December 24, 2019 3:56 am
The Marlins and catcher Francisco Cervelli have agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract, pending a physical. Cervelli played in 48 games this year for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves, batting .213 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.
December 24, 2019 3:55 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Central Florida won the Gasparilla Bowl as Richie Grant and Tre’mon Morris-Brash had first-quarter defensive touchdowns in the Knights’ 48-25 rout of Marshall. Grant had a 39-yard interception return on Marshall’s third play and Morris-Brash brought back a fumble 55 yards for a score that put UCF ahead, 21-0. Dillon Gabriel was 14 of 24 passes for 260 yards, tossing two scoring passes in the third period and running for a TD later in the period.
December 23, 2019 3:48 am
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Le’Veon Bell helped deal his former team’s playoff hopes a big blow, leading the New York Jets to a 16-10 victory over the banged-up Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers entered the game controlling their postseason destiny and would have clinched a berth with wins in their final two games, but now need some help. They also have more injury concerns as running back James Conner, center Maurkice Pouncey and quarterback Mason Rudolph all left with injuries. Bell ran for 72 yards while facing the team with which he spent his first six NFL seasons. Steelers close out the regular season Sunday at Baltimore and need to beat the Ravens and have the Titans lose to Houston.
December 20, 2019 11:33 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have cut reserve safety Kameron Kelly hours after he was arrested during a dispute with police at a bar. The 23-year-old Kelly is charged with two counts of making terroristic threats and one count of resisting arrest. Authorities say they were called to the bar after an employee reported Kelly for becoming disorderly. The situation escalated when an officer stepped on the foot of Kelly’s female companion. Kelly told police the woman was with him and became aggressive with officers, according to the complaint.
December 19, 2019 3:42 am
UNDATED (AP) – The New York Yankees have introduced the new ace of their pitching staff. The Yanks and Gerrit Cole have finalized the record nine-year, $324 million contract they agreed to during the winter meetings last week. His deal is the largest for a pitcher in both its total and its average annual value of $36 million. Cole was 20-5 with an AL-leading 2.50 ERA and a major league-leading 326 strikeouts for Houston last season.
December 17, 2019 3:45 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Kansas has become the fifth team to occupy the top of The Associated Press men’s basketball poll already this season. The Jayhawks picked up 47 of 65 first-place votes to move up one spot on the rankings. They unseated Louisville, which dropped to third following last Tuesday’s 70-57 loss to Texas Tech. Gonzaga claimed 15 first-place votes to climb from sixth to second. Former No. 1 Duke moved up three spots to fourth, just ahead of Ohio State. Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia and Baylor round out the top 10. No. 23 Penn State is ranked for the first time in 23 years. The poll doesn’t include North Carolina, which had been ranked since February 2014.
December 15, 2019 8:02 am
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Lamar Stevens scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Penn State to a 73-71 win over Alabama. Curtis Jones scored 18 points, Myreon Jones added 17 and Mike Watkins grabbed 10 rebounds for Penn State (9-2) who trailed 40-34 at halftime.
December 15, 2019 4:11 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Despite some encouraging signs to the contrary earlier in the week the depleted Pittsburgh Steelers offense won’t be getting its top wide receiver back for what is a crucial game this weekend. JuJu Smith-Schuster will not play when the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. The Steelers’ No. 1 wideout left Thursday’s practice early and did not participate in Friday’s session at all. That ended hope he would avoid missing a fourth consecutive game because of a knee injury. Smith-Schuster has not played since being knocked out of a Nov. 14 loss at Cleveland when two Browns defensive backs delivered helmet-to-helmet hits to Smith-Schuster that also left him concussed.
December 14, 2019 4:08 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Army is trying to win its fourth consecutive game against Navy in the 120th edition of the football game between the service academy rivals. The game is set for Saturday in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field. It would be the first four-game winning streak for the Black Knights in the series since the 1990s. The Midshipmen lead the series 60-52-7. President Donald Trump will attend the Army-Navy game for the second straight year. Trump also was at the 2016 game as president-elect. Presidents, by custom, sit on the Army side of the stadium for one half and the Navy side for the other.
December 13, 2019 3:59 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Only minutes removed from watching his team roll to its 10th consecutive victory, coach John Harbaugh showed up to the post-game news conference wearing a white hat proclaiming Baltimore to be AFC North champions. No small accomplishment, winning that tough division two years in a row. “We’re very proud of that,” Harbaugh said. “It’s our first goal. Not our top goal.” Indeed. After Lamar Jackson ran and passed the Ravens past the New York Jets 42-21 on Thursday night, the shirt he wore reflected the feeling of just about everyone associated with the team that owns the best record in the NFL. “THE NORTH IS NOT ENOUGH,” yelled the sentiment in capital letters. Yes, the Ravens have another division title after they clinched a playoff berth four days earlier in Buffalo. With a victory next week in Cleveland, the Ravens will be assured the top seed in the AFC, a distinction that comes with home-field advantage leading up to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl. That’s the target. Victories in December are merely steps in that direction. “We just have to keep it going,” Jackson said. “The job is not over,” safety Earl Thomas said. “We got a couple more goals in front of us.” Jackson threw five touchdown passes and scurried into the NFL record book. He’s only started 21 games as a professional, yet Jackson looks like he’s been doing it forever. Baltimore (12-2) took control with touchdowns on its first three possessions and Jackson made it 28-7 in the third quarter with a 24-yard scoring pass to rookie Marquise Brown following a turnover by New York (5-9). Jackson ran for 86 yards (on eight carries) to break Michael Vick’s single-season record for a quarterback (1,039 for Atlanta in 2006). Jackson has 1,108 yards rushing.
