(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Struggling Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes isn’t pretending to know the answers to his sudden slipups on the mound, from where he’s dominated for two seasons.

At least he wasn’t offering any on Wednesday night after his worst outing of the year. Skenes (6-8) lasted only four innings against the Philadelphia Phillies and allowed a season-high seven earned runs in a 10-6 loss.

Since beating Colorado 3-1 on May 12 to improve to 6-2 with a 1.98 ERA, the defending NL Cy Young Award winner has not won over his last nine starts, his record falling to 6-8 and his ERA climbing to 3.62. His puzzlement is growing, too.

“I didn’t execute very well,” Skenes said. “That’s really what it comes down to. I fell behind on some counts and left some balls over the plate.”

He also took his time doing it. Skenes threw 35 pitches during a five-run Phillies second inning, highlighted by Trea Turner’s three-run homer.

“I think we’ve got a good team,” Turner said. “I think sometimes there’s no explanation, but I feel like we’ve got a good lineup and we battle. We know he’s really good, and he’s always going to give us a fight, and you kind of tip your cap when he gets you and move on, and try to have the next guy pick you up. I thought we did a good job keeping it moving against him.”

In an anticipated duel of aces and a rematch between Skenes and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, played on a humid night with temperatures in the 90s, neither pitcher worked to his standard.

Skenes’ first loss in this slide came at PNC Park on May 17 at the hands of Wheeler and the Phillies, 6-0. In that game, he didn’t allow a run until the fifth inning.

On Wednesday night, the Phillies didn’t wait that long.

Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales fielded Justin Crawford’s bases loaded grounder in the second inning and seemingly had a routine force play at the plate, but he fired the ball off runner Alec Bohm’s hand and allowed two runs to score.

Said Pirates manager Don Kelly: “The baserunner did a good job getting in the way.”

Next batter Turner hit a pitch from Skenes into the seats for his third homer in as many games to make it 5-0.

Skenes gave up a home run to Brandon Marsh in the third. And before he bowed out, he watched Bryce Harper’s liner get misjudged by Pirates left fielder Tyler Callihan for a two-run double.

It seemed Skenes’ luck was off just as much as his command.

“They’re a good lineup, but I haven’t made it easy on myself,” Skenes said. “I just have to execute a few pitches a little better, and I think it’s probably a different story.

“I don’t know … it happens. We’ll figure out what it is and we’ll just keep attacking it.”

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The opening of the Pennsylvania World Cup Fan Zone which is presented by Visit PA in Pittsburgh is now set with a free, two-day Fourth of July weekend celebration at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday, July 4th and Sunday, July 5th.

It features an America 250 Festival, activities that are family friendly, FIFA World Cup 2026™ watch parties, fan experiences that are interactive, music and youth soccer clinics.   

According to a release from the Pittsburgh Steelers, here is more information about this event:

JULY 4TH HIGHLIGHTS:
• FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16 games begin at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• America 250 Festival inside and outside the stadium
• Free youth soccer clinics on the field at the stadium presented by Citiparks, Riverhounds
Academy, SPORTSPittsburgh and Special Olympics Pennsylvania
• Family-friendly activities, Ferris wheel rides, food and beverage vendors and interactive fan experiences

• Free concert by DIAMOND-selling country artist Brett Young outside Gate A following the
evening match
• Free World Cup giveaways
• Largest fireworks display in Pittsburgh’s history

JULY 5TH HIGHLIGHTS:
• FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round of 16 games begin at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• America 250 Festival inside and outside the stadium
• Free youth soccer clinics on the field at the stadium presented by Citiparks, Riverhounds
Academy, SPORTSPittsburgh and Special Olympics Pennsylvania
• Family-friendly activities, Ferris wheel rides, food and beverage vendors and interactive fan experiences
• Free Party on the Plaza with DJ Pauly D following the conclusion of the 8 p.m. match
• Free World Cup giveaways

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

GATES OPEN & ENTRY
• Saturday, July 4th: Guests can enter the stadium via Gate A East starting at 11 a.m.
• Sunday, July 5th: Guests can enter the stadium via Gate A East starting at 2 p.m.

