Author: Beaver County Radio

Pirates ace Paul Skenes gets chased in the 1st inning by the Mets on opening day

(File Photo: Source for Photo: The crowd cheers and jeers as Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) exits the field after he was relieved in the first inning of an opening-day baseball game against the New York Mets, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Skenes thought he could get out of a jam in the first inning on opening day.

He never got the chance.

After giving up five runs and getting only two outs Thursday in an 11-7 loss at the New York Mets, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner got the hook from manager Don Kelly after throwing just 37 pitches. It was by far the shortest of his 56 major league starts.

“I’m not as upset about this for me, personally, as people would probably think,” Skenes said. “Because they did a really good job. It was an abnormal outing.”

The 23-year-old allowed four hits and issued two walks, including one to leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor. Skenes also hit a batter with a pitch, and Kelly wondered if the right-hander’s fastball command wasn’t up to his usual standards.

The five runs Skenes allowed matched his career high. The two-time All-Star also gave up five in six innings on April 8, 2025, against St. Louis.

Skenes said Kelly told him something along the lines of it’s too early in the season to push it.

“He wants to stay out there and pitch,” Kelly said. “It’s a really tough thing going to get him in the first inning right there. The bottom of it is Paul’s health. You’re getting close to 40 pitches, yeah 37 pitches and Lindor had a seven-pitch at-bat that first at-bat. If he runs another 7-10, you’re into dangerous territory with the starting pitcher in one inning, so we had to make the move.”

It was not all on Skenes, who was hurt by shoddy defense from Oneil Cruz in center field.

Handed a 2-0 lead on Brandon Lowe’s two-run homer, Skenes walked Lindor in the bottom of the first. Juan Soto followed with a soft single, and Bo Bichette lofted a sacrifice fly.

Jorge Polanco nubbed an infield single, and Skenes walked Luis Robert Jr. on 10 pitches. After pitching coach Bill Murphy visited the mound, Cruz misplayed Brett Baty’s line drive into a bases-loaded triple, coming in a couple of steps before letting the ball sail over his head.

“(It) was one of those low line drives that it takes a little bit more time for me to read it, and they’re really tough balls to read because you don’t know if you’re going to have to come in or go back,” Cruz said through an interpreter. “It got in the sun a little bit at the end, but those are the ones that I will get better at, for sure.”

Marcus Semien then popped up to shallow center, but Cruz lost the ball in the sun and it dropped beside him for an RBI double that gave New York a 5-2 lead. Cruz is a converted shortstop who began playing center field in 2024 before becoming a full-time outfielder last year.

“That ball straight at him, he came in, got a bad read,” Kelly said. “He’s been working hard out there. He just needs to continue to get better. Then the one in the sun. He just lost it in the sun.”

Carson Benge struck out on three fastballs clocked 96-98 mph in his first big league plate appearance, but Skenes grazed No. 9 batter Francisco Alvarez with an 0-1 sinker and that was the end of his afternoon.

Mets fans roared as Skenes walked slowly off the mound toward the dugout.

“I felt good, but (we were) being precautionary,” Skenes said. “The pitch count wasn’t going to be super, super high today anyway.”

Skenes was coming off two starts for the U.S. at the World Baseball Classic. Kelly brushed off Skenes participating in that event as anything contributing to this outing.

Yohan Ramírez relieved and prevented further damage by retiring Lindor on a flyball with runners at second and third. Ramírez was the first of six Pirates relievers.

“Obviously not ideal to have a bullpen game on opening day,” Skenes said.

Skenes made his second opening-day start as he begins his third major league season. He became the eighth starting pitcher since at least 1906 to allow five or more runs in less than an inning in a season opener.

“It’s nice to get it out of the way,” Skenes said. “Just flush it.”

Carson Benge homers in big league debut to help Mets pound Pirates in opener

(File Photo: Source for Photo: New York Mets center fielder Carson Benge (3) bats at his debut MLB game during the fifth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

NEW YORK (AP) — In his fourth major league plate appearance, Carson Benge connected.

And when he saw the ball sail over the right-field fence, the 23-year-old New York Mets rookie couldn’t help but shout and jump for joy as he rounded first base.

“I kind of blacked out running around the bases. I don’t really remember too much,” Benge said. “I know I got it good off the bat.”

Benge homered in his big league debut for his first career hit and was one of several Mets newcomers who played pivotal roles as New York pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-7 in its season opener.

