Author: Beaver County Radio

Fan walks to plate, Hoskins HR in 11th lifts Phils over Bucs

Fan walks to plate, Hoskins HR in 11th lifts Phils over Bucs
By WES CROSBY Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A fan casually walked to home plate and approached Philadelphia hitter Brad Miller for a handshake before being apprehended, and the Phillies later beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 Sunday on Rhys Hoskins’ home run in the 11th inning.
Moments after Bryce Harper argued a called third strike and Hoskins spiked his bat after being hit by a pitch, things turned bizarre in the sixth inning at PNC Park.
That’s when a man carrying a cellphone came out of the crowd and strolled toward Miller in the batter’s box. Miller backed away and the man kept walking, leisurely getting near the Phillies’ dugout on the first base side, where he was handcuffed by security personnel and led away.
Miller then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Hoskins hit his 21st home run, connecting off Chris Stratton (1-3). The drive came right after Harper again seemed displeased with plate umpire Ben May when striking out looking to start the inning.
Phillies reliever Ranger Suárez (3-0) got Starling Marte to ground out to end the 10th, stranding Adam Frazier at third, and worked around a hit in the 11th.
Drew Smyly made his first start with the Phillies, allowing one run and four hits in six innings. He also struck out.
The 30-year-old lefty was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances this year for Texas, which released him on June 25. Smyly signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on July 1, went 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in three starts for Triple-A San Antonio, then on Thursday exercised his right to be released.
Pirates starter Dario Agrazal allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings. The 24-year-old rookie has given up a combined eight runs (seven earned) in 28 innings through his first five starts.
Melky Cabrera put the Pirates ahead 1-0 in the first with an RBI single. The Phillies tied it in the fourth when César Hernández came out of a 25-minute rain delay and singled home Harper.
ROSTER MOVE
Phillies: RHP Fernando Salas was designated for assignment to open a roster spot for Smyly. Salas (0-0, 6.75) allowed two runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings across three appearances for Philadelphia this season. RHP Nick Pivetta moved to the bullpen to make room for Smyly in the rotation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Segura left after the top of the fourth inning because of heel soreness. He was 0 for 2 before Scott Kingery moved from center field to replace Segura at shortstop.
UP NEXT
Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (8-2, 3.77) starts at Detroit on Tuesday. Since last losing in a 2-1 defeat against Miami on June 21, Nola is 2-0 in five starts while allowing seven runs (six earned) in 32 2/3 innings.
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (3-3, 5.17) could start against St. Louis on Monday if well enough after being scratched from his last projected start on Saturday because of flu-like symptoms. An official starter has not been announced.
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Mariano Rivera closes Baseball HOF induction ceremony