ROAD CLOSURES
On July 4th, starting at 11 a.m., North Shore Drive will be closed from Casino Drive to Chuck Noll Way.
North Shore Drive will reopen on July 5th.

WEATHER ALERT
High temperatures are expected. Fans are encouraged to be prepared to ensure a safe and
enjoyable experience. Stay hydrated by drinking water regularly, seek shade when needed and wear
light, breathable apparel.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
To provide a safer environment for the public and significantly expedite fan entry into the stadium,
the NFL Clear Bag Policy that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into the stadium
will be enforced. Learn more by clicking here.

CASHLESS VENUE
The stadium is a cashless venue. Credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are
accepted.

PROHIBITED ITEMS
For a list of prohibited items, please visit this link by clicking here. Fans can watch the games from the field, but
additional restrictions apply, including no blankets and no food or beverage (except water) being
permitted on the field.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner, left, makes a save against Calgary Flames’ Adam Klapka during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The NHL’s free agency period began yesterday, and the Pittsburgh Penguins received some new players and some of their current players went to other teams.

Some of the Penguins’ free agency moves were as follows: 

Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner signed a two-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets yesterday. According to the Jets, the free agent goaltender agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million. The Penguins received Skinner from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade that sent fellow goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Oilers on December 12th, 2025. 

Penguins forward Noel Acciari signed with the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday. His contract is two years and has an average annual value of $2.8 million. He had 26 points in 73 games played for the Penguins combined for the 2025-2026 regular season and playoffs. 

Penguins defenseman Connor Clifton signed with the Boston Bruins yesterday. Clifton has played for the Bruins from 2018-2025, and his contract is for two years. The average annual value of his contract is $2.5 million. He had 6 points in 53 games played for the Bruins combined for the 2025-2026 regular season and playoffs. 

The Penguins signed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. His contract is for two years and he played for the Washington Capitals last season and the average annual value of his contract is 4 million. He tallied 14 points in 68 games played with the Capitals during the 2025-2026 season. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded left winger Nick Robertson to Penguins yesterday. The Penguins acquired Robertson by giving a 2028 fourth round MHL draft pick to the Maple Leafs. He is only twenty-four years old and had thirty-two points in seventy-eight games played for the Maple Leafs this past season. 

Forward Andrei Kuzmenko signed a one-year contract with the Penguins yesterday for $5 million. Kuzmenko played for the Los Angeles Kings last season. He had twenty-five points in fifty-three games played for the Kings combined for the 2025-2026 regular season and playoffs. 

Defenseman Declan Carlile signed a two-year contract with the Penguins yesterday with an average annual value of $1.5 million. He played for the Tampa Bay Lightning as well as their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, last season. He had three points in forty-four games played for the Lightning combined for the 2025-2026 regular season and playoffs. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner reacts after hitting a three-run home run against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner hit a three-run home run during a five-run second inning, Bryce Harper’s misjudged double scored two runs in the fourth, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat struggling Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes and the Pirates 10-6 on Wednesday night.

Skenes (6-8) lasted four innings, allowing six hits and a season-high seven earned runs. He has not won in his last nine starts, losing six decisions in that stretch.

The defending NL Cy Young Award winner’s first loss in this slide came at PNC Park on May 17 at the hands of Wheeler and the Phillies by 6-0. He didn’t allow a run that day until the fifth inning. This time, the Phillies didn’t wait that long.

Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales fielded a bases-loaded grounder in the second inning and had a routine force play at the plate, but he fired the ball off runner Alec Bohm’s hand for an error and two runs. Turner hit the next pitch into the seats for his third homer in as many games and a 5-0 lead.

