Alex Bregman hits his 25th homer and the Cubs pound the Pirates 12-2 to end their 4-game skid

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Seiya Suzuki, left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bregman hit his 25th homer and doubled among three hits, Shota Imanaga tossed six effective innings and the Chicago Cubs pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-2 on Friday to end a four-game slide.

Seiya Suzuki had three hits, including a wind-blown triple, scored three runs and drove in one as the Cubs finished with 16 hits against three Pittsburgh pitchers and ended the Pirates’ four-game winning streak. Chicago remains well behind NL Central-leading Milwaukee but is in position for a wild card.

Michael Busch doubled and had three RBIs, and Carson Kelly doubled in a pair of runs. All of Chicago’s starters had at least one hit, and five finished with two or more.

Bregman went deep in the fourth inning, a two-run shot off Khristian Curtis that made it 9-1.

Imanaga (10-10) allowed two runs on five hits in a second straight solid start and win. The left-hander struck out four and walked two.

Bryan Reynolds hit a solo shot for Pittsburgh, which came in having won 9 of 11 to climb back above .500. Rookie Konnor Griffin tripled among two hits.

Pirates rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez left in the sixth inning with left hamstring discomfort after running to first on a groundout.

The Cubs made it 3-1 in the second off Pirates opener Wilber Dotel (1-5). After Chicago loaded the bases, Michael Conforto’s sac fly tied it at 1 and Kelly’s double plated two more.

Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.83 ERA) faces Cubs RHP Clay Holmes (6-7, 2.83) on Saturday.

Scores From Across the Valley: 09/11/26

Friday- September 11, 2026:

 

 

 

          Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game 

Jeanette
New Brighton

28
14   Final
     
OLSH
Blackhawk
12
43  Final
Aliquippa
Seton LaSalle
0
28  Final
Beaver Falls
Cornell
32
6 Final
Central Valley
Shaler
34
17   Final
Ellwood City
Avonworth
6
55   Final
Freedom
Deer Lakes
55
48 Final
Highlands
Beaver
31
35  Final
Gateway
West Allegheny
10
49  Final
Knoch
Ambridge
34
7   Final
North Catholic
New Castle
7
43   Final
Riverview
Riverside
6
40     Final
Southside
Neshannock
29
48     Final
Rochester
Burgettstown
0
37    Final
Valley
Quaker Valley
41
0     Final
Western Beaver
Steel Valley
07
14     Final
Summit Academy
Sto Rox
0
74     Final
Hopewell
Imani Christian
21
28     Final

Route 65 Mercer Road Utility Work Continues Monday in North Sewickley Township

(File Photo of a Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that utility work on Route 65 (Mercer Road) in North Sewickley Township will continue on Monday, September 14th weather permitting.

From 8 A.M. to 4 P.M. weekdays, as needed, through late December, single-lane alternating traffic controlled by flaggers will occur in both directions of Route 65 between Hill Crest Court and just south of Pantherette Lane.

Gas line work for Columbia Gas will be conducted by crews from Team Fishel and they will coordinate their operations with an adjacent PennDOT project occurring.

Route 65 Bridge over Connoquenessing Creek Replacement Begins September 21st in Beaver County

(File Photo of a Road Work Ahead Sign)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that a 33-day closure of the Route 65 bridge over the Connoquenessing Creek in North Sewickley and Franklin townships will begin on Monday, September 21st, weather permitting.

From 6 A.M. on Monday, September 21st through 6 A.M. on Saturday, October 24th, a full closure and detour of Route 65 between Country Club Road and Mercer Road (Route 1006) will occur around-the-clock.

Crews from Swank Construction Company will complete the demolition of the existing structure and they will use accelerated bridge construction techniques to install the new precast modular concrete structure.

All traffic will be detoured, and the detours, according to a release from PennDOT District 11 can be found below:

Car detour

South of the closure

  • From Route 65 take Chapel Drive
  • Turn left onto Celia Road
  • Turn left onto Shadyrest Road
  • Turn left onto Route 288
  • Continue to intersection with Route 65/River Road
  • End detour

North of the closure

  • Same detour in the opposite direction

Truck detour

Trucks from south of the closure to north of the closure

  • From northbound Route 65, turn left onto Route 588
  • Turn right onto the Eastvale Bridge and cross over the Beaver River
  • Turn right onto north Route 18
  • Turn right onto eastbound Route 351
  • Turn left to continue on eastbound Route 351
  • Turn left onto Fifth Street
  • End detour at intersection with Route 65/Route 288

Trucks from north of the closure to south of the closure

  • From Route 288 continue past southbound Route 65
  • Turn left onto Fountain Avenue
  • Turn left onto Fifth Street
  • Turn right onto Spring Avenue
  • Turn left onto 6th Street
  • Turn right onto Beaver Avenue
  • Turn left onto 8th Street
  • Turn right onto Lawrence Avenue/westbound Route 351
  • Turn right to stay on Route 351/Arthur Street
  • Turn left onto southbound Route 18
  • Turn left onto eastbound Route 588 across the Eastvale Bridge
  • Continue to the intersection with Route 65
  • End detour

Pirates put All-Star starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft on the 15-day injured list with right arm discomfort

(Caption and Credit for Photo: Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft walks to the dugout with catcher Shawn Ross before a game against the Cubs on July 26 at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner | TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates put All-Star starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft on the 15-day injured list yesterday because he has right arm discomfort. 

