(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Brandon Lowe follows through on a walk-off solo home run off Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenley Jansen during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe homered off Detroit closer Kenley Jansen with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Tigers on Wednesday.

Rafael Flores Jr. homered twice for Pittsburgh, including a tying shot off Jansen (3-5) with one out in the ninth. Lowe followed two batters later with a towering shot to right field that clanged high off the foul pole.

The homer was the 27th this season for Lowe, the most in club history by a second baseman. It was the 83rd this year by the Pirates at PNC Park, the most at the venue since it opened in 2001.

Mason Montgomery (5-3) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth as the Pirates went 4-2 during a six-game homestand against Boston and Detroit.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young winner, allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings with four walks and five strikeouts. The towering 6-foot-6 right-hander has a 5.05 ERA over his last 16 starts dating to May 17.

The Pirates gave Skenes a full week to recover following a loss to Miami in which his fastball velocity dipped to 95 mph, well below the standard he set during the first two years of his career and a tick off from the upper-90s that had been the norm most of this season.

While Skenes did look a little fresher — he touched 98 mph and frequently was in the 96-97 range — his command remained scattershot. He threw 46 of his 81 pitches for strikes and was pulled after giving up an RBI single to Gleyber Torres with one out in the fifth.

It was the sixth time Skenes failed to pitch at least five innings this season. He had five starts of fewer than five innings pitched across his first two years in the majors combined.

Kevin McGonigle drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost five of six.

Up next

Tigers: Start a three-game set in Kansas City on Friday.

Pirates: Begin a nine-game road trip on Friday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.

(Caption and Credit for Photo: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster at Giants practice | Courtesy of Getty Images)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Rutherford, NJ) Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was released by the New York Giants as a corresponding move to the Giants signing a one-year deal yesterday with another former Steelers football player, running back Najee Harris.

Smith-Schuster was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft at No. 62 overall.

He played for the Steelers from 2017-2021, played in two stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (2022, 2024-2025) and played for the New England Patriots in 2023.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft allowed five hits over eight efficient innings, Oneil Cruz homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Ashcraft (13-5), a first-time All-Star this season, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 80 pitches. The 26-year-old right-hander, coming off the first complete game of his career in a win over Miami last week, gave up a fifth-inning homer to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise cruised to his fourth win in five starts.

Ashcraft became the first Pittsburgh pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start.

Mason Montgomery worked the ninth for his fifth save.

Cruz, out since early June after breaking his left hand, turned on a 2-2 knuckle curve from Keider Montero (9-8) in the fifth inning and sent it 422 feet to right-center for his 15th homer of the season and his first since June 2. It was Pittsburgh’s 81st homer at PNC Park, tying the 2003 team for the most in a season at the ballpark that opened in 2001.

Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds added RBI singles for the Pirates, who have won four of six.

Detroit, in a tight race with a handful of clubs for the final AL wild-card spot, has lost four of five.

Montero was perfect through four innings but walked Esmeryln Valez on four pitches leading off the fifth before Cruz’s homer. Montero surrendered three runs on four hits in five innings.

Up next

The series concludes on Wednesday. Struggling ace Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.88 ERA), working on a week’s rest, starts for Pittsburgh against Detroit’s Jackson Jobe (1-1, 6.23).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (22) stands for the National Anthem before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sept. 21, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (Kyusung Gong, AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(East Rutherford, NJ) According to NFL Network, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the New York Giants.

Harris had a visit with the Giants yesterday and he appeared in three games for the Los Angeles Chargers last season before he suffered a torn Achilles.

Harris was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft as the No. 24 overall pick, and he recorded at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first four seasons with the Steelers.

(Credit for Photo: The Pirates’ Konnor Griffin runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Reds, Friday, June 26, 2026, at PNC Park, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette))

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortshop Konnor Griffin is making progress in his recovery from a left ring finger sagittal band that he suffered during the team’s game against the Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. on July 5th when he was making a diving catch.

The 20-year-old shortstop is not wearing a splint on his left ring finger anymore after a checkup with the Pirates’ hand specialist and orthopedic surgeon.  

According to Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, the team is “optimistic” that Griffin will be ready to return from the injured list when he is eligible on September 4th.

Griffin will soon be undergoing rehab in Bradenton, Florida, and he has been on the 60-day injured list since July 11th. 

(Credit and Caption for Photo: The Pirates’ Oneil Cruz hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Twins, Friday, May 29, 2026, at PNC Park, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed/Post Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz officially returned to the team’s active roster yesterday after being taken off the 60-day injured list.