Henry Davis hit a homer as the Pirates scored twice in the third, but Brandon Marsh got one of those runs back with a solo shot in the bottom half.

The Phillies made it 8-2 in the fourth on another Pirates mistake, this time when Bryce Harper’s line drive was misjudged by left fielder Tyler Callihan for a two-run double.

The Pirates cut the lead to five in the fifth on an RBI single by Gonzales. Kyle Backhus hit two batters consecutively, forcing in a run and making it 8-4.

A two-run double by Pittsburgh’s Jared Triolo cut it to 8-6 in the seventh but Bohm hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Orion Kerkering (6-0) got five straight outs in the seventh and Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth for his 22nd save.

Up Next

Despite excessive heat warnings, it’s still a 12:30 p.m. start Thursday for the Pirates and Jared Jones (1-1, 5.76 ERA) against the Phillies and Alan Rangel (0-1, 4.50).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: The U.S. Supreme Court is seen Monday, June 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people.

The court’s six-justice conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, ruled that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution. The court unanimously agreed that barring transgender girls and women also doesn’t run afoul of the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court that, “states may maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females” to address safety and competitive fairness concerns. “The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America.”

More than two dozen other Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes, and the decision seems certain to extend to them as well.

Left unresolved by the outcome are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented, saying from the bench that the majority opinion was wrong to reject an equal-protection claim from 16-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson.

With the science still evolving, transgender students shouldn’t automatically be shut out of team sports, she said. “We just simply do not know scientifically that transgender students pose dangers,” she said, reading from a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues.

Pepper-Jackson, a high school sophomore in Bridgeport, West Virginia, has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified as a girl since age 8 and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls sports in West Virginia.

Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to statewide champion in the shot put. She beat the second-place finisher by two feet in last month’s West Virginia championship meet.

In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox sued over the state’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because “she was too slow,” her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court during arguments in January, but she competed in club-level soccer and running.

Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.

Kavanaugh, who has coached girls’ basketball, underlined the importance of women’s sports and athletes’ dedication. “No student-athlete on either side of the issue, whether a biological female or transgender, deserves to be ostracized or vilified,” he wrote.

In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.

But last year, the six conservative justices on the nine-member court declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argued there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX.

Idaho’s law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst said, is “necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same.”

Republican President Donald Trump applauded Tuesday’s decision, calling it a “BIG WIN” in a social-media post.

Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argued that such distinctions generally make sense but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers wanted the court to dismiss the case because she had forsworn trying to play on women’s teams.

NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than half a million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance.

Baker’s NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after President Donald Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to compete only on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people ages 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Parker Wotherspoon celebrates after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Las Vegas, NV) The Vegas Golden Knights traded Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon yesterday. 

Wotherspoon earned 30 points in 80 games for the Penguins and Korczak achieved 16 points in 78 games for the Golden Knights this past season as the two defensemen swap teams. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE = Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen warms up before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 19, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(New York City, NY) Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Adam Thielen is being recognized for his community outreach efforts and became one of three finalists up for the 2026 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.  

This award is given to an athlete whose continuous and demonstrated leadership through sports created a measured positive impact on their community, and each candidate must embrace the core principals that the late boxing champion embodied so well. These traits are confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and respect. 

ESPN is presenting the 12th annual Sports Humanitarian Awards and a broadcast to present them is set for July 14th.  

Thielen has invested and worked towards providing wellness and mental health for youth and according to ESPN’s press release announcing this year’s finalists, the Thielen Foundation has become a top-tier nonprofit organization centered around young people. 

Throughout his whole career, Thielen has been one of the most respected members throughout the National Football League.  

Thielen announced his retirement from the NFL on January 14th on Instagram and he finished his NFL career with the Steelers, earning 11 receptions for 117 yards in five games in three starts with the team. 

