Category: News

Ryan O’Hearn hits a grand slam on his 33rd birthday to lead Pirates to 8-7 victory over Cubs

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ryan O’Hearn (29) celebrates with Esmerlyn Valdez (55) and Bryan Reynolds, right, after hitting a grand slam off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn hit a grand slam on his 33rd birthday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Sunday to avoid being swept in the three-game series.

The Cubs nearly erased a six-run deficit. Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run home run with one out in the ninth inning to make it a one-run game, but Mason Montgomery held on for his second save.

O’Hearn’s blast to center field in the third inning extended the Pirates’ lead to 7-1. That came an inning after a pair of rookies homered, with Esmerlyn Valdez hitting a leadoff shot and Shawn Ross hitting a two-run blast for his first career home run.

It was the fourth career grand slam for O’Hearn and second this season. His 17 home runs match the nine-year veteran’s career high.

Valdez has 14 home runs in just 37 games. Ross, a catcher, was making his first career start after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

All three home runs came off Jameson Taillon (2-6), who has given up 25 longballs in just 76 innings this season. Taillon lasted four innings, was charged with seven runs on six hits and is winless in his last nine starts.

Braxton Ashcraft (10-4) pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Brandon Lowe had three of the Pirates’ 11 hits while Valdez and Nick Gonzales had two each. The Cubs got two hits apiece from Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, rookie Pedro Ramirez and Dansby Swanson.

Up next

Cubs: Open a four-game series in St. Louis on Monday night with LHP David Peterson (5-7, 5.97 ERA) starting.

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (6-7, 4.90) pitches against Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (8-8, 5.12) on Monday night in the opener of a three-game home series.

Woman taken into custody after driving recklessly near Wawro’s Bar in Aliquippa

(File Photo of Handcuffs)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) Aliquippa Police officers conducted a traffic stop yesterday at approximately 12:53 a.m. after they observed a vehicle exit the parking lot of Wawro’s Bar on Franklin Avenue at a rate of speed that was high, pulling out in front of vehicles that had the right-of-way and driving recklessly.

Officers recovered a loaded revolver from inside the vehicle during the stop.  

Twenty-seven-year-old Shiona Qushar Gilbert was taken into custody after officers determined that she had active bench warrants and was in possession of a firearm despite the fact that she was legally prohibited from possessing one. 

Gilbert faces felony charges of persons not to possess a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license.

She was put in the Beaver County Jail. 

Route 65 Overnight Utility Work Begins Monday in Conway

(File Photo: Caption for Photo: PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that overnight utility work on the Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) in Conway Borough will begin tonight, weather permitting.

From 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. each weeknight through mid-November starting tonight, single-lane restrictions controlled by flaggers will occur in both directions of Route 65 between Crows Run Road and 1st Avenue.

Gas line work for Columbia Gas will be conducted by crews from Team Fishel.  

Officials: Parkway East to officially reopen today

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Alexandra Wimley/ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to PennDOT officials, the Parkway East will officially reopen today. 

This announcement comes as workers early last week successfully replaced the Commercial Street Bridge outside of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.

The opening is ahead of the anticipated scheduled opening date of August 3rd.

A replacement project for the Commercial Street Bridge caused the closure and July 20th was when the bridge was fully moved into place. I-376 was closed to traffic on July 10th. 

Large crowd gathers outside of Warwo’s Bar in Aliquippa, some cause disorderly behavior

(File Photo of a City of Aliquippa Police Department Car)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The Aliquippa Police Department was dispatched to Warwo’s Bar at approximately 1:22 a.m. yesterday for reports of fights occurring outside.

When officers arrived, they saw a very large crowd gathered in the Warwo’s Bar parking lot, the parking lot of Towne Towers, along Franklin Avenue, which included people in the road, and on some surrounding sidewalks.

Most of the crowd complied with the commands of officers to disperse and left without further incident.

However, a small group of the crowd was still being disorderly by creating unnecessary disturbances and refusing the repeated instructions of officers before eventually complying with them.

The incident was brought safely under control. 

Southbound Route 65 Inspection Activities Monday in Pittsburgh

(File Photo: Caption for Photo: PennDOT, PSP, PTC, Construction Industry Highlight National Work Zone Awareness Week)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) PennDOT District 11 announced that bridge inspection activities on southbound Route 65 in the City of Pittsburgh will occur today, weather permitting.  

From 9 A.M. to 3 P.M., bridge inspection activities on the Route 65 bridge over Chateau Street and Norfolk Southern rail lines will occur requiring the closure of the southbound Route 65 ramp to Beaver Avenue.  

Inspection activities will be conducted by crews from HDR, Inc. and the Sofis Rigging Company. 

According to a release from PennDOT District 11, here is the detour for this work: 

Posted Detour 

 Southbound Route 65 to Beaver Avenue 

  • From southbound Route 65, take the ramp to North 19 toward Marshall Avenue/Beaver Avenue 
  • Take the left-hand ramp to Marshall Avenue 
  • At the traffic signal, turn right to South 19 toward Downtown 
  • Take the ramp to Beaver Avenue 
  • End detour 

National blood crisis happening NOW: Immediate need for blood donations

(File Photo of the American Red Cross Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis for the second time in history.  Donors are needed immediately to help save lives of those that need blood. Type O blood is needed the most, even though all blood types are necessary for donations. Blood donations fell to a four-year summer low, which worsens the emergency blood shortage this season. All who donate by July 31 will receive a Fandango Movie Ticket by email that is up to $15 ticket price and fees as a thank you. Those who come to give in the month of August will receive a Amazon Gift Card worth $20 by email.