After winning the right-field job at the end of spring training, Benge also walked twice and stole a base Thursday. He said he had 22 family members and friends in the sellout crowd of 41,449 at Citi Field, including his parents and girlfriend.

“Definitely anxious to get out there, ready to start playing,” Benge said, describing his emotions before the game. “Definitely everything I thought it was going to be.”

Benge is rated the organization’s second-best prospect and No. 16 in baseball by MLB Pipeline. He was selected 19th overall by New York in the 2024 amateur draft from Oklahoma State, where he and Mets pitcher Nolan McLean were both two-way players.

“Who he is is super consistent,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Benge. “I’m not surprised by it because of the personality there. Opening day, first big league game for him, packed house and he just goes out there and plays his game.”

His first time up, Benge struck out swinging on three pitches from reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes — all fastballs clocked 96-98 mph.

“Just calm down,” Benge said he told himself. “Just like, deep breath, calm down. Great atmosphere, great fans, just trying to bring myself back down so I can compete.”

Benge whiffed again in the third inning, but then walked and scored in the fifth. With one out in the sixth, he took a rip at the first pitch he saw from reliever Justin Lawrence and drove an 82 mph sweeper to right, joining Kaz Matsui in April 2004 at Atlanta as the only Mets players to homer in their major league debut on opening day.

“It was awesome,” teammate Bo Bichette said. “He let it out rounding first, too.”

After circling the bases, Benge high-fived teammates and popped out of the dugout for a curtain call.

“I kind of saw everyone just like standing, and I just didn’t know what to do,” he said. “So, it worked out.”

Benge was later presented with the souvenir ball and said he’ll give it to his parents so it doesn’t get lost.

Francisco Alvarez followed with a long shot that reached the second deck in left, giving New York back-to-back homers from the bottom two batters in the order.

“It was amazing. The crowd was the loudest I’ve ever heard, times five. So being able to hear that was pretty sick,” Benge said.

He wasn’t the only Mets newbie who made a significant contribution, either.

Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star acquired from Milwaukee in January, won his New York debut on the mound with seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings.

Tobias Myers, obtained from the Brewers in the same trade, followed with three innings of one-run ball.

Bichette lofted an early sacrifice fly as the Mets chased Skenes in the first inning and later grinded through a 13-pitch at-bat before finally striking out. Luis Robert Jr. provided a pair of RBI singles, Jorge Polanco reached base safely three times and Marcus Semien had two hits.

It wasn’t always smooth, but Bichette at third base and Polanco at first made all their plays at new positions as New York played errorless ball and didn’t issue any walks.

“It’s awesome. I mean, everybody’s trying to get their feet wet,” Bichette said. “It was really cool. It’s an exciting team. We have the potential to win a lot of games, and we’ll just try to build off this and learn each other, build camaraderie, all that kind of stuff.”

Crosby leaves the Penguins’ most recent game early in the second period with a lower-body injury

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) comes to congratulate teammate Erik Karlsson, left, on his goal with Rickard Rakell, right, during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left Thursday night’s game at Ottawa early in the second period with a lower-body injury, barely a week after he returned from a lower-body injury sustained at the Olympics with Team Canada.

Crosby took a 38-second opening shift in the second period, before heading through the tunnel toward the locker room. The Penguins later announced he would not return to the game, and coach Dan Muse said afterward he had no update on Crosby’s condition.

Crosby had also headed through the tunnel following his last shift of the first period after appearing to get his left leg tangled up in a collision. He finished with one shot on goal in nine shifts in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 shootout win over the Senators.

The 38-year-old center missed 11 games for the Penguins after he was injured in an Olympic quarterfinal game on Feb. 18. Crosby returned to action at Carolina on March 18 with a goal and an assist, and he had an assist in each of Pittsburgh’s last three games. He leads the team with 28 goals and 64 points in 61 games.

Kindel nets shootout winner as Penguins lose Crosby but squeeze past Senators 4-3

 

(File Photo: Source for Photo:Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ben Kindel (81) celebrates his goal during a shootout in an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ben Kindel scored the shootout winner to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.

Rickard Rakell scored twice and had an assist, and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins, who moved into second in the Metropolitan Division.

Drake Batherson scored twice and Nick Cousins also scored for the Senators. Tim Stutzle added two assists.