He is best known for playing for the Minnesota Vikings where he played from 2013-2022, and in 2025 before the Steelers claimed him off of waivers on December 2nd, 2025  

His 542 receptions with the Vikings are 4th in Vikings history. Thielen also played with the Carolina Panthers from 2023-2024 and he holds the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight.  

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cristopher Sánchez returned to form after a couple of shaky outings, allowing only three hits in seven innings as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 on Tuesday night.

Sánchez (10-3) struck out nine and walked only two in becoming the first pitcher this season to reach 10 wins.

Sánchez was supported by rookie Justin Crawford’s two-run single in the second inning, then a three-run seventh inning outburst that included an RBI double by Trea Turner and RBI single by Bryce Harper.

Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler (3-8) pitched well into the seventh inning, but couldn’t escape the Philadelphia rally. Early on, he was undone only by No. 9 hitter Crawford.

The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and after fouling off several Chandler pitches, Crawford took another late swipe and managed to hit one down the third base line off the end of the bat. It went for a two-run single that was all that Sánchez needed.

Crawford also doubled to lead off the sixth, but Chandler worked his way out of that jam, striking out both Turner and Kyle Schwarber, then retiring Harper on a soft grounder to second.

Crawford wasn’t finished, however, laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the seventh to move pinch-runner Derek Hill into scoring position. A Turner double scored Hill for the third run, and a follow-up single by Schwarber ended Chandler’s night. Pirates reliever Isaac Mattson then gave up a single to Harper and fielder’s choice grounder to Brandon Marsh as the Phillies tacked on two more runs.

Crawford padded the lead with an RBI single in the eighth, his third hit of the game, before Turner, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a two-run homer to break the game open.

Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan pitched out of trouble to quell the Pirates in the eighth, and 34-year-old journeyman Lou Trivino, promoted from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier in the day, closed the Pirates out.

Up next

The Pirates’ Paul Skenes (6-7, 3.10 ERA) faces off against the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.03) on Wednesday.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Winnipeg Jets centre David Gustafsson takes his stance during a game against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Kyusung Gong/AP)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced yesterday that the Penguins have acquired forward David Gustafsson from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for defenseman Jack St. Ivany. 

Gustafsson is a pending restricted free agent who spent the 2025-2026 season with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. He recorded 10 goals, 22 assists and 32 points and was plus-12 in 48 games. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Endy Rodríguez reacts after hitting a three-run home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Chase Shugart during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 29, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Esmerlyn Valdez and Jared Triolo both hit home runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates escape an early five-run deficit, and Endy Rodriguez closed the deal with a three-run homer in the ninth for an 11-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.

The Pirates posted a six-run fifth inning against struggling starter Aaron Nola (3-5).

The Phillies fought back with two runs in the eighth to cut the lead to one run, but Rodriquez homered on a two-out pitch off reliever Chase Shugart in the ninth. Mason Montgomery closed for the Pirates.

The Phillies jumped on starter Braxton Ashcraft for five runs. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh each homered in the first inning, and Bryce Harper hit his 20th of the season in the third inning.

But Nola gave up two home runs in 4 1/3 innings, moving into a tie for fifth-worst in the majors at 19 homers allowed. After easing through the first three innings, Bryan Reynolds hit a double off the top of the left field fence and Valdez bombed one to left to cut the Phillies’ lead to 5-2.

In the fifth, Nola allowed a leadoff home run to Triolo, his first of the season. Nola left with the game tied at 5.

Reliever Seth Johnson then gave up an RBI single to Tyler Callihan, and a Turner error helped boost the Pirates’ lead to 8-5. Ashcraft (8-3) settled down and went six innings for the win.

The Phillies scored twice in the eighth, as Marsh hit his second homer of the game and J.T. Realmuto singled home Bryson Stott. But with two on and two outs, Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez struck out Justin Crawford.

Up next

The Pirates will send RHP Bubba Chandler (3-7, 4.42 ERA) to the mound Tuesday night against Phillies ace LHP Cristopher Sanchez (9-3, 2.13 ERA).