Author: Beaver County Radio

Lyles, Pirates bullpen combine to blank Reds 2-0

Lyles, Pirates bullpen combine to blank Reds 2-0
By ALAN SAUNDERS Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jordan Lyles became the latest Pittsburgh starter to open the season with a stellar effort.
Lyles threw five effective innings in his Pirates debut, a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Lyles, who played for San Diego and Milwaukee last year, allowed three hits, walked three and struck out two. He was activated from the injured list before the game after being out with discomfort on his right side.
“It’s a good start to get things going,” he said. “Five innings, not thrilled about that. . Going forward, definitely going to look for going deeper into games, but overall, not complaining about some scoreless innings.”
Through five games, the Pirates starting pitchers have allowed an MLB-low five runs and hold a 1.55 ERA.
Despite extraordinary starting pitching, the Pirates improved to just 2-3 this year. The Pirates’ bullpen blew back-to-back saves in two games against St. Louis and had a 5.79 ERA entering play Thursday.
But Nick Kingham, Richard Rodriguez and Felipe Vazquez combined for four scoreless innings as the Pirates recorded their second shutout of the season.
Kingham (1-0) pitched two innings of relief, conceding two hits and striking out two. Rodriguez bounced back with a shutout inning after being scored upon in his first two outings of the season.
Vazquez escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth to earn his first save of the season by striking out three.
“It was well-executed game plan by our pitchers and they all deserve some credit,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
With one out in the seventh, Melky Cabrera singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Pablo Reyes. A single and Kevin Newman’s infield dribbler back to pitcher David Hernandez (0-1) made it 1-0. Cabrera finished with three hits.
Reds starter Tyler Mahle threw six scoreless innings in his season debut. He allowed five hits and struck out five without a walk.
Josh Bell singled home Starling Marte with an insurance run in the eighth.
POWER OUTAGE
Both of the Pirates shutouts have come against Cincinnati, and the Reds have been blanked three times in total on the season, including two straight games as they lost 1-0 to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
They managed six hits against the four Pittsburgh pitchers and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position. The Reds are hitting an NL-worst .169.
“We had some good at-bats. We hit the ball hard. So we’re going to focus on that,” manager David Bell said. “It’s going to turn. We just really need to stay confident. The great thing is that our pitching is doing a great job. Tyler Mahle was outstanding tonight. If we continue to do that, we believe everything’s going to turn around.”
Center fielder Scott Schebler, who went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk, agreed with his manager’s assessment.
“This is not a team that gets shut out very often, at least in the past it has not been,” he said. “I feel like we’re getting a little unlucky on some hard-hit balls and we’re just not stringing anything together.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson was put on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder sprain.
UP NEXT
Reds: RHP Sonny Gray (0-1, 6.75 ERA) will make his second straight start against Pittsburgh on Friday. Gray lasted just 2 2/3 innings and allowed three runs against the Pirates in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start and second appearance of the season. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Reds on Sunday.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Penguins lock up playoff berth with 4-1 win over Red Wings

Penguins lock up playoff berth with 4-1 win over Red Wings
By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — So much for the slow start. The seemingly endless string of injuries to bold-faced names, to the ones that left the Pittsburgh Penguins drifting aimlessly for long stretches.
Then March came. April, too. And the Penguins did what they always seem to do when the number of games dwindles and the stakes rise. They found themselves in time to reach the playoffs.
The proof came over three periods against Detroit on Thursday night. Phil Kessel regained his scoring touch. Sidney Crosby threw his body — and the puck — into the net. Matt Murray swung the momentum with sprawling save on a breakaway and Pittsburgh extended the NHL’s longest postseason streak to 13 years and counting with a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings.
“It’s not easy,” said Crosby, who finished with a goal and two assists. “You can see it comes down to Game 81. There are a lot of things that happened over the course of the year. It’s difficult. It’s a tight league and you have to earn it.”
Something the Penguins have done better than any other team in the NHL since 2007, a stretch that includes three Stanley Cups and an appearance in a Cup final. While they’ll hardly be among the favorites when the Eastern Conference quarterfinals begin next week, they have a shot. Considering where they were at various times over the last six months — from Murray’s early struggles to injuries to Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta among other — they’ll take it.
“I believe in this group,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “When we play the game the right way, I think we can compete with any team in the league. We have difference makers in the lineup. … I believe this group is capable of great things.”
For the first time in a while, the pieces are in place. Malkin picked up an assist in his return from an eight-game absence due to an upper-body injury. Letang skated a team-high 25:52 in just his fourth game since Feb. 23, thanks to an upper-body injury of his own. Their presence gives the Penguins depth and offensive firepower few in the league can match.
“I think the impact they have is huge,” Sullivan said. “Both guys are just, they’re dominant players. It just changes the whole dynamic of our team.”
Particularly when the Penguins are on the power play. Pittsburgh scored twice against the Red Wings with the man advantage, with both goals coming from the top group. Kessel’s tap-in from the left post at 18:18 of the first period put the Penguins in front to stay. Crosby’s jam from in close at 6:36 of the third period — a shot that came as he was being dumped into the net — ended a 10-game goal drought for the captain and drained the final minutes of any tension, a small respite at the end of a draining slog of a season.
Matt Puempel scored his first NHL goal in more than two years for the Red Wings. Jimmy Howard finished with 43 saves, but couldn’t quite duplicate his spectacular performance in a victory over the Penguins on Tuesday as Detroit’s six-game winning streak came to a halt.
“If you have Malkin and Letang back in your lineup, you’re a much better team (and) it creates real hard matchups on the road especially when we’re thin to begin with,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “And I don’t think our best players were as good as they have been. They’ve been excellent through this stretch.”
One the Red Wings — who will miss the playoffs for the third straight year after making it every season from 1991-2016 — hope they can carry forward next fall.
The Penguins have more pressing matters, like trying to bolster their postseason position. A win over the New York Rangers on Saturday assures Pittsburgh of a meeting with the New York Islanders in the opening round. A loss and a victory by Carolina and the Penguins would drop to the top wild-card spot and face Washington for a fourth straight year.
There are far worse problems to have. For a few moments Thursday, they tried to enjoy a moment that has become a rite of spring for the franchise for more than a decade, even if the path this time proved bumpier than usual. Not that it matters now. The playoffs offer a chance to reset, a button the Penguins are eager to push.
“I think we have a good team here,” Kessel said. “We’ll see who we play coming up. We’ll give it our all.”
NOTES: Penguins C Matt Cullen played in his 1,515th game, passing Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman for 19th on the NHL’s all-time list. … Detroit F Tyler Bertuzzi was held without a point to end his franchise-record streak of games with at least three points at four. … The Red Wings went 1 for 2 on the power play. The Penguins were 2 for 4.
UP NEXT
Red Wings: Wrap up 2018-19 at home Saturday against Buffalo.
Penguins: Finish the regular season at home against the New York Rangers on Saturday.
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More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Ask the Commissioners covered alot of ground on Teleforum with Frank Sparks