According to a release from the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania, here are ways that you can donate blood and the upcoming Beaver County dates, times and locations to do so:

You can book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org by clicking here or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Beaver County locations for upcoming blood donations
July 29, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: American Red Cross, 133 Friendship Cir., Beaver
July 31, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.: American Red Cross, 133 Friendship Cir., Beaver
August 4, 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Baden American Legion, 271 State St., Baden
August 7, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: First United Methodist Church of Aliquippa, 2816 Brodhead Rd., Aliquippa
August 10, 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Chippewa Township Fire Department, 2568 Darlington Rd., Beaver Falls
August 12, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.: American Red Cross, 133 Friendship Cir., Beaver
August 13, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Old Economy Village Visitor’s Center, 270 16th St., Ambridge

Crow-Armstrong powers the Cubs to an 11-0 rout of the Pirates

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) and Miguel Amaya (9) celebrate after scoring on a single by Seiya Suzuki off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 11-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Shota Imanaga (7-8) held Pittsburgh to four hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one.

Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (9-9), who had allowed five runs in 18 1/3 innings to win his previous three starts, struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings but gave up five earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Crow-Armstong, who was a triple short of the cycle, had an extra-base hit in three straight innings, capped by a two-run homer over the wall in right off Ron Marinaccio to give Chicago a 10-run lead in the seventh inning. It was his 23rd of the season.

He also had a single in the first and an RBI double in the fifth off Skenes, and a double off Isaac Mattson in the sixth.

The Cubs struck out nine times against Skenes through the first four innings before solving him for three runs in the fifth. Crow-Armstrong sent a 2-2 changeup to the center field wall, driving in Dansby Swanson. Then, with the infield in and two runners in scoring position, Seiya Suzuki dropped a single into right field over first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

Chicago scored five more in the sixth, chasing Skenes with one out after Nico Hoerner singled and Pedro Ramírez walked. Swanson lined an RBI double to left and Miguel Amaya drove in two more with a single. Michael Busch also hit a two-run single.

Jake Mangum was the only Pirates batter to reach second base against Imanaga, sending a sharp single past the glove of third baseman Alex Bregman for the first Pittsburgh hit with two outs in the third and taking second on a throwing error by Swanson.

Up next

Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-4, 3.95 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.38).

Dansby Swanson’s two-out single in the 10th inning, Boyd’s strong outing lift Cubs over Pirates 3-2

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Chicago Cubs’ Dansby Swanson singles off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Yohan Ramírez, driving in a run, during the tenth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, July 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single and Seiya Suzuki drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning as the Chicago Cubs held on for a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

Swanson’s single scored automatic runner Ian Happ, who barely beat center fielder Jake Mangum’s throw to make it 2-1. The call was upheld after a video review.

Suzuki’s walk came off Yohan Ramírez (6-3).

Gavin Holliwell allowed a run on Nick Gonzales’ groundout in the bottom of the 10th but hung on for his first save. Caleb Thielbar (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the fifth inning on back-to-back walks to Marcel Ozuna and Brandon Lowe and consecutive infield singles by Jared Triolo and Henry Davis.

Pittsburgh had the bases loaded with none out, but Matthew Boyd escaped the jam.

Pete Crow-Armstong tied it at 1-1 in the sixth when he hit his 22nd home run of the season into the right-field stands off Jared Jones. Left fielder Happ helped to keep the score 1-1 in the seventh when he threw out Davis at home for an inning-ending double play.

Crow-Armstrong also doubled in the third.

Boyd surrendered only one run in seven innings despite giving up seven hits and three walks. The left-hander did not factor in the decision, but his six-game winning streak stayed intact.

Jones pitched one-run ball over six innings, allowing two hits, striking out five and walking one. In his last four starts, Jones has given up three runs in 21 innings.

Up next

Cubs LHP Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) faces RHP Paul Skenes (9-8, 3.43) on Saturday night.

High Friction Surface Treatment Work On Pa. 65 Next Friday

(File Photo)

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is announcing lane restrictions for high friction surface treatment (HFST) work in Beaver and Lawrence counties have been extended.

The following restrictions will occur according to the schedule listed below:

Friday, July 24 from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM

  • Southbound Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) will have single-lane mobile restrictions at the intersection with Crows Run Road in Freedom Borough, Beaver County.

The work listed above will shift to the next night if inclement weather occurs.

Ram Construction Services will conduct the work.

HFST is an innovative technique to improve the safety of drivers at high-priority crash locations throughout the commonwealth. Road surfaces become polished in areas where drivers brake often, like going around curves, down steep roads, or at an intersection. This makes vehicles skid more because there is less friction between the tires and the road surface. Wet road surfaces can also reduce pavement friction and cause skidding or hydroplaning.

HFST is added to the top of a road surface, using materials, such as bauxite, to create more friction on pavement. These materials, called aggregates, are high quality and are less likely to wear down than normal pavement. Having greater friction helps to keep vehicles in their lane on slippery pavement around curves and helps the driver to stop.

Please use caution if traveling through the area. Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Travelers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.pa.gov/DOTprojects. Subscribe to PennDOT news and find transportation results in Allegheny, Beaver, and Lawrence counties at www.pa.gov/DOTdistrict11.

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