July 29, 2025 4:29 am
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of a Major League Baseball investigation into sports betting. Clase, a three-time All-Star, becomes the second Guardians pitcher to be placed on leave in connection with a sports gambling probe. Luis Ortiz also is on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31. It was unclear if the cases were related in any way. The Guardians said in a statement they “have been informed that no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted.”
July 29, 2025 4:24 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman who became one of baseball’s best all-around players while starring for the Chicago Cubs, has died. He was 65. Sandberg announced in January 2024 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He had chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and then said in August 2024 that he was cancer-free. But he posted on Instagram on Dec. 10 that his cancer had returned and spread to other organs. He announced this month that he was still fighting, while “looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.”
July 29, 2025 4:28 am
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado coach Deion Sanders says he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer but after surgery his oncologist has considered him cured, so he plans to coach this season. Doctors at the CU Cancer Center/UCHealth University of Colorado hospital says Sanders had his bladder removed as part of the surgical plan. The 57-year-old Sanders spoke on the eve of fall camp as he enters his third season overseeing the Buffaloes. He brought his medical team with him to discuss his diagnosis. It was revealed that a section of his intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder. His doctors say he won’t need radiation or chemotherapy.
July 28, 2025 4:24 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates let Paul Skenes return to a more normal workload, and his effectiveness remains unchanged. Skenes struck out nine in six innings, allowing just three hits, as the Pirates shut out Arizona 6-0 on Sunday. This marks his fourth scoreless outing in five starts. He threw 99 pitches, his most in over a month. Manager Don Kelly said they are “ramping him back up a little bit.” Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is on a roll, outscoring Arizona 8-0 in the last two games of the series. Skenes lowered his ERA to a major league-best 1.83.
July 28, 2025 4:52 am
COOPERSTOWN, New York — A long overdue honor was given posthumously to Pirates legend Dave Parker Sunday. The former outfielder took his place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the 2025 induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York.“Superstar outfielder delivered on the confidence he brought to the ballpark, showcasing skills in every facet of the game,” reads his Hall of Fame plaque. Parker’s image on the plaque includes a Pirates cap, as he spent more years with the Bucs than any other team. Parker is the 45th former member of the Pirates organization to be voted into the Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Parker played for the Pirates for 11 years, from 1973-1983. He won two batting titles, an MVP Award and a World Series Championship in 1979. Parker was working on his speech when he died June 28 at the age of 74.
July 28, 2025 4:28 am
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Kurt Kitayama has his second PGA Tour victory. He won the 3M Open in Minnesota on Sunday, closing with a 65 for a total of 23-under 261 to beat Sam Stevens by one stroke. Kitayama shot a career-best 60 on Saturday to move within one shot of the co-leaders. He birdied six of the first eight holes on Sunday for a comfortable lead and withstood a bogey on the 17th hole. He two-putted for par on 18 to secure his win with Stevens finished. Kitayama moved to 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings, safely in position to make the playoffs.
July 28, 2025 4:26 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval, surviving a late rain delay, two overtimes, concerns over running out of fuel and a hard-charging Kyle Larson on Sunday in the Brickyard 400. The third NASCAR Cup victory of Wallace’s career was also his most significant — his first win at one of the series’ four crown jewel races. It snapped a 100-race winless streak that dated to 2022 at Kansas. He also won at Talladega in 2021, but this milestone victory also gave him a playoff spot. No Black driver has won the Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1 raced on the track’s road course. And while the final gap was 0.222 seconds, Wallace didn’t reach victory lane without some consternation.
July 27, 2025 8:53 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew Heaney and five relievers combined on a four-hitter, Oneil Cruz hit his team-leading 17th home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday night. Heaney (5-9) pitched five innings and allowed two hits with four strikeouts and no walks. It might have been his last start for the last-place Pirates, with Heaney on an expiring contract and the trade deadline Thursday. Randal Grichuk was traded mid-game by the Diamondbacks. David Bednar worked a perfect ninth inning for his 100th career save and 16th this season. Cruz’s two-run homer in the second inning carried 410 feet to right-center field and accounted for all the scoring. It came after Tommy Pham reached base on third baseman Eugenio Suarez’s fielding error. The two teams meet Sunday afternoon, Paul Skenes expected to get the start for the Pirates.
July 26, 2025 7:30 pm
Washington, PA — After stringing 4-5 favorite Twisted Destiny out for the first three-eighths of the mile, Prince Hal Hanover took full advantage of a pocket trip behind a pressured pace and rallied up the open stretch to narrowly capture the $385,000 Grade 1 Adios Pace for the Orchids, held Saturday at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Todd McCarthy wasted no time, pushing forward from post eight and seating Sippinonsearoc (driven by Yannick Gingras) in the pocket through a :26 first quarter. Meanwhile, Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn) was parked wide of Rick Wink after being out-sprinted to the first turn and was kept wide on his advance to the front. Twisted Destiny ultimately worked clear of Prince Hal Hanover with just under a lap to go, was stung to the half in :53.3, and faced pressure from 86-1 outsider Makes Sense heading to three-quarters in 1:21.2. Off the corner for home, Twisted Destiny responded to Makes Sense’s challenge, but Prince Hal Hanover set sail up the open stretch to strike the front in the final sixteenth and seal a lifetime-best 1:48.1 win. Swingtown (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) rallied belatedly around failed cover to just nab Twisted Destiny for runner-up honors. Dr. Ian Moore trains Prince Hal Hanover, now a five-time winner from 19 starts with $708,954 in career earnings.
July 26, 2025 5:08 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryne Nelson and two relievers combined for a one-hitter, Eugenio Suarez had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 on Friday night. Nelson surrendered a triple by Tommy Pham off the Clemente Wall in right field with two outs in the second — the ball glancing off right fielder Corbin Carroll’s glove before hitting the wall and bounding away — during his six innings of work. Anthony DeSclafani (1-1) followed with four hitless innings of his own. Kevin Ginkel left the tying run on third in the 11th for his third save. Suarez, who is the subject of active trade speculation with the deadline approaching next week, lofted a fly ball of Braxton Ashcraft (2-1) just deep enough near the line in right in the top of the 11th to score Carroll. The Pirates wore a throwback uniform combination to honor former outfielder Dave Parker, who will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. Their performance at the plate didn’t exactly bring back visions of “The Cobra” as baseball’s lowest scoring team saw its three-game winning streak end. Pittsburgh starter Mike Burrows retired the first 10 batters he faced and allowed just three singles over six scoreless innings of work before giving way to the bullpen.