The move is retroactive to Monday. 

The Pirates recalled right-handed pitcher Antwone Kelly from Triple-A Indianapolis in a corresponding move. 

According to Pirates manager Don Kelly, Ashcraft’s arm discomfort popped up after his most recent start on Saturday, when a game took place between the Pirates and the Los Angeles Angels at PNC Park.

Kelly also stated on a recent edition of the SportsNet Pittsburgh pregame show that there does not appear to be any structural damage to Ashcraft’s arm, but more tests will be conducted.

Ashcraft’s 2026 statistics include an ERA of 3.70, a record of 14-6 and 173 strikeouts.

Jones, Cruz power the Pirates to a 2-0 win over the White Sox

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CHICAGO (AP) — Jared Jones pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, Oneil Cruz added a solo home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Thursday night to complete a three-game series sweep.

The White Sox had just two hits in losing for the eighth time in 11 games. Chicago’s AL Central lead over idle Cleveland slipped to 1 1/2 games.

Jones (4-6), making his 40th career start, allowed leadoff walks in the third and fourth innings and carried a no-hit bid into the seventh, when Colson Montgomery shut down the bid with a two-out double.

Jones finished the inning, matching his longest career outing, and finished with eight strikeouts. Luke Weaver worked a clean eighth and Mason Montgomery came on to record his 12th save for the Pirates, who’ve won four straight and nine of 11.

Cruz homered to deep center in the fourth off Erick Fedde (8-9) and tagged him for a second earned run when he singled to knock in Jared Triolo in the eighth.

Chicago’s Miguel Vargas got to third after stealing second and advancing on a throwing error in the fourth, but stayed there after Jones induced three straight flyouts.

Fedde, who took over one batter into the third for opener Hagen Smith, gave up four hits and a walk while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.

The Pirates were seeking the club’s seventh no-hitter. Francisco Cordova and Ricardo Rincon last accomplished the feat July 12, 1997, against Houston. John Candelaria had Pittsburgh’s last solo no-hitter on Aug. 9, 1976, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Up next

The Pirates’ projected starter for their Friday afternoon game against the Chicago Cubs is RHP Wilber Dotel (1-4, 4.41 ERA). Chicago’s LHP Shota Imanaga (9-10, 3.91 ERA) will start the series opener.

White Sox LHP Anthony Kay (9-8, 4.47 ERA) faces Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (5-13, 5.57) in the opener at St. Louis Friday night.

PUC Approves Joint Settlement with Columbia Gas for Past Pipeline Safety Violations in Southwest PA

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a joint settlement yesterday with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. (Columbia Gas) that is related to past pipeline safety violations while completing main line replacement projects that are in Southwest Pennsylvania.

The PUC voted 5-0 to adopt the recommended decision of PUC Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey A. Watson, which recommended approval of a joint petition for approval of settlement filed on March 14th, 2025, between Columbia Gas and the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E).

Yesterday’s action resolves a formal that was filed by the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement on November 21st, 2023, alleging that in 2019 and 2020 Columbia Gas and its contractor, Infrasource, violated state and federal regulations relating to visually unacceptable socket fusions along multiple main line replacement projects in Allegheny and Washington counties.

Gas service line fusion is a method of joining plastic polyethylene (PE) gas pipes that is permanent, and it uses controlled heat to melt and blend the materials into a single, continuous piece. 

PUC Moves to Address Data Center Impacts on Electric Reliability and Consumer Costs

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) took steps yesterday to examine the emergency load control procedures in Pennsylvania and the allocation of costs that are associated with large computational loads as rapid data center development adds significant new demand to the regional electric grid.

The PUC approved a motion by Vice Chair Kimberly Barrow by a vote of 5-0 to direct PUC staff to develop proposed updates to the emergency electric load control regulations in Pennsylvania, which includes greater clarity regarding the criteria, circumstances and order under which customers may be curtailed during emergency and pre-emergency conditions. 

Matzie: Nearly $10,000 secured to support Beaver County historical society

(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) State Representative Rob Matzie announced yesterday that new grant funding of $9,500 from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) will support the operations of the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation.

According to Matzie, the funding will ensure the foundation can continue critical preservation work and educational programs and exhibits.

Matzie also confirmed that in addition to the funding to this foundation, PHMC awarded eight grants totaling $342,000 to museums and historical centers in Allegheny County.

The 2026-27 Cultural and Historical Support Grant program was the program that awarded the funding. 

Grenade launcher and guns among items seized during a drug raid at an Aliquippa residence

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, Posted on Facebook on September 10th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) Drugs and several weapons were seized during a raid yesterday in Beaver County. 

According to information shared by Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible’s office, members of the Drug Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement served a search warrant at a residence in Aliquippa. 

They found an ounce of cocaine and an ounce of marijuana inside the residence. 

Authorities also reported that a grenade launcher, three guns and $1,000 in cash was found in the house as well.