Mariano Rivera closes Baseball HOF induction ceremony
By JOHN KEKIS AP Sports Writer
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — The chants began even before baseball’s greatest closer stood to make his speech.
“Mariano! Mariano! Mariano!”
The former New York Yankees reliever paused and smiled.
“I don’t understand why I have to always be the last,” Mariano Rivera joked at his Hall of Fame induction Sunday. “I guess being the last one is special.”
Rivera and fellow closer Lee Smith, starters Mike Mussina and the late Roy Halladay, and designated hitters Edgar Martinez and Harold Baines were feted on a sun-splashed day in Cooperstown. Taking the podium last as he had predicted, Rivera delivered a speech that included a brief thank you to his native Panama and the fans there.
“You’re special for me,” said Rivera, who spoke from notes although he had his speech ready if needed. “Thank you for your help. Latin American fans, thank you. Thank you for loving me. I’m so humbled and blessed to receive this incredible honor. God bless you all.”
The career saves leader with 652, Rivera was the first unanimous Hall of Fame pick by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He pitched 19 seasons in the major leagues, all with the Yankees, and retired with 952 games finished — also a record.
A 13-time All-Star, Rivera helped the Yankees win five World Series titles and seven American League pennants. He led the AL in saves three times and finished with 40 or more saves nine times, a record he shares with Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman.
Halladay’s widow, Brandy, fought back tears as she spoke. Halladay was 40 when he was killed in a plane crash in November 2017.
“I knew I was going to cry at some point. It’s overwhelming the amount of people here today,” she said. “I’m so grateful you’re here. I can’t tell you how many hugs I’ve gotten. They have extended so much love and friendship. I’m so grateful.
“The thank yous should and could go on for days. There are not enough words to thank you. I say it a lot, but it takes a village.”
Smiling from beginning to end, Smith congratulated his new classmates before crediting his family and hometown of Castor, Louisiana, for much of his success.
“It’s been my family. They’re the main reason I’m standing here today,” Smith said. “To my mom and dad — your support has meant everything to me.”
Smith pitched 18 seasons for the Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds and Expos and retired as MLB’s career saves leader with 478, a title he held for 13 seasons. That total ranks third all-time, as do his 802 games finished.
Martinez was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner for Seattle, where he spent his entire 18-year career. Martinez delivered the first part of his speech in Spanish before congratulating the other five inductees.
“I am honored and humbled to be standing here,” said Martinez, who was born in New York and grew up in Puerto Rico. “It is hard to believe that a dream that started when I was 10 years old (ended here). The first time I saw Roberto Clemente, all I wanted to do was play the game. What an honor to have my plaque in the Hall alongside his.”
Martinez won two AL batting titles and led the league in on-base percentage three times. He was named the outstanding designated hitter five times, an award that now bears his name.
The soft-spoken Baines never displayed much emotion in his 22-year career, but his voice cracked throughout his speech.
“Somehow I acquired a reputation for not saying much. I’m not sure why,” he deadpanned at the start. “From teachers to coaches who showed me kindness and discipline, I thank you all for what you’ve done for me. If I can leave you with one message, it’s to give back to your community. I stand here very humbled. It has taken time to sink in.”
Mussina pitched for 18 major league seasons and spent his entire career in the high-scoring AL East with the Orioles and Yankees. A five-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner, he posted a record of 270-153 and had 57 complete games in 536 starts. He was the first AL pitcher to win at least 10 games 17 times.
“I spent a lot of time reflecting on my time in baseball,” said Mussina, the oldest first-time 20-game winner in MLB history when he reached the milestone at age 39 in 2008, his final season in the majors. “I was never fortunate to win a Cy Young Award or be a World Series champion, win 300 games or strike out 3,000 hitters. My opportunities for those achievements are in the past. Today, I get to become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. This time I made it.”
The late Frank Robinson and Willie McCovey were honored with a moment of silence before Mussina was introduced. The two Hall of Famers died since last year’s induction ceremony.
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Coroner: Boy, 1, pulled from pool dies; autopsy slated

Coroner: Boy, 1, pulled from pool dies; autopsy slated
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a 1-year-old boy died after he was pulled from an eastern Pennsylvania swimming pool over the weekend.
The Lehigh County coroner’s office reports that King Reyes was found Saturday in the pool at his Weisenberg Township home.
The coroner said he was pronounced dead shortly before 4:30 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. An autopsy is scheduled Monday to determine the cause and manner of death.
State police at the Fogelsville barracks are investigating along with the coroner’s office.

