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Eaton, Kendrick homer in 8th, Nats rally past Pirates 3-2
BOBBY BANCROFT Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Howie Kendrick is quickly making up for lost time.
Limited to only five games last season because of a torn Achilles and slowed this spring by a hamstring injury, the 35-year-old Kendrick is off to a fast start for the Washington Nationals.
He’s 6 for 10, including a home run Saturday that sent the Nationals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2.
After Adam Eaton’s two-out, two-strike homer in the eighth inning tied it, Kendrick connected on the next pitch.
“Following him up right there I was just like all right I want to get a pinch that I can get a drive,” Kendrick said. “Wasn’t necessarily thinking trying to hit a homer or anything like that. It just happened that way.”
Kendrick started his second game of the season and his shot off Pirates reliever Richard Rodriguez (0-1) was his second homer of the year. The second baseman is now in his 14th season.
Eaton finished with three hits as the Nationals denied Pittsburgh its first series win in Washington since 2013. The teams finish the three-game set on Sunday.
Wander Suero (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Sean Doolittle escaped his own first-and-second, one-out jam for his first save.
Melky Cabrera hit his first home run of the season, tagging Anibal Sanchez to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Pirates starter Chris Archer struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings in his third start of the season. He also singled in the seventh for his first hit of the season.
“It’s frustrating,” Archer said. “We played a great game. Our margin for error is small.”
Archer pitched while appealing his five-game suspension from Major League Baseball for setting off a bench-clearing fracas at PNC Park last Sunday. He threw a fastball behind Cincinnati’s Derek Dietrich, who stood and admired a long home run in his previous at-bat.
There were five ejections, but Archer wasn’t tossed. He can keep playing until there’s a final ruling on his appeal.
Sanchez lasted seven innings, allowing two runs off seven hits while striking out two. He has yet to win in three starts since joining Washington from Atlanta in the offseason as a free agent.
NATIONALS RECORD
Anthony Rendon doubled to break a Nationals record with at least one-extra base hit in 10 straight games. He had shared the mark with Ryan Zimmerman. Rendon also extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
THIRD BASE SWITCH
Colin Moran earned the start at third base for Pittsburgh over Jung Ho Kang a day after hitting the go-ahead home run in the 10th inning as a pinch-hitter.
Kang entered Saturday batting just .108 (4 for 37) in 12 games. He then struck out in the ninth with two runners on.
He’s trying to figure out how to do well again,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “I’m anticipating Moran will play again tomorrow and that will give (Kang) a three game break to work on some things in extended work time.
Moran went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Justin Miller (lower back strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list. He pitched one inning in Friday’s night loss to Pittsburgh and afterward manager Dave Martinez expressed concern about his fastball velocity.
Miller has made seven appearances this season for Washington posting a 5.68 ERA. RHP Austen Williams was recalled from Triple-A Fresno. The 26-year-old went 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in 10 appearances out of the Washington bullpen in 2018.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-2, 3.00 ERA) has a 3.50 ERA in three career appearances against the Nationals. Pittsburgh’s opening day starter lasted just two innings in his last appearance on Monday in Chicago.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (1-2, 3.32) will make his fourth start of the season a day later than expected after dealing with right leg soreness. Scherzer is 11-10 in 32 career starts when coming off six or more days of rest.
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Sanders promises to win back Midwest states Trump captured
By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders returned to the friendly terrain of Wisconsin on Friday, promising to build a coalition that will defeat President Donald Trump as he kicked off a swing through pivotal states that are part of the Democratic “blue wall” strategy for 2020.
Sanders, speaking to a crowd of about 2,400 who braved 40-degree (4 Celsiu) temperatures with a stiff 20 mph (32 kph) wind, pledged to flip Midwestern states such as Wisconsin that Trump narrowly won in 2016.
“Together, we are going to make sure that does not happen again,” Sanders said to cheers. “We’re going to win here in Wisconsin. We’re going to win in Indiana. We’re going to win in Ohio. We’re going to win in Michigan. We’re going to win in Pennsylvania and together we’re going to win this election.”