Both Linus Ullmark and Stuart Skinner made huge saves in overtime to force the shootout.

Pittsburgh opened the third period on the power play with a two-man advantage after Ottawa took a late tripping penalty and got called early too many men. The Penguins capitalized with Rakell scoring his second of the game at 1:43.

Just over two minutes later, the Senators tied the game with Batherson burying a rebound in the crease for his second of the game. Pittsburgh challenged for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took the opening shift of the second period but left after 38 seconds and did not return.

With an assist on the opening goal, Stutzle picked up his 400th point and became the seventh player, and youngest, in franchise history to hit the milestone.

Up next

Penguins: Host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Senators: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

 

Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation Launches GoFundMe to Support Government Workers Affected by Shutdown

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Allegheny County Airport Authority)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation announced the launch of a GoFundMe campaign yesterday to provide critical support to government workers impacted by the ongoing federal shutdown. The proceeds will be directly passed on from the Foundation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to purchase gift cards for groceries, fuel and other supplies for local TSA and CBP administrative staff that have been affected by the shutdown. You can access the GoFundMe by typing in this website: https://gofund.me/bd1ccf0fa.

Pennsylvania House passes bill sponsored by State Representative Rob Matzie to shield energy users in the state from data center costs

(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie Speaking)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania lawmakers recently pushed forward with a proposal to shield consumers in the state from surging utility costs related to data centers. This move comes amid concerns about the demands for energy of these data hubs, which are proliferating to support an artificial intelligence industry that is growing rapidly. House Bill 1834, which is sponsored by State Representative Rob Matzie, (D-Beaver) would make a requirement for data centers to shoulder the cost of any energy upgrades that are needed to accommodate them. The bill passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday and it now moves over to the Senate for consideration.

Allegheny County gun violence task force seizes some guns and makes several arrests this month

(File Photo: Caption for Photo: police car lights at night in city with selective focus and bokeh background blur, Credit for Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images/iStockphoto/z1b)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Allegheny County, PA) According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s Office, the Allegheny County Gun Violence Task Force has made several arrests and seized guns this month. That same office confirms that after juveniles posted photos of multiple guns on social media, multiple agencies executed a search warrant on Etna Street in McKees Rocks on Tuesday. Authorities found three guns, which included one that was stolen, as well as magazines, ammo and marijuana and ecstasy pills. Two juveniles are now facing charges in relation to this incident. A search warrant on Dorothy Drive in Rankin last Thursday yielded a Glock 9mm pistol, as well as magazines and memo. Officials confirm that nineteen-year-old Jailen D. Mitchell is facing charges in connection to this incident. Authorities executed a search warrant on Greenbush Street in the Mount Washington neighborhood a day before, where they seized two guns, which included one that was stolen, and a laser attachment. Officials express that authorities charged eighteen-year-old Daonte King, who had an outstanding warrant, and arrested his mother, Shantese Skrine, on a felony warrant. Skrine is also facing charges in connection with items that were found during the search. Officials note that these actions follow enforcement across Allegheny, Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties which have yielded over fifty guns and many arrests since 2026.

I-376 Parkway West Eastbound Shoulder Restriction Next Week in Pittsburgh

(File Photo of the Fort Pitt Tunnel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced an overnight shoulder restriction on eastbound (inbound) I-376 (Parkway West) in the City of Pittsburgh, will occur Monday, March 30th through Thursday, April 2nd, weather permitting. From 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. on those days, a shoulder restriction will occur on eastbound I-376 between the West End (Exit 69C) interchange and the Fort Pitt Tunnel as crews from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will conduct landscaping operations there.

Florida woman pleads not guilty to attempted murder of Rihanna and to assaulting the superstar singer’s family

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Rihanna arrives at the premiere of “Smurfs” on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman from Florida pleaded not guilty Wednesday to attempted murder of Rihanna, and a newly public police report revealed that the shots she is alleged to have fired from an AR-15 style rifle hit an Airstream trailer while the singing superstar and her partner A$AP Rocky were inside.

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, of Orlando, who had no prior police record, also pleaded not guilty through her attorney to more than a dozen other felony counts in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Hours after her arrest on March 8, Ortiz told detectives she would not answer questions without a lawyer, but spoke up once, according to the Los Angeles police report made public in a court filing Tuesday.

