(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ryan O’Hearn follows through after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Oneil Cruz homered twice and Ryan O’Hearn hit a three-run shot as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 on Tuesday night.

O’Hearn and Bryan Reynolds went back-to-back in the second inning. Cruz finished with three hits and three RBIs. He also scored three times.

The Reds were held hitless until Jose Trevino singled off reliever Hunter Barco with one out in the seventh. Pirates rookie starter Bubba Chandler tossed 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts, but also walked six.

Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz hit consecutive homers off Barco to trim the Pirates’ lead to 6-3 in the eighth.

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly was ejected in the eighth for arguing with plate umpire Jordan Baker.

Cruz hit a solo homer in the fourth off left-hander Brandon Williamson, then provided insurance for Pittsburgh with a two-run homer off Pierce Johnson in the ninth.

Williamson made his first major league appearance since Sept. 1, 2024. He missed last season following left elbow surgery.

Williamson (0-1) allowed consecutive homers in the second to O’Hearn and Reynolds that made it 5-0.

It was the 139th career homer for Reynolds, tying Jason Bay for ninth on the franchise list.

Chandler issued three walks in the third but allowed only one run, helped when TJ Friedl popped into a double play attempting to bunt.

The Reds’ first run scored when Reynolds and Cruz allowed Ke’Bryan Hayes’ flyball to drop between them in left-center. It was initially ruled a single but later changed to an error on Reynolds in left, keeping the no-hit bid intact for a while.

Cincinnati had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth but Yohan Ramírez (1-0) struck out Matt McLain and De La Cruz to end the inning.

Up next

Pirates: RHP Paul Skenes (0-1) looks to rebound from a rough opener Wednesday.

Reds: LHP Andrew Abbott (0-0) tossed six shutout innings last Thursday.

(Caption for Photo: Pitt’s Brandin Cummings plays against Hofstra on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Andrew Leon | Pitt Athletics)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports, sophomore guard and former Lincoln Park boys high school basketball standout Brandin Cummings plans to enter the college basketball transfer portal after two seasons at Pitt. Cummings averaged 12.5 points per game this season in nineteen games. He started in nine of those games. The Midland native suffered a season-ending ankle injury halfway through this season. Cummings was one of the top-ranked recruits in Pennsylvania in high school and he was ranked among the state’s top-five players. Brandin also joined his brother, Nelly Cummings as a 2,000 point scorer during his career at Lincoln Park. Nelly Cummings also played college basketball for Pitt.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of CCBC)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) According to a release from the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), CCBC recently appointed Marcus Burrows as the inaugural head coach of its new men’s soccer program in Monaca, as the college prepares to kick off its first-ever intercollegiate soccer season in the fall of 2026. Burrows brings international coaching experience as well as a strong background in player development and deep local ties to Beaver County when he will lead the Titans Men’s Soccer team. Burrows holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Strength and Conditioning and has built his coaching career around high-performance environments, player development, and cultivating strong team culture and he is a UEFA B Licensed and UEFA B Youth Licensed coach. Burrows coached at Wexford Football Club before joining CCBC. He served as the head coach of the U15 and U17 men’s teams for Wexford Football Club. His squads reached three national finals at the League of Ireland academy level during his tenure, winning one national championship: a title that remains the only national championship in the club’s history. He has also worked closely with international-level players and helped
develop athletes who advanced to compete at the senior League of Ireland level.
Burrows has also served as Director of Soccer Operations at BC United, a
competitive youth soccer club in Beaver County, overseeing player development pathways, coaching support, programming, and overall club operations for the past four and a half years. CCBC announced earlier this year that men’s soccer will begin competing in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in the fall of 2026, with women’s soccer anticipated to follow in the fall of 2027. The addition of soccer to the CCBC sports line up represents a historic expansion of Titan Athletics and creates new pathways for student athletes across the region.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) watches as New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) stops a shot during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NEW YORK (AP) — Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins at the New York Islanders on Monday night after a brief injury absence and had a pair of assists in an 8-3 win.

Coach Dan Muse called the 38-year-old captain a game-time decision when asked following his team’s optional morning skate. Crosby and several other veteran players did not participate.

Crosby centered Pittsburgh’s top line between Bryan Rust and Egor Chinakhov and skated 21 shifts for just under 17 minutes of ice time. The Penguins erased a multigoal deficit to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Crosby did not play Saturday at home against the Dallas Stars, scratched with what the team called a lower-body injury. He missed the first 11 games out of the Olympic break after hurting his right leg while representing Canada in Milan, an injury that does not appear to be the same as this one.

Longtime running mate Evgeni Malkin missed his fourth consecutive game because of injury and is considered day to day. Pittsburgh ruled Malkin out several hours before puck drop.

The Penguins are in the thick of a competitive race to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, going into Monday night holding a spot — third place in the Metropolitan Division — with nine games left. They have not made the playoffs the past three seasons and last advanced in 2018, the year after winning the second of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.

Crosby, Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang are the only players left with the organization who also hoisted the Cup in 2009.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Monday, March 30, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Chase Burns allowed one hit in five innings for his first major league win, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.

Burns (1-0) walked three and struck out seven, including Jared Triolo with two on and two outs in the fourth. Jose Franco retired five batters before leaving with two on. Graham Ashcraft struck out Henry Davis to end the seventh and fanned two more in a scoreless eighth. Conner Phillips walked Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O’Hearn before retiring three straight for his first career save.

Elly De La Cruz singled leading off the fourth against Braxton Ashcraft (0-1) for the Reds but was thrown out trying to steal second. Sal Stewart walked, took third on a single by Eugenio Suárez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer. Suárez scored on a triple by Will Benson to cap the scoring in a third straight win for Cincinnati.

