June 22, 2025 5:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Corey Seager singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and rookie Kumar Rocker won his second straight start and the Texas Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2. Seager’s sharp single to center field scored Josh Smith and put the Rangers ahead 2-1. Marcus Semien followed with a sacrifice fly. Rocker (3-4) gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings after pitching five scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in his previous start last Sunday. The Rangers have won the first two games of the series and will try to finish the sweep on Sunday. Mitch Keller (1-10) took his 10th consecutive loss, allowing three runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.
June 22, 2025 5:48 am
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his NASCAR national series debut as a crew chief in Saturday’s Xfinity Series at Pocono Raceway. Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they both landed in victory lane. Earnhardt made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction earlier this month at Nashville.
June 21, 2025 4:41 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jacob deGrom struck out seven in six strong innings, Corey Seager hit his first home run since May 10 and the Texas Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. DeGrom (7-2) retired the first 11 batters and allowed two runs and five hits in six innings with one walk. The two-time Cy Young Award winner extended his franchise record to 12 consecutive starts of allowing two runs or fewer and five hits or fewer. Seager homered with one out in the fifth inning off rookie Mike Burrows (1-2). Texas’ Adolis Garcia had three hits and the Pirates’ Joey Bart had three hits.
June 20, 2025 4:26 am
DETROIT (AP) — Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a two-run single in a four-run 10th inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 8-4 for a split of a doubleheader. The Tigers won the first game 9-2 behind four RBIs from Riley Greene. Pinch-hitter Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the 10th with a single to right, scoring pinch-runner Tommy Pham from second. The Tigers challenged the call, and A.J. Hinch was ejected for arguing after the call was upheld. Nick Gonzales singled, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. An intentional walk to Jared Triolo loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Joey Bart had an RBI single to make it 6-4. One out later, Kiner-Falefa hit a single to left to bring home two more runs.
June 20, 2025 1:57 am
DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene drove in four runs for the second time in a week, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader. Tigers starter Tarik Skubal improved to 8-0 over his last 13 starts, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six. Greene, who also had four RBIs in Friday’s 11-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds, is hitting .333 with 15 RBIs in 16 games in June. He also hit one of Detroit’s four sacrifice flies — a total they had only reached once in at least 70 years.
June 20, 2025 4:29 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Obi Toppin scored 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17 and the resilient Indiana Pacers sent the NBA Finals to a winner-take-all Game 7 by rolling past the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday night. Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton — playing through a strained calf — scored 14 points for the Pacers, who started slowly and then turned things into a blowout. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for the Thunder, who pulled their starters after getting down by 30 going into the fourth. Jalen Williams added 16. Game 7, the first one in the NBA Finals since 2016, will be Sunday night in Oklahoma City.
June 18, 2025 2:40 am
DETROIT (AP) — The scheduled game between the Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night was postponed due to the forecast for inclement weather. Heavy rain hit the Detroit area early Wednesday afternoon, and with heavy storms expected during the evening, the game was called off about two hours before the scheduled first pitch. The game will be played as a part of a split doubleheader on Thursday.
June 19, 2025 4:28 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers may need their smallest player, T.J. McConnell, to thrive in the biggest role imaginable Thursday night against Oklahoma City. With the Pacers season teetering on the brink and star guard Tyrese Haliburton recovering from a strained right calf, McConnell almost certainly will log extra minutes in Game 6 of the NBA Finals and could be starting in perhaps the most important game in franchise history. But McConnell has thrived in this role throughout his nine-year pro career, and he’s not about to back down from this challenge.
June 19, 2025 4:34 am
The Buss family has agreed to sell the controlling stake of the Los Angeles Lakers to TWG Global CEO Mark Walter, doing so with a franchise valuation of $10 billion — the most ever for a professional sports franchise, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Wednesday. As part of the deal, Jeanie Buss — whose family has had control of the Lakers since her father bought the team in 1979 — intends to remain as governor, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side immediately announced details.
June 19, 2025 4:33 am
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is accused of driving a pickup truck 101 mph (163 kilometers per hour) on a suburban Cleveland interstate earlier this week. The Strongsville Police Department says its officers stopped Sanders at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in a 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) zone on Interstate 71. Local media reported the 23-year-old from the University of Colorado could pay a $250 fine to waive the fourth-degree misdemeanor case. He’s the son of Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders and was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft this spring.
