December 19, 2019 2:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges will get a chance to rebound. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says Hodges will start against the New York Jets despite throwing four interceptions in a loss to Buffalo in his previous start. Tomlin said Hodges has earned the right to bounce back. Pittsburgh is 3-1 this season when Hodges starts and 4-2 when he plays. Tomlin noted he provided the same opportunity to quarterback Mason Rudolph earlier this season following a four-interception game against Cleveland. The Steelers can clinch a playoff berth with victories in their final two games.á
December 18, 2019 3:09 am
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) – Josh Williams hit four free throws in the final four seconds of the game to allow Robert Morris to hold off Central Michigan 83-79. The Chippewas took a brief lead with just under four minutes to play when David DiLeo hit a 3 to make it 71-70, but AJ Bramah missed a layup, grabbed the offensive rebound while drawing a foul. His two free throws put Robert Morris ahead for good.
December 17, 2019 3:42 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Drew Brees (breez) has added his name to one more NFL record. Brees is the league’s all-time leader in touchdown passes after tossing four more in the Saints’ 34-7 thrashing of the Colts in New Orleans. The scoring strike that broke Peyton Manning’s record of 539 career touchdown passes came in the third quarter, when Brees hit tight end Josh Hill for a 5-yard score. He came into the game already holding NFL records for completions and passing yards before helping the Saints improve to 11-3. Brees also broke a single-game record for completion percentage by connecting on 29 of his 30 attempts for 307 yards in a little more than three quarters. The 6-8 Colts dropped their fourth in a row to eliminate themselves from playoff contention.
December 17, 2019 3:41 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Pirates have signed free agent catcher Luke Maile to a one-year deal. The Pirates are in need of help at catcher after declining the option on Elias Diaz. Maile is considered an above average defensive catcher but has struggled at the plate throughout his career. The five-year veteran is a career .198 hitter and has 10 home runs and 60 RBIs in 215 games. Maile made his major league debut with Tampa Bay in 2015. He spent the last three years with the Toronto Blue Jays. The move fills up the last remaining open spot on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster.
December 16, 2019 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Texas Rangers have added a two-time Cy Young Award winner to their starting rotation. The Indians have traded Corey Kluber to the Rangers for outfielder Delino DeShields and pitching prospect Emmanuel Clase. Kluber is coming off his worst season since 2012 as broken arm limited him to seven starts. He was 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA this year, one season after recording his first 20-win season. Kluber is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA and 1,461 strikeouts in 1,341 2/3 innings over 208 major league games, including 203 starts. DeShields stole 24 bases last season while batting .249 with 32 RBIs.
December 15, 2019 1:34 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Quarterback Malcolm Perry helped No. 21 Navy beat Army for the first time in four tries. Perry ran for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns in the No. 21 Midshipmen’s 31-7 victory in Philadelphia. He ran for a 55-yard TD in the first half, added a 44-yard scamper and set Navy season records in yards rushing and total 100-yard games. The game was tied 7-7 in the final minute of the first half until Perry took the snap at the 1-yard line and handed off the ball to receiver Chance Warren, who threw to Jamale Carothers for the score. The 10-2 Middies won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for the 16th time and improved to 61-52-7 all-time against the Cadets.
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.