“Can I say one sentence?” she said. “I would like to say that I wasn’t attempting murder. But that’s all I wanted to say.”

Police and prosecutors said that Ortiz, 35, pulled up in a white Tesla to the home Rihanna and Rocky share with their three young children in the Beverly Hills area, pointed the rifle out the window and sprayed at least 20 bullets toward the property and a neighboring home. No one was injured.

Rihanna told detectives in an interview that Rocky was sleeping in the rear of the trailer that was parked in the driveway next to the home’s garage and she was sitting at a window seat when she heard about 10 loud sounds like something banging on metal. She pulled back a curtain and saw bullet holes in the Airstream’s front window, according to the report. She pulled him out of bed and both of them got on the floor before running into the main house to check on the people inside, which included the kids, her mother, and staffers.

Rocky, identified in the report as “a famous rapper,” told police that Rihanna shouted that someone was shooting at them as she woke him.

Two bullets hit the double-paned window of the Airstream, but did not go through it, the police report said. A third appeared to have hit the trailer’s side.

A bullet hole was found on the exterior wall of the home’s second-floor nursery where the three kids were with their nanny. The nanny told police that she heard the shots but hadn’t believed they were gunfire initially.

Three bullet fragments were found in the home’s front porch area while at least 10 bullet holes were identified in the property’s gates and walls. Shots also hit a neighboring home.

Ortiz is charged with 10 counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, one for each of the people on the two properties. She’s also charged with three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle or dwelling for the trailer and the two neighboring homes. She could get life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Ortiz appeared behind glass Wednesday in a custody area, wearing yellow jail clothes with her blond hair in braids. She spoke only to agree to waive her right to a speedy preliminary hearing, the next phase of the case where evidence is presented to determine whether a trial is warranted.

Her lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman, asked that her bail be reduced from $1.9 million to $70,000 based on her ability to pay. Judge Theresa McGonigle declined the request.

The prosecutor said she’s a major risk to the community and would likely flee if she made bail.

“This case involves a dangerous, deliberate shooting into occupied homes,” Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said. “This is the kind of conduct that could easily have resulted in multiple homicides.”

When Ortiz was arrested hours after the shooting, she was alone in her car with the rifle, more rounds and a wig she was using as a disguise, Bott said.

Public records show Ortiz has been a licensed speech pathologist for more than a decade. McGonigle ruled that she should be prevented from practicing in California. The move came at the request of the state attorney general, whose motion included the police report, making it public.

Neither side spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

District Attorney Nathan Hochman has declined to discuss a motive or describe any connection between Ortiz and Rihanna, saying all were under investigation. He also said his office was investigating social media posts from Ortiz from the days leading up to the gunfire.

A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “We Found Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and “Disturbia.” She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017.

She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child, a girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September. They also have sons ages 2 and 3.

Savannah Guthrie in NBC News interview appeals for help finding her missing mother

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Savannah Guthrie visits the Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York on Thursday, March 5, 2026. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

(AP) A tearful Savannah Guthrie, in her first interview since her 84-year-old mother was apparently abducted from her Arizona home, said that “someone needs to do the right thing” and come forward with information to help the investigation.

“We are in agony,” she told NBC News colleague Hoda Kotb in a portion of the interview aired Wednesday on the “Today” show. She said she wakes up in the middle of each night thinking of what her mother went through.

NBC said Wednesday that a full interview with its “Today” show host will air on the program Thursday and Friday. It is Guthrie’s first interview since her mother was reported missing on Feb. 1. Based on security footage, authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will.

Both Guthrie and Kotb were crying during the brief portion of the interview aired on Wednesday. Kotb, Guthrie’s former co-host, has returned to “Today” while her former colleague has been away.

Guthrie said that while it is unbearable to think of the terror her mother must have felt, “those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now.”

Savannah Guthrie has been a co-host of NBC’s morning show since 2012, and is expected to return at some point, although no date has been set as she spends time with her family.

Despite offering a $1 million reward for information, there has been little movement in the investigation. Guthrie’s family last weekend appealed to neighbors in Arizona to search back through their memories for anything they might have seen that could help the investigation. “No detail is too small,” they said.

Kotb said Wednesday that “there is a desperation and a steeliness about Savannah. She hopes that somebody, whoever that person is, will say something.”

Little information about the investigation has been publicly released by authorities in recent weeks. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and FBI said Wednesday that investigators continue to examine leads.