Pirates Fall To Braves

August 9, 2023 4:35 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. had three hits and Michael Harris II tagged on a popup to right field and scored on a close call in the eighth inning, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Harris raced home on Austin Riley’s fly into shallow right off Carmen Mlodzinski (2-3) that was fielded by backpeddling Jared Triolo. Harris slid in ahead of the throw to home by the second baseman. He was originally called out for possibly having left third before Triolo caught the ball, but the call was reversed following a review and the Braves moved ahead 6-5. Acuña was 3 for 6, including an RBI double in the fourth, one day after leaving in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s 8-6 win after being hit on the left elbow by a pitch.

Lorenzen Tosses No-Hitter For Phillies

August 10, 2023 4:37 am

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Lorenzen threw the 14th no-hitter in Philadelphia Phillies history, a dazzling performance in only his second start with his new team, which beat the Washington Nationals 7-0. The 31-year-old Lorenzen struck out five, walked four and improved to 2-0 since he was acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline for a minor leaguer. Lorenzen retired Lane Thomas on a grounder to open the ninth and struck out Joey Meneses looking. The crowd of 30,406 erupted when Lorenzen retired Dominic Smith on a flyball on his 124th pitch to end the game. Lorenzen flipped his cap backward and was mobbed by his teammates in a rowdy celebration near the plate.

ACC Keeps Stanford, Cal In Limbo

August 10, 2023 4:38 am

The Atlantic Coast Conference presidents have chosen not to vote on whether to add Stanford and California to the league. That’s according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the ACC nor the schools disclosed their internal discussions publicly. The ACC’s inaction keeps the Northern California schools in limbo as they look for an escape from the crumbling Pac-12. The ACC has also been looking at SMU, the Dallas-based school from the American Athletic Conference, as an expansion target.

Bednar Allows 3 In Ninth As Pirates Fall To Braves

August 9, 2023 4:37 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Orlando Arcia’s two-run double with two outs in the top of the ninth capped a three-run inning and rallied the MLB-best Atlanta Braves to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night after star right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. left the game. Pirates closer David Bednar came on to start the ninth with a 6-5 lead but took his third blown save in 26 opportunities this season. Arcia’s double came immediately after Kevin Pillar hit a tying single with the Braves down to their final out. Arcia also homered and finished with three hits and three RBIs to help the Braves end their three-game losing streak.

Women’s World Cup Is Wide Open After Heavyweights Eliminated

August 9, 2023 4:39 am

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The United States’ hold on the Women’s World Cup is over, and two-time champion Germany also exited the tournament. Olympic gold medalist Canada was bounced, and Marta and her Brazil team were knocked out before she had a chance to become the first player to score in six World Cups. Yes, the heavyweights of women’s soccer have all been eliminated, and yes, it has created a wide-open World Cup. The eight teams that advanced to the quarterfinals represent some traditional powers, one previous World Cup winner and two teams making their debut in the final eight.

PGA Commissioner Meets With Players

August 9, 2023 4:39 am

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan doesn’t have a lot of details to share with players on the proposed deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf. That’s according to two of players attending his first meeting with players since Monahan returned to work three weeks ago. Rickie Fowler says there’s a lot of moving parts. Tom Hoge says there’s a real possibility the deal doesn’t get finalized. Only 25 players from the 70-man field attended the 90-minute meeting. Several top players already have been involved in remote meetings from their position on the policy board or advisory council.

PONY World Series Field Set

August 11, 2023 4:00 am

The field for the 2023 DICK’S Sporting Goods PONY League World Series is now final. Covina, CA went unbeaten through zone play to capture the West Zone berth, the last open spot in the 10-team tournament due to start play on Friday. The three-time champion will face Youngstown, OH in the nightcap of Friday’s opening-night doubleheader. Bay County, MI takes on Palmview, TX to start tournament play Friday afternoon. Washington County takes on Paderborn, Germany Saturday at 12 noon, followed by Managua, Nicaragua, making a first-ever appearance, playing Manchester, NH. The Bay County/Palmview winner plays Edogawa, Japan to close Saturday’s schedule. The preliminary game is set for Sunday, 1 pm, when Monterrey, Mexico will face the Managua/Manchester winner. Two elimination games round out Sunday’s action. Click for Bracket. Hear every game of Washington’s 60th PONY League World Series on WJPA-AM (1450) or Click Here!

Houston Beats The New England Patriots In Preseason Opener

August 11, 2023 5:23 am

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — C.J. Stroud had a short and at times shaky debut, Davis Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tank Dell and the Houston Texans beat the New England Patriots 20-9 in the teams’ preseason opener. Stroud was drafted second overall and played the first two series while going 2 of 4 for 13 yards with an interception. He rushed twice for 6 yards and was sacked once. Mills finished 9 of 12 for 99 yards while playing the balance of the opening half. Dalton Keene added a 1-yard touchdown run. Case Keenum had a 5-yard TD pass to Alex Bachman. The Patriots gave most of their projected starters the night off, including quarterback Mac Jones.

Spain Earns A Spot In The Women’s World Cup Semifinals

August 11, 2023 5:04 am

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Salma Paralluelo has scored deep in extra time to give Spain a 2-1 win over the Netherlands and a spot in the Women’s World Cup semifinals for the first time. The 19-year-old forward struck in the 111th minute of an epic quarterfinal match between European soccer heavyweights. She made her break down the left, pivoted momentarily and launched a left-foot shot into the back of the net for an historic match-winner. The Dutch lost the final to the U.S. in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Now both finalists and a string of highly-ranked teams are out of the 2023 edition being co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand.

 

Pirates Use Six-Run Third Inning To Beat Braves

August 8, 2023 4:34 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie infielder Liover Peguero had two hits in a six-run third inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates chased Spencer Strider early before holding off the Atlanta Braves for a rain-delayed 7-6 victory. Connor Joe homered in the fourth to help the fourth-place Pirates hand the major league-leading Braves their third consecutive defeat. Strider, runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season, matched a career low by pitching just 2 2/3 innings. He also lasted only 2 2/3 innings a year to the day prior against the New York Mets. Strider had gone 8-1 in his previous 12 starts. He allowed five hits and walked three. Carmen Mlodzinski retired all four batters he faced for the win.