Lindor hits foul ball that injures child; Indians top KC 5-4

Lindor hits foul ball that injures child; Indians top KC 5-4
By STEVE HERRICK Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Francisco Lindor wasn’t thinking about his home run that helped the Cleveland Indians beat Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Sunday. Instead, the All-Star shortstop was only concerned about the young child who was struck by a line drive he hit.
In the latest instance this season around the majors of a fan being injured by a foul ball, Lindor said he was told his liner sent a 3-year-old boy to the hospital.
“It stinks, man,” Lindor said. “You don’t want to get nobody hurt. I have heard the kid is doing well. He’s in the hospital. He’s getting checked and all I know is he’s in stable condition and he’s doing good.”
“In a way, that makes me happy, but it stinks, you don’t want that to happen to anybody, especially a little kid.”
The Indians said in an e-mail following the game that they could not disclose any information.
An adult holding the child immediately left the seating area after Lindor’s drive down the right field line in the sixth inning. Lindor said he stepped out of the box briefly before continuing the at-bat against pitcher Glenn Spellman.
“You take that moment to say a little prayer, ‘God, help him. Hope he’s OK,'” he said.
The protective netting at Progressive Field runs to the end of each dugout. Lindor’s line drive landed several sections beyond the netting and was about 12 to 15 rows into the stands.
Lindor echoed the calls of many major leaguers to extend the netting. The Chicago White Sox are set to become the first team in the majors with netting that goes from foul pole to foul pole on Monday.
Last month, a 2-year-old girl was sent to the hospital with head injuries by a foul ball in Houston.
“I encourage every MLB team to put the nets all the way down,” Lindor said. “I know it’s all about the fans’ experience of interacting with players and I completely get that. You want to have that interaction with the fans, getting autographs and stuff, but at the end of the day, we want to make sure everybody comes out of this game healthy, and we got to do something about it,” Lindor said.
“Everybody feels bad. And if we can put the nets a little bit further down, I think it would be a lot better,” he said.
Lindor said he changed his approach when he stepped back in the box against Spellman.
“You try to go back to this, focus on the pitcher, focus on the at-bat, focus on your job,” Lindor said. “That at-bat, I didn’t want to pull the ball at all.”
“I was just trying to hit it somewhere else, not hit it in that direction, because then what happens is somebody gets hit and then everybody’s paying attention to that person and nobody remembers there’s a game going on. You don’t want to pull the ball again, because then now you hit somebody else. It’s not fun,” he said.
Lindor homered after originally being scheduled to get the day off and José Ramírez hit a tiebreaking home run in the sixth.
Lindor talked his way into the lineup at designated hitter after manager Terry Francona planned on resting him. His two-run homer in the third tied the game at 2.
Ramírez’s leadoff homer put Cleveland ahead in the sixth and the Indians went on to their seventh win in eight games. Cleveland has also won 13 of 16.
Rookie Zach Plesac (4-3) allowed two runs in six innings. The right-hander gave up a run in the first and allowed Jorge Soler’s solo homer in the third.
Brad Hand allowed Bubba Starling’s first major league home run in the ninth, but struck out the next three hitters for his 27th save in 28 opportunities.
Sparkman (4-5) allowed both homers and gave up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Soler hit his 27th home run in the third and took a homer away from Jason Kipnis the following inning. Soler leaped at the wall in right field to catch Kipnis’ towering drive.
Sparkman threw his hands in the air as he looked toward right field. Soler tipped his cap to the pitcher.
Kansas City is 7-3 since the All-Star break and snapped Cleveland’s six-game winning streak with a 1-0 victory on Saturday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber (broken arm) threw 30 pitches off the mound, his second bullpen since being struck by a line drive May 1. He’ll accompany the team on its road trip to Toronto and throw his next bullpen session Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.52 ERA) on Tuesday in Atlanta will look to build off a positive last outing. He threw six innings in which he allowed just two earned runs while walking none.
Indians: RHP Mike Clevinger (3-2, 3.57 ERA) will pitch the opener of a four-game series in Toronto on Monday. He’s struck out 27 batters in 17 innings in July.
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Keselowski on pole for NASCAR at New Hampshir

Keselowski on pole for NASCAR at New Hampshire
By DOUG ALDEN Associated Press
LOUDON, N.H. (AP) — Brad Keselowski is on the pole for the first time in nearly two years Sunday as NASCAR returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Keselowski, who won at New Hampshire in 2014, has three Cup Series victories in 2019, placing him one behind Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch for the season lead. Keselowski last started from the pole at Michigan in August 2017.
Busch qualified second in the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and his older brother, Kurt, will start third for Chevy in the 300-mile race.
The Busch brothers are two of the six drivers in Sunday’s field with three career victories at New Hampshire. Another is Kevin Harvick, who picked up his third last year and will start 14th Sunday for Ford.
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Graduation party shooting wounds 4; no arrests reported

Graduation party shooting wounds 4; no arrests reported
CLAIRTON, Pa. (AP) — Police in western Pennsylvania say four young people were wounded in an early morning shooting at a graduation party near Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County police say multiple 911 callers reported the shooting shortly before 12:30 a.m. Saturday in a yard in Clairton.
Police say several dozen people fled the area as officers and emergency responders arrived. They found a 16-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman with gunshot wounds to the lower extremities, and a 14-year-old boy with gunshot wounds to upper and lower extremities. All were in stable condition.
Police say 100 to 125 people were at the party before the shooting began. The motive wasn’t clear and no arrests have been reported.

Pogopalooza bounces into Pittsburgh for pogo competition

Pogopalooza bounces into Pittsburgh for pogo competition
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pogopalooza, known as the World Championships of Pogo, is bouncing into Pittsburgh this weekend.
Extreme pogo stick athletes from around the world are coming to town to show off their huge tricks and flips to compete for world titles in such categories as High Jump and Best Trick.
The events on Saturday and Sunday aren’t just for the grown-ups. Pogo-users under the age of 15 can enter a “bounce off” competition and those who bounce the longest get a free pogo stick.
Visitors can try their hand at pogo sticking in a free jump area that will have pogo sticks of all sizes.
In addition to the main competitions, the pogo athletes will be attempting to break three Guinness World Records over the weekend.

