WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pirates didn’t look like a last-place team during a 6-0 homestand in which they outscored the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals by 43-4. Despite their season-high six-game winning streak, the Pirates are 38-50 — including 26-24 since Don Kelly was promoted from bench coach on May 8 after manager Derek Shelton was fired. Pittsburgh was 14 games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs entering play on Wednesday. The Pirates became the first team since at least 1901 to score 43 runs or more and allow four runs or fewer in a six-game span.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers will have three fan-elected starters in the All-Star Game, with first baseman Freddie Freeman and catcher Will Smith joining designated hitter Shohei Ohtani as winners in final ballot totals. Detroit will have three fan-picked starters for the first time since 2007 after second baseman Gleyber Torres along with outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Báez were voted in at their positions for the July 15 game at Atlanta’s Truist Park. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs were picked for the NL outfield along with Ronald Acuña Jr. of the host Braves.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw has reached an incredible milestone, becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. On Wednesday night, he struck out Vinny Capra of the Chicago White Sox with a slider in the sixth inning. The 37-year-old Dodgers pitcher joins an elite group, including just three other left-handers, to achieve this feat. Fans at Dodger Stadium gave Kershaw a standing ovation as he tipped his cap and acknowledged his family in the stands. Despite not earning the win, Kershaw expressed gratitude for his teammates and the moment, calling it a special achievement in his 18th season.

The PGA Tour is changing how it pays $100 million in bonus money for the FedEx Cup. Instead of the FedEx Cup champion getting a $25 million bonus at the end of the Tour Championship, there will be payouts at two other points along the way. The top player going into the postseason gets a $10 million bonus. The No. 1 seed after the second event at the BMW Championship will get $5 million. And the winner of the Tour Championship gets $10 million. If the No. 1 seed stays on top throughout the postseason, he still gets $25 million.

MADRID (AP) — Liverpool player Diogo Jota and his brother were killed in a car accident in Spain, police have said. The Spanish Civil Guard confirmed to The Associated Press that Jota and his brother were found dead after their car went off a road near the northwestern city of Zamora. Police were investigating the causes. They said there were no other vehicles involved. The 28-year-old Jota and his brother, 25-year-old André Silva, both Portuguese players, were in the car. Jota also played for Portugal’s national team. Silva played with Portuguese club Penafiel in the lower divisions.