Braxton Ashcraft (0-1) gave up two runs on four hits and four walks over six innings in his ninth career start. Isaac Mattson pitched the seventh and Justin Lawrence struck out the side in the eighth.

Stewart, the reigning NL player of the week, went 1 for 2 and walked twice. He is 8 for 12 at the plate through the first four games.

Burns went 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in eight starts over 13 appearances for the Reds last season.

Up next

Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler will square off with Reds LHP Brandon Williamson on Tuesday in their first starts of the season.

(Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Allegheny Health Network)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Allegheny Health Network announced its comprehensive plans today to provide medical care and support for the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. That health system will deploy various care resources directly within the event footprint, while maintaining hospital readiness across its entire network. AHN Downtown Express Care will be open each day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. beginning on Wednesday, April 22nd through Saturday, April 25th. The walk-in clinic which is located at Highmark’s Penn Avenue Place will serve as a crucial first-response point for non-emergent medical needs, including common illnesses and injuries. During this time, patients with previously scheduled primary care appointments at the facility will have the option to instead utilize video visits. 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care, which you can find more about by clicking here, is also available to both new and existing patients. The AHN Mobile Clinic will also be stationed in Market Square to offer first aid and address minor health concerns. Patients that require a higher level of care may be directed to the nearby AHN Downtown Express Care or a nearby emergency department. Physicians and nurses from AHN Prehospital Care and AHN Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) will staff a medical fort near Acrisure Stadium to provide immediate medical support to draft visitors closer to the heart of the draft activities. Caregivers will maintain continuous communication with EMS units positioned inside the stadium and across the footprint of the draft for seamless care coordination. AHN officials will also operate a command center at Nova Place on the North Side of Pittsburgh to manage patient flow across care sites and help mitigate potential strain on the emergency department at nearby AGH. AGH is concurrently prepared to treat an influx of patients throughout the event as a Level I trauma center. AGH is also working with City of Pittsburgh and NFL officials to ensure that non-emergency patients have unencumbered access to the hospital for their scheduled medical appointments because large crowds and traffic restrictions are expected for the city’s North Side during draft week.

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ryan O’Hearn hits an RBI single during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn had three hits and two RBIs, including a go-ahead single in the 10th inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates threw out the potential tying run at the plate to hold off the New York Mets 4-3 on Sunday for their first victory this season.

Henry Davis added a critical RBI single off New York reliever Richard Lovelady (1-1) with two outs in the 10th, and the Pirates got another home run from Brandon Lowe as they salvaged the series finale to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2015.

With the Mets trailing 4-2 and two runners aboard in the bottom of the 10th, Juan Soto drove an RBI double to deep left-center. Francisco Lindor tried to score the tying run from first base but was cut down on a relay from center fielder Oneil Cruz to shortstop Jared Triolo to Davis at the plate for the first out of the inning.

Soto advanced to third on Bo Bichette’s groundout before Jorge Polanco flied out to the right-field fence to end it.

Dennis Santana (1-0) pitched a perfect inning for the win, and José Urquidy got three outs in his Pirates debut for his second major league save.

O’Hearn had three singles, including a run-scoring hit in the first. Lowe reached base four times and finished 5 for 12 with three homers and four RBIs during his first weekend with Pittsburgh.

Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski allowed two runs with a career-high eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.

Marcus Semien had a sacrifice fly in the second and Soto hit an RBI single in the fifth for the Mets, who struck out 16 times.

New York rookie Nolan McLean gave up two runs and struck out eight in five innings.

Up next

RHP Clay Holmes (12-8, 3.53 ERA) makes his season debut Monday for the Mets, who open their first road trip against RHP Kyle Leahy (4-2, 3.07) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (4-4, 2.71 ERA) opposes RHP Chase Burns (0-3, 4.57) in Cincinnati on Monday night.

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a three run home run during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the New York Mets a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Luis Torrens delivered a tying single in the 10th on his first swing this season, and the Mets improved to 2-0 following an 11-7 victory on Thursday over Paul Skenes and the Pirates in their opener.

After starters Mitch Keller and David Peterson matched zeros in 42-degree weather, Nick Gonzales lined an RBI single for Pittsburgh with one out in the 10th to break a scoreless tie.

Mets reliever Luis Garcia prevented further damage by retiring Jake Mangum with the bases loaded.

Bryan Reynolds put the Pirates ahead again with a two-out infield single in the 11th before Richard Lovelady (1-0) struck out Gonzales with runners at the corners.

Jorge Polanco worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half from rookie left-hander Hunter Barco (0-1), who pitched out of a huge jam in the 10th to extend the game in his third major league appearance.

With automatic runner Bo Bichette also aboard at second, Robert reached down and drove a 1-0 slider over the left-center fence for his first homer with the Mets and the second walk-off shot of his career. The center fielder from Cuba, acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a January trade, also had two RBI singles Thursday in his New York debut.

Pittsburgh finished 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 17. Mangum’s ninth-inning double was the only extra-base hit in the game until Roberts went deep.

Following the Mets’ offseason makeover, the 30-year-old Peterson became the team’s longest-tenured player. The left-hander, a first-time All-Star last season before fading in the second half, allowed six singles and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.

He pitched around a throwing error by Bichette, switching from shortstop to third base this year, and induced a popup from new Pirates cleanup batter Marcell Ozuna on a 2-0 fastball with the bases loaded to end the fifth.

Keller was even better, permitting just three singles and no walks in six innings. The right-hander, an All-Star in 2023, has a 1.79 ERA in seven starts against New York.

Up next

Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (5-1, 2.06 ERA) makes his season debut Sunday in the series finale. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (5-8, 3.55) pitches for Pittsburgh.