Heat, humidity grips East Coast as central US sees reprieve

Heat, humidity grips East Coast as central US sees reprieve
NEW YORK (AP) — The East Coast on Sunday sweated through another day of heat and humidity in a stretch of weather so oppressive that a New Jersey drawbridge got stuck and suburban Boston police jokingly asked criminals to take it easy.
The central part of the country, meanwhile, enjoyed some relief. A cold front was steadily moving southward and eastward across the country, bringing down the temperatures in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service.
But portions of the Central Plains and Mississippi Valley and much of the East Coast were still expected to see temperatures approaching nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). The cooler weather settling in Monday and Tuesday will also bring severe storms and heavy rain that could cause flash flooding and produce damaging winds, the agency warned.
The Carolinas up to Maine were expected to see the highest temperatures Sunday. Daytime highs were expected in the mid-to-upper 90s, which, coupled with high humidity, could feel as hot as 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
Boston has opened up city pools free to residents this weekend as the region could see temperatures again approach 100 degrees, and area police posted a tongue-in-cheek request on their Facebook page.
“Due to the extreme heat, we are asking anyone thinking of doing criminal activity to hold off until Monday,” Braintree police wrote as the high temperatures set in Friday. “Conducting criminal activity, in this extreme heat is next level henchmen status, and also very dangerous.”
New York City has directed office buildings to set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees (26 degrees Celsius) through Sunday to reduce strain on its electrical grid.
In Philadelphia on Saturday, several hundred people were evacuated from a retirement community because of a partial power outage that officials say may have been heat-related.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, nine firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and six transported to a hospital for treatment while fighting a house fire in sweltering conditions. The Strinestown Fire Company said all of the firefighters were released by the time Saturday’s Conewago Township blaze was extinguished.
In New Hampshire, rescue crews helped rescue a 29-year-old hiker after he was overcome by the heat in the White Mountain National Forest on Saturday.
In New Jersey, the Oceanic Bridge over the Navesink River was closed Saturday evening after it got stuck open. Monmouth County officials say heat caused expansion of the metal encasing the drawbridge, which is a popular route for residents and beachgoers.
The heat wave is starting to break in the northern reaches of New England.
A Canadian cold front brought a series of thunderstorms Saturday evening that dropped temperatures across northern Vermont and upstate New York. A heat advisory remains in effect Sunday for southern sections of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, where heat indexes could still top 100 degrees.
But in many parts of the country, it’s not expected to get much better when the sun goes down. Temperatures are expected to remain at or above the high 70s overnight (26 degrees Celsius).
Inland, strong wind and rain were expected to persist Sunday in the Midwest, and a cold front stretching between the Central Plains and the Great Lakes region is forecast to move south. But in addition to lower temperatures, the cold front is expected to carry showers and thunderstorms, which could lead to heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the Midwest.
Storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of residents in Michigan and Wisconsin Saturday.
Experts have warned residents in affected areas to limit their time outdoors. The risks are greatest for young children, the elderly and the sick.
On Saturday, the heat wave canceled events across the affected region.
In New York, authorities scrubbed a Times Square commemoration of the 1969 moon landing and an outdoor festival featuring soccer star Megan Rapinoe and musician John Legend.
Horse racing tracks from Maryland to upstate New York cancelled races and pushed back others, including the $1 million Haskell Invitational that went off after 8 p.m. at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
In Chicago, a 5K run in Grant Park was nixed.
And baseball fans broiled at big-league ballparks across the country. At Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, “Let It Snow” and other winter-themed songs blared through the stadium PA.
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Associated Press writers Philip Marcelo and Mark Pratt in Boston, Wilson Ring in Vermont and Ron Todt in New Jersey contributed to this report.