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) This months episode of “Ask the Commissioners” on Teleforum with Frank Sparks on April 4, 2019 featured all three Beaver County Commissioners, Chairman Dan Camp, Tony Amadio and Sandie Egley.

Frank and the Commissioners covered many topics about Beaver County that have been in the news lately. The Commissioners also answered questions via telephone and Facebook Live from the citizens. The Facebook Live Stream of the show can be watched below by clicking on the play button….

Tune in again on May 2, 2019 at 9:10 a.m. for the next edition of “Ask the Commissioners” on 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA.

Ask the Commissioners  is being brought to you by

“The Best of Beaver County” with Jim Roddey talked about Arthritis

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) The Best of Beaver County is easy to discover; it’s right on your radio!  Tune in every Thursday from 11 to 11:30 am  for “the Best of Beaver County”,  on WBVP and WMBA presented by St. Barnabas. The show is hosted by Jim Roddey and is dedicated to shining light on the great things going on right here in your neighborhood, and the people that are making it happen.  This week’s show we enjoyed conversation and insight with Diane White from the Arthritis Foundation and Karen Juliano, Director of Rehabilitation Services for St. Barnabas.

You can watch the entire interview as it streamed live on WBVP/WMBA’s Facebook Page by pressing the play button below……..

The radio broadcast will be replayed each week from 11:30 am to Noon on Sundays on Beaver County Radio. Tune in next week at 11:00 a.m. as Jim will be welcoming in two more of  the “Best in Beaver County”  guests presented by St. Barnabas.

Click on the logo below if you would like more info on St. Barnabas….

 

 

 

Joe Biden: ‘I Get It’; Vows To ‘Be More Mindful About Respecting Personal Space’ In The Future

Former Vice President Joe Biden is acknowledging his past behavior with women has made some people uncomfortable following complaints over the past week that he touched some without their consent. In a video posted Wednesday on Twitter, Biden says, “I will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.” He did not directly apologize but seemed to be seeking to ease some people’s discomfort. Biden is considering a 2020 Democratic presidential bid.

NY Times: Some Members Of Robert Mueller’s Team Not Satisfied With Attorney General Barr’s Summary Of Report

Some members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team reportedly said Attorney General William Barr left key details and information out of his summary regarding the Russia report that painted a more damaging picture of President Donald Trump than what has been made public, according to a new report. The New York Times reported Wednesday that some of the people who worked with Mueller — a team that included 19 lawyers, 40 FBI agents, and other people in support roles — have told associates that Barr’s initial summary clearing Trump of wrongdoing was not complete enough. The Times cited government officials and other people who are familiar with the matter.

Rev. Al Sharpton Worries That Democratic Presidential Candidates Aren’t Paying Enough Attention To Black Voters

Some activists are expressing frustration over the lack of attention Democratic presidential hopefuls are giving to overhauling the nation’s criminal justice system. They worry the relative silence on issues like mass incarceration and police reform signals that candidates won’t pay enough attention to voters of color. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who’s hosting a social justice convention in New York this week, says candidates are going to have to deal with such issues.

Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints To Repeal Rules Making Gay Marriage A Sin

A religious scholar says the decision by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to repeal rules banning baptisms for children of gay parents and making gay marriage a sin eligible for expulsion marks a complete reset for the faith on LGBTQ issues. Patrick Mason of Claremont Graduate University in California says the policy unveiled in 2015 was deeply unpopular among members of the faith. He also says the policy hurt the church’s image.

New Catholic Archbishop Of D.C. Vows To ‘Rebuild Your Trust’

Archbishop Wilton Gregory is promising Catholics he will “rebuild your trust” after Pope Francis named him the new archbishop of Washington, D.C.. the archdiocese that has become the epicenter of the clergy sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Gregory, the archbishop of Atlanta, is a moderate and the first African American to lead the Washington archdiocese. He replaces Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned last year after a Pennsylvania grand jury accused him of covering up the abuse.