Cruz has been injured since June 7th because of left hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures in his left hand that he suffered on June 6th sliding into home plate during the team’s game against the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta.

Cruz was on the bench for yesterday’s game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park, but according to Pirates manager Don Kelly, he will start for the second game of the three-game series tonight between the two teams in Pittsburgh.

The Pirates sent outfielder Ronny Simon back to Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move yesterday to make room for Cruz on their roster. 

Other corresponding roster moves yesterday for the Pirates included left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco getting optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis and right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez returning from paternity leave.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Aliquippa (23) Tikey Hayes breaks free from Avonworth (5) Carson Bellinger during a non-section football game at Avonworth High School on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Justin Guido/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lincoln, NE) According to Sean Callahan of On3 Sports yesterday, former Aliquippa standout running back Tikey Hayes was dismissed from the University of Nebraska program.

He joined the Cornhuskers college football team this summer after previously being at Penn State University and Iowa Western Community College.

Hayes was one of the top running backs in the country and he was rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals and a three-star by ESPN, 247 Sports, and On3 Sports while at Aliquippa.

He was also ranked as the No. 7 prospect in Pennsylvania and the No. 20 running back for the Class of 2025.   

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenley Jansen (74) celebrates with catcher Dillon Dingler, left, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin McGonigle hit a two-run homer, and the Detroit Tigers held off the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 on Monday night and moved into a three-way tie for the final AL wild-card spot.

Brett Callahan and Hao-Yu Lee also drove in two runs as the Tigers built an 8-1 lead before Pittsburgh scored four times in the sixth.

Zach McKinstry and both hit RBI singles in the first, and McGonigle’s two-run shot in the second, his 13th of the season, made it 4-0.

McGonigle singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the sixth. Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez walked the next three batters, resulting in McGonigle scoring before Callahan hit a two-run single to make it 8-1.

Framber Valdez (8-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and five hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Kenley Jansen struck out two in the final inning for his 15th save of the year.

The Pirates scored their first run after Jake Mangum scored on a throwing error by Lee, then strung together a four-run inning in the sixth after Nick Gonzales doubled, Rafael Flores Jr. was walked and Mangum walked to load the bases. Nick Yorke cleared the bases with a double and Henry Davis hit an RBI single to make it 8-5.

Starter Carmen Mlodzinski pitched three innings and gave up eight hits and four earned runs. He struck out three and walked one.

With the Baltimore Orioles’ 7-6 loss on Monday to Tampa Bay, the Tigers tied Baltimore and Texas for the final AL wild card.

Up next

RHP Keider Montero (9-7, 3.22 ERA) will start on the mound for the Tigers on Tuesday against the Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (12-5, 3.88).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton runs out onto the field for a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Keeanu Benton recently signed a new contract extension.

This deal makes Benton the highest-paid defensive lineman in Steelers history and it has an annual value of $18 million.

The 25-year-old Benton had career bests in tackles with 51, tackles for loss with 6 and sacks with 5.5 while assisting the Steelers to winning the AFC North division title last season.

The Steelers have signed defensive players for this season like their outside linebacker Nick Herbig as well as linebacker Elandon Roberts on Thursday, who returned to the Steelers after playing for the team in 2023 and 2024 before playing for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers former pitcher Tommy John praises his late friend, Dr. Frank Jobe during a memorial service at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, April 7, 2014. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tommy John, who won 288 games during a 26-year big league career and became the first pitcher to successfully return following groundbreaking elbow surgery that later was named after him, has died. He was 83.

He died at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on Saturday night, agent Mike Maguire said Sunday. He had been in hospice care.

On Aug. 8, the New York Yankees released a social media post in which John wrote that he wanted to say goodbye to everyone, including friends and fans who followed him throughout his career, saying, “I will never forget you.”

The Yankees called John “a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans.”

John was a four-time All-Star with a record of 288-231 and a 3.34 ERA during a career that stretched from 1963 to 1989. He pitched for Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees, the California Angels and the Oakland Athletics.

“Tommy was an exceptional pitcher throughout his career in Major League Baseball, and his courageous role in becoming the first to have surgery that would go on to bear his name can’t be overstated,” Stan Kasten, Dodgers president and CEO, said in a statement. “His impact both on and off the field has been felt by ballplayers of all ages and will be for generations to come.”

The left-hander was 31 years old when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in 1974, a death knell for pitchers’ careers to that point.

John allowed Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers’ team physician, to replace the ligament with a tendon from his right forearm. Jobe gave the surgery 100-to-1 odds of being successful.