Sanders spoke in a city park along the shores of a lake, just a few blocks away from the state Capitol. Those in the crowd wore ski masks, winter coats, gloves and scarves as they cheered Sanders.
The independent senator from Vermont carried Wisconsin by 13 points in the Democratic primary three years ago and has been a frequent visitor since losing the nomination to Hillary Clinton. He touted his appeal to working-class and college-age voters, while fostering his network of supporters before this second run for president.
“He’s the real deal,” said Sanders backer Lynn Glueck, 50, a teacher from Madison who wore a winter coat with the hood up for the rally. She said to win, Sanders needs to emphasize his “long term integrity.”
“It’s not like he came up with these ideas the past two years, Glueck said. “He is not somebody who is bought and sold.”
University of Wisconsin students Dylan Karls, 20, and Aaron Dwyer, 20, came from the nearby campus to check out the rally. They said they didn’t know which Democrat they will vote for yet but liked that Sanders was forcing other candidates to take more liberal positions.
“I think he cares more than a lot of other politicians,” Dwyer said. “He’s a candidate people can get behind because he cares.”
Democrats have made clear that their best chance at defeating Trump in 2020 is by winning back three states Trump narrowly captured: Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Dubbed the “blue wall” before they unexpectedly tipped to Trump, they may have supplanted Florida and Ohio as the nation’s premier presidential battlegrounds.
Following the Wisconsin rally, Sanders was headed to Gary, Indiana, on Saturday. He’ll hold a rally at a community college in Warren, Michigan, later that day, and then head to Pennsylvania for an event Sunday near the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon campuses. Then it’s off to Ohio on Monday.
Trump also knows the Midwest is vital to his re-election bid. He’s looking to repeat in states he won in 2016 and expand his territory. Trump was due to campaign Monday in Minnesota, a state that almost went his way in 2016 after not voting for a Republican presidential candidate since Richard Nixon in 1972.
However, Democrats feel like the momentum is on their side in the Midwest. They captured governorships in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota last year.
The Sanders campaign said in a memo prepared in advance of the trip that the pathway to victory runs through the Midwest.
The memo said that Sanders has received donations from more than 8,000 people in Wisconsin, 14,000 in Michigan and more than 18,000 in Pennsylvania. Sanders was leading all Democratic candidates in fundraising as he tries to establish himself as the clear front-runner amid the crowded field.
Sanders’ appeal in Wisconsin is clear. He won 71 of the state’s 72 counties in 2016, defeating Clinton by 13 points. Sanders also narrowly beat Clinton in Michigan, but lost to her in Pennsylvania.
Early polling in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania has shown Sanders ahead of other Democrats. Just this week, the Marquette University Law School poll showed Sanders leading a field of 12 Democratic candidates in Wisconsin.
But pollster Charles Franklin cautioned about reading too much into the numbers a full year before Wisconsin’s April 2020 primary. Candidates with the best name recognition, like Sanders, typically fare better this far out compared with others mounting their first national runs for office, Franklin said.
The Sanders campaign said his message on trade, unions, working families and health care resonates in Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. Earlier this week, Sanders unveiled his latest “Medicare for All” proposal, an idea that has influenced Democratic state lawmakers in Wisconsin who are advocating for similar statewide health insurance coverage.
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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
Pennsylvania mall evacuated after gunfire
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities said a fight between two groups at a Pennsylvania mall led to a shooting outside the building and an evacuation.
The Pittsburg Post-Gazette reported Monroeville police said the brawl Friday between two groups of four to five males began about 8 p.m. for some unknown reason. The fight spilled outside the mall through a Macy’s department store entrance.
Police said one of the males pulled out a gun and fired about 10 shots.
There were no reports of injuries and no arrests have been made.
The mall was placed on lockdown and was later evacuated.
The mall is about 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) east of Pittsburg. The lockdown was lifted about 9 p.m.
