August 6, 2019 3:50 am
A $1.9 billion stadium being built for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders when the team moves to Las Vegas is being named for Allegiant Travel Co. Officials made the announcement Monday during a ceremony marking the installation of the final steel beam for the roof of the 65,000-seat indoor stadium. Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel is the publicly traded corporate parent of Allegiant Air. Terms of the agreement weren’t made public. The Raiders are moving after the upcoming season.
August 5, 2019 4:00 am
A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is signing a two-year, $70 million contract extension that runs through 2021 and includes a hefty raise this season. The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Patriots hadn’t announced the extension, confirmed the NFL Network’s report of Brady’s extension. Brady, who has never played out the final season of a contract in his 20-year NFL career in New England, will get an $8 million raise in 2019, when he’ll make $23 million. The extension also calls for him to make $30 million in 2020 and $32 million in 2021, when he would be 44.
August 4, 2019 7:47 am
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates today claimed right-handed pitcher Yacksel Ríos off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies and have optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Ríos has a 4-2 record, 6.38 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 53 career relief appearances with the Phillies from 2017-19. He made four appearances this season with the Phillies before being designated for assignment on July 29. He also made 31 relief appearances this season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
August 3, 2019 1:31 pm
The Mets’ seven-game winning streak is over after Melky Cabrera laced a two-run double while the Pirates scored five in the fourth to beat New York, 8-4. Starling Marte’s three-run shot in the seventh broke open the game as Pittsburgh dealt the Mets just their sixth loss since the All-Star break. Steven Matz was chased in the fourth and ended the Mets’ streak of 17 straight games in which their starters allowed three runs or fewer.
August 2, 2019 3:46 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Pittsburgh pitcher Keone Kela has been suspended for 10 games, Cincinnati reliever Amir Garrett for eight and Yasiel Puig for three after a furious brawl between the Pirates and Reds. Major League Baseball issued eight suspensions two days after the fight at Great American Ball Park. Three players on each team were suspended, and all of them have elected to appeal. Reds manager David Bell was suspended six games and Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle was penalized two games.
August 1, 2019 3:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates opted to hold on to All-Star closer Felipe Vázquez at the trade deadline, a move general manager Neal Huntington said is proof the club believes it can turn things around in 2020. Pittsburgh has fallen off the pace in the NL Central since the All-Star break and sent outfielder Corey Dickerson to Philadelphia for a player to be named and international signing money. Vázquez stayed put and remains very much a part of the team’s future plans.
July 31, 2019 3:53 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Clint Hurdle and David Bell had little interaction while exchanging lineup cards one day after their teams fought on the field, and the Pirates and Reds were on good behavior Wednesday during Cincinnati’s 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh behind a strong performance from Luis Castillo. Bell and three Reds, including now-traded Yasiel Puig, were ejected for a ninth-inning brawl during the Pirates’ 11-4 win on Tuesday night. Four Pirates also were ejected. Major League Baseball was reviewing video of the fight Wednesday and was expected to hand down suspensions over the second fracas between the NL Central rivals this season. Bell went after Hurdle during the fight and was restrained in a headlock by batting coach Rick Eckstein. Bell repeatedly cursed Hurdle as he left the field. A day later, the two managers didn’t say much while handing lineup cards to the umpires. They’re not done with each other. They meet again at PNC Park on Aug. 23, and wrap up the season together with three games in Pittsburgh Sept. 27-29. The series matched two teams that have faded from the NL Central race, but only one of them is already looking to next year. Puig went to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal for pitcher Trevor Bauer even though Cincinnati had slid to 7 1/2 games out. Puig can be a free agent at the end of the season, while Bauer is under contract control for another year. The Reds also dealt starter Tanner Roark to Oakland on Wednesday for an outfield prospect. The Pirates have gone 3-16 since the All-Star break, prompting them to deal starter Jordan Lyles to Milwaukee at the start of the series. They couldn’t muster much against Castillo (10-4), who recovered from his worst start of the season. The All-Star allowed a career-high six runs in a 12-2 loss to the Rockies on Friday. Castillo gave up six hits and a run while pitching into the eighth inning on Wednesday. Raisel Iglesias retired the side in the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez homered off rookie Dario Agrazal (2-2), who lasted only 3 2/3 innings. Agrazal hit Tucker Barnhart on the foot with a breaking ball, and got Winker on the arm with a fastball, drawing boos from the crowd of 20,886. The umpires huddled after Winker was hit, but didn’t eject Agrazal.
July 30, 2019 3:58 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Jose Iglesias’ grand slam completed Cincinnati’s 10-run second inning and the Reds beat the Pirates 11-6 Monday night after Pittsburgh traded scheduled starter Jordan Lyles to the Brewers. The last-place Pirates lost their ninth straight, their longest skid since they dropped 10 in a row in 2011. Lyles was dealt to Milwaukee – which has an injury-depleted rotation – in the afternoon for pitching prospect Cody Ponce. Alex McRae (0-3) took Lyles’ spot, his first major league start after seven relief appearances. He retired only four batters and was replaced during Cincinnati’s biggest inning in four years. Ten days earlier, the Reds gave up a 10-run inning by the Cardinals during a 12-11 loss at Great American Ball Park. This time, they were on the other end of one . They piled up six hits and three walks while sending 13 batters to the plate. Joey Votto singled home a pair of runs, first baseman Josh Bell had a throwing error, and Iglesias’ second career grand slam off Montana DuRapau made it 10-1. Every Reds player scored in the inning. Cincinnati hadn’t scored so many runs in an inning since it also had 10 in the sixth against Detroit on Aug. 24, 2015. Sonny Gray (6-6) gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings, including Starling Marte’s 18th homer and Bryan Reynolds’ ninth. Colin Moran hit his third career grand slam off Wandy Peralta. The game matched the NL Central’s bottom teams. The Pirates have anchored themselves in last place by going 2-15 after the All-Star break, prompting them to trade Lyles two days before the deadline.
July 29, 2019 3:51 pm
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Jordan Lyles is heading back to the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee acquired the 28-year-old right-hander from Pittsburgh on Monday for pitching prospect Cody Ponce. Lyles was 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA in 11 appearances for the Brewers late last season, helping Milwaukee win the NL Central. He agreed to a $2.05 million, one-year contract with the Pirates and earned a rotation spot, going 5-7 with a 5.36 ERA. He won five of his first six decisions with Pittsburgh but has a 9.58 ERA in eight starts since May 28. Lyles was scheduled to start for Pittsburgh on Monday night against Cincinnati and was replaced by Alex McRae (0-2, 7.71). The Pirates are 2-14 since the All-Star break, falling out of contention. Ponce, a second-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is 1-3 with one save, 44 strikeouts and a 3.29 ERA in 27 appearances at Double-A Biloxi this season.
July 29, 2019 3:49 am
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Brooks Koepka had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine and cruised to a three-stroke victory at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Playing with Rory McIlroy in their first final-group pairing, the top-ranked Koepka closed with a bogey-free 5-under 65 at TPC Southwind for his seventh PGA Tour title. He finished at 16-under 264. McIlroy followed his third-round 62 with a 71 to drop into a tie for fourth at 11 under. Webb Simpson had a 64 to finish second.
