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.
July 28, 2019 7:44 am
The Pirates have claimed RHP Parker Markel off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and have optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 28-year-old Markel posted a 2.04 ERA (35.1ip/8er) and 62 strikeouts in 27 minor league games this season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma. He also made five appearances with Seattle this season, making his Major League debut on May 12 at Boston. He was designated for assignment on July 23. To make room on the 40-man roster, Rookie Davis has been transferred from the 10 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
July 26, 2019 3:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt homered in his career-high fourth straight game, powering the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 on Thursday for a four-game sweep. Goldschmidt drove a changeup from Joe Musgrove (7-9) for his 22nd home run, a solo shot that put St. Louis ahead 3-1 in the fourth. He has one homer in each of his past five games against Pittsburgh. Kolten Wong homered later in the fourth and Dexter Fowler hit a two-run drive for a 6-1 margin in the fifth as the Cardinals won for the 11th time in 14 games since the All-Star break, including their last five. The Pirates have lost 11 of 13. Miles Mikolas (7-10) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. Musgrove matched his season high by giving up six runs – five earned – and seven hits in five innings. Jose Martinez hit an RBI single in the first and scored on Paul DeJong’s sacrifice fly. Bryan Reynolds’s sacrifice fly cut the Cardinals’ lead to 2-1 in the third. The Pirates open a three game series in New York against the Mets Friday night.
July 24, 2019 3:46 am
Receiver Tyler Boyd signed a four-year contract extension today, coming off his breakthrough season with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals also are trying to work out a contract extension with A.J. Green, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $60 million deal. Green has fully recovered from a toe injury that required surgery.
July 22, 2019 3:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended (pictured), and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins’ home run in the 11th inning. Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park. That’s when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter’s box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies’ dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away. Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play. Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning. Phillies reliever Ranger Suarez (3-0) got Starling Marte to ground out to end the 10th, stranding Adam Frazier at third, and worked around a hit in the 11th. Drew Smyly made his first start with the Phillies, allowing one run and four hits in six innings. He also struck out. The 30-year-old lefty was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances this year for Texas, which released him on June 25. Smyly signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on July 1, went 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in three starts for Triple-A San Antonio, then on Thursday exercised his right to be released. Pirates starter Dario Agrazal allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings. The 24-year-old rookie has given up a combined eight runs (seven earned) in 28 innings through his first five starts. Melky Cabrera put the Pirates ahead 1-0 in the first with an RBI single. The Phillies tied it in the fourth when Cesar Hernandez came out of a 25-minute rain delay and singled home Harper.
July 21, 2019 7:45 am
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) -Ashton Turner is the first player to complete 72 holes of the British Open, not necessarily a badge of honor because he was in last place going into Sunday. He made the most of it and beat the bad weather with a 3-under 68. There already have been periods of light rain as weather figures to be a big part of the final round. The forecast was for heavy rain at times and gusts approaching 40 mph. It was severe enough for the R&A to move forward the starting times by one hour. Shane Lowry, with a four-shot lead, won the Irish Open as an amateur 10 years ago in nasty weather. He doesn’t figure to have a big advantage, though. He is playing with Tommy Fleetwood of Southport, England, which gets its share of bad weather.
July 19, 2019 3:55 am
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) – The New York Racing Association is canceling Saturday’s card of racing at Saratoga Race Course due to excessive heat forecast for eastern New York. The National Weather Service is predicting a heat index that could reach as high as 110 degrees. Training will be permitted Saturday on both the main track and Oklahoma training track in the normally cooler temperatures in the morning.
July 19, 2019 3:55 am
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) – Tiger Woods arrived at Royal Portrush on Sunday morning. Now he tries to avoid leaving Friday afternoon from the British Open. Woods, Rory McIlroy and others who got off to a rugged start faced a daunting task trying to make the cut on a links course with ever-changing conditions and a steady challenge. Woods didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole in his opening round of 78, his worst start in a British Open and third-highest score in a major championship. McIlroy played reasonably well except the start (quadruple bogey) and finish (triple bogey) in his round of 79. J.B. Holmes set the pace with a 5-under 66 and played Friday morning under a mostly blue sky and mild wind. That could change without notice.