Authorities found bullet holes in the glass doors of a Macy’s entrance and evidence markers were placed in a roped off area outside the department store.
Monroeville Mall officials tweeted that they were aware of the incident and police cleared “the mall out of an abundance of caution.”
Moran hits pinch-hit, 3-run homer as Pirates top Nats 6-3
By IAN QUILLEN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Colin Moran had a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the 10th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates scored five runs off Washington’s struggling bullpen in a 6-3 victory over the Nationals on Friday night.
Moran’s homer to right center off Justin Miller was his second as a pinch hitter in 34 at-bats. He was batting for Jung Ho Kang, after Melky Cabrera and Adam Frazier reached base against lefty Matt Grace (0-1).
Pittsburgh snapped a four-game losing streak in Washington and spoiled a two-homer night for the Nationals’ Anthony Rendon.
Washington’s relievers entered Friday’s game as the worst in the majors, and their ERA grew to 8.12 by game’s end.
Starling Marte hit a two-run single off Kyle Barraclough in the top of the eighth inning that gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead. But Rendon hit a solo homer in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
Nick Burdi (1-1) worked a scoreless ninth for his first big league win, and Felipe Vazquez pitched the 10th for his fourth save.
Rendon has six homers after going deep twice for the fifth time in his career. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games and has recorded at least one extra-base hit in the last nine games.
Nationals starter Patrick Corbin struck out 11 and allowed one run in seven innings in his third start since signing a six-year, $140 million contract in December. The left-hander also singled twice, with the first hit tying the game at 1-all in the bottom of the second.
Trevor Williams nearly matched Corbin, allowing two runs over 6 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder) and RHP Dovydas Neverauskas (left oblique strain) will have their rehabilitation assignments transferred to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday. Neverauskas threw two scoreless innings at Class A Bradenton, while Polanco was 2 for 13 there with four walks and an RBI in four games.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (sore right leg) had his next start pushed back a day, to Sunday, because of lingering soreness after he was hit with a line drive in last Sunday at the Mets.
“If they needed me to pitch today, I could,” Scherzer said. “I understand, hey look, early in the season, be smart dealing with a leg injury. Leg injuries can turn into shoulder problems in a heartbeat. So I understand where they’re coming from.”
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Chris Archer (1-0, 2.45 ERA) makes his first start against Washington since 2015. He has a 2.45 ERA in two career appearances against the Nationals.
Nationals: Right-hander Anibal Sanchez (0-1, 6.52) swaps places with Scherzer. He’ll pitching on regular rest after allowing 3 runs over 5 2/3 innings on Monday in Philadelphia.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey scored in the third period and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 Friday night for a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Anthony Beauvillier also scored and Robin Lehner stopped 32 shots to help New York open a postseason series with two wins for the first time since sweeping Edmonton in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final for the Islanders’ fourth straight championship.
Mathew Barzal had two assists in a chippy, physical game that featured a lot of hard hits and some skirmishes, especially in the first two periods — and also after the final buzzer.
Erik Gudbranson scored and Matt Murray finished with 31 saves for the Penguins, who have lost the first two games of a postseason series for the first time since the 2013 Eastern Conference finals against Boston.
Game 3 is Sunday at Pittsburgh.
After a turnover by the Penguins near their own blue line, Barzal sent the puck up to Eberle on the right side and he skated across the front and sent a backhand in at 7:54 of the third to give the Islanders their first lead of the night at 2-1.
Bailey, who had the overtime winner in Game 1 on Wednesday night, then gave New York a two-goal lead with a power-play score with 8:22 remaining on New York’s sixth man-advantage of the night. Devon Toews fired a shot that hit Anders Lee, and the puck came to Bailey, who put it in from the right side.
The Penguins pulled Murray for an extra skater with 2:44 remaining, but couldn’t take advantage. Lehner made a nice glove save on Phil Kessel from the right circle, drawing chants of “Leh-ner! Leh-ner!” from the raucous home crowd.
