his career with Winnipeg, earning a reputation as a quality penalty killer and a hard-working two-way player.