The Lion King’ bites off $185 million debut, a July record

‘The Lion King’ bites off $185 million debut, a July record
By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If there was any doubt that the 2019 box office belonged to the Walt Disney Co., this weekend put an end to it. Not only did its photorealistic remake of “The Lion King” devour opening weekend records for the month of July and a PG-rated film, but “Avengers: Endgame” also crept past “Avatar” to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
“The Lion King” this weekend roared into 4,725 North American theaters, where it grossed a stunning $185 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Although reviews were mixed for Jon Favreau’s remake of the 1994 animated film, audiences still turned out in droves to hear the A-list voice cast, from Beyoncé to Donald Glover, and see the innovative technology that made the film possible.
“We’ve had a spectacular run this weekend,” said Cathleen Taff, Disney’s president of distribution. “We really did know we had something special with (“The Lion King”) given its popularity with fans of all ages.”
Industry experts had pegged “The Lion King” for a $150 million opening, which turned out to be far too modest a projection. Instead, with $185 million, Disney got a few records to boast about: It’s the ninth-biggest opening of all time, a July record (unseating “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”) and a PG-rating record (taking over from “The Incredibles 2”).
It’s the second time this year a beloved Disney brand has overwhelmed a tepid critical response. “Aladdin,” which is still in the top 10 after nine weeks in theaters, has made $989 million globally.
“Certain brands have so much goodwill and equity,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “Reviews clearly didn’t matter at all.”
And, having opened in China a week early, “The Lion King” has amassed over $531 million in just 10 days. Audiences also embraced large format and 3D for the event film: 36% of that total came from 3D showings and $25.2 million from IMAX.
This is just the latest in a long string of wins for Disney, which now holds five of the top six spots for the year. It’s evident even in this weekend’s charts. Five weeks in, “Toy Story 4” is still at No. 3 with an additional $14.6 million (behind “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which slipped to second in its third weekend with $21 million). The Pixar sequel has grossed $859.4 million globally. “Aladdin” is in 7th place, with $3.8 million.
And then there is “Avengers: Endgame,” which didn’t make the top 10, but that hardly matters. With $1.5 million globally added this weekend, it surpassed “Avatar’s” all-time record, not accounting for inflation.
“Avatar” grossed $2.789 billion worldwide, and “Avengers: Endgame” is currently at $2.79 billion.
“‘Endgame’ finally did it,” Taff said. “It’s a huge achievement.”
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previewed that this was a sure-thing Saturday night at San Diego Comic-Con.
“You have to shout-out to Mr. James Cameron, who held that title for a long time,” Feige said. “If you adjust for inflation, he still holds the title, and he’ll probably get the title again as soon as he puts out another movie. But for right now … ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is the biggest film of all time.”
This weekend helped knock the year-to-date deficit from 9.1% to 7.2%.
“That’s what a massive Disney debut will do for the box office,” Dergarabedian said. “You’ve got to give some credit to the holdovers that are doing quite well, like ‘Yesterday.’ But it’s just a great weekend for the industry and absolutely a shot in the arm that was needed.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1.”The Lion King,” $185 million.
2.”Spider-Man: Far From Home,” $21 million.
3.”Toy Story 4,” $14.6 million.
4.”Crawl,” $6 million.
5.”Yesterday,” $5.1 million.
6.”Stuber,” $4 million.
7.”Aladdin,” $3.8 million.
8.”Annabelle Comes Home,” $2.7 million.
9.”Midsommar,” $1.6 million.
10.”The Secret Life of Pets 2,” $1.5 million.
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Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ldbahr

Drew Smyly starts for Phillies against Bucs today after finalizing contract

Drew Smyly starts for Phillies after finalizing contract
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Left-hander Drew Smyly finalized his contract with Philadelphia and was set to start against Pittsburgh on Sunday in his Phillies debut.
The 30-year-old was 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in nine starts and four relief appearances this year for Texas, which released him on June 25.
Smyly signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on July 1, went 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in three starts for Triple-A San Antonio, then on Thursday exercised his right to be released. He agreed to the deal with the Phillies on Friday, pending a successful physical.
Philadelphia becomes responsible for paying Smyly $211,855, a prorated share of the $555,000 major league minimum. That will be offset against the $7 million salary he was owed this year by the Rangers, who got him from the Chicago Cubs. Smyly didn’t pitch in the majors the past two seasons because of Tommy John surgery. Texas signed him to a $10 million, two-year deal.
Phillies right-hander Nick Pivetta was moved to the bullpen to make room for Smyly, who entered Sunday 32-32 with a 4.19 ERA in 94 starts and 75 relief appearances in six major league seasons that also included time with Detroit (2012-14) and Tampa Bay (2014-16).
Right-hander Fernando Salas was designated for assignment to open a roster spot.
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