After a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh’s Matt Cullen had an open look at a rebound from the right circle 1:13 into the second that Lehner stopped with a pad save into his glove.
The Islanders had a 5-on-3 advantage for about a minute in the second period, but couldn’t beat Murray. The Penguins’ goalie then had a diving stop on Matt Martin in front about 7:44 in, and a stick save on a slap sot by Ryan Pulock 10 seconds later.
Brian Dumoulin hit a goalpost for Pittsburgh at about the 9-minute mark.
Gudbranson then gave the Penguins their first lead of the series as he took a pass from Evgeni Malkin and fired a one-timer from straightaway inside the blue line that beat Lehner’s blocker side and went in off the post with 9:24 remaining in the second. It was Gudbranson’s first career playoff point.
Beauvillier tied it with 6:35 left in the period with his first career playoff goal as he knocked in the loose puck in front after Murray was out of position following a save on Barzal’s initial try on a 3-on-2 break
While some of the Islanders began celebrating the goal, fights broke out to Murray’s left. Barzal was given a double-minor for roughing, while Pittsburgh’s Marcus Pettersson received a 2-minute penalty.
The Islanders outshot the Penguins 11-7 in the scoreless first period.
Lehner made a save on Sidney Crosby’s backhand try in front about 4 minutes in. Toews hit the right post with a long slap shot from straightaway from the blue line a little more than 5 minutes later. Phil Kessel was denied on a shot from the left circle with just under 7 minutes remaining
NOTES: Murray has lost consecutive playoff games for the fourth time. He also did it in Games 3 and 4 of 2017 Stanley Cup Final against Nashville, and Games 2-3 and 5-6 against Washington in second round last year. … Penguins F Jared McCann sat out due to an upper-body injury. He was replaced in the lineup by F Teddy Blueger, making his playoff debut. D Jack Johnson was back in the lineup after sitting out Game 1. He had played in all 82 games during the regular season. D Olli Maatta sat out to make room. … The Islanders, who were 3 for 50 on the power play over the final 22 games of the season to finish 29th at 14.5 percent, are now 2 for 8 in this series. … New York was 38-2-2 in regular season when scoring at least 3 goals, and is now 2-0 in playoffs.
UP NEXT
The series shifts Pittsburgh for Game 3 on Sunday and Game 4 on Tuesday night.
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(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
So is it “live” as in “living” or “live on stage”?
Regardless of how you pronounce it (even though it is the former), “Live In The Moment” is the theme for the 2019-20 Highmark Subscription Series of shows coming to the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center next season. The announcement was made in front of a raucous student-majority crowd, who saw a presentation that instead of using an announcer in previous years, relied solely on live performance, soundtrack, and a visual screen to make the announcement.
The 2019-20 Subsrciption Series includes:
Matilda: The Musical (October 4-20)
Clue (November 8-17)
Disney’s Frozen Jr. (November 14-24)
The Nutcracker (December 12-15)
Romeo & Juliet (February 14-23)
Swing! (March 13-15)
Carousel (April 24-May 3)
Memphis: The Musical (June 12-21)
As mentioned, the students were thrilled by the announcement. Dance major Dyson Ramey was one of them:
Senior Jocelyn Scolion agreed, saying that she likes the real-world vibe of the upcoming Series:
Another senior, Gregory Buck, was happy to see a different change of pace from past Lincoln Park musicals:
For more information on the upcoming Subscription Series, check out Lincoln Park’s website.
Check out the pictures below from this afternoon’s announcement:
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., revealed Thursday she is a gun owner – but said she still wants stricter gun laws. “I am a gun owner – and I own a gun for probably the reason that a lot of people do, for personal safety,” the 2020 presidential primary contender told reporters in Iowa, the New York Post reported. “I was a former prosecutor.” Harris called gun violence a “clear problem in our country” and pushed for “smart gun safety laws — which include universal background checks and a renewal of the assault weapons ban. Period,” she said, the Post reported.
Some lawmakers think the state isn’t moving fast enough to promote the use of renewable energy sources. Don Rooney reports…