PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Naylor homered twice, including a three-run shot that keyed a five-run first inning against All-Star Mitch Keller, and drove in six runs and the Cleveland Guardians rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Naylor’s first homer gave the Guardians a 4-0 lead with none out in the first inning after Keller had thrown just seven pitches. Keller was making his first appearance since pitching one inning in last week’s All-Star Game in Seattle.

“It’s good to set the tone,” Naylor said. “Our offense was great all day today.”

In the ninth, Naylor connected again for a two-run blast, his 15th of the season, off Yohan Ramirez. In 22 games since June 18, the 26-year-old Naylor is hitting .396 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 22 games and seems to be emerging as a star after going deep 20 times last season.

“I think we always hoped he’d be a middle-of-the-order bat,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “When you start to see it, it’s exciting.”

Steven Kwan led off the game with a double and scored on Amed Rosario’s single. After Jose Ramirez singled, Naylor hit his blast to right-center.

Myles Straw capped the first-inning outburst with an RBI single. The Guardians have won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 21-1 after being swept in three games at AL West-leading Texas over the weekend.

Rookie left-hander Logan Allen (4-2) pitched five scoreless innings of one-hit ball after being recalled from Triple-A Columbus prior to the game. The lone hit was a one-out single in the fifth inning by Jared Triolo, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

“I was just attacking guys, trusting more of my stuff on the plate,” Allen said. “I was able to land some off-speed (pitches) and think that really helped because I started getting ahead of guys a little bit better. We got the big lead and I just wanted to get our guys back in the dugout to try to score some more runs.”

Allen struck out eight and walked one.

Keller (9-5) was tagged for eight runs and 10 hits in six innings.

“Every once in a while, something like that happens,” Francona said. “He didn’t get a chance to settle in. He’s good and he will continue to be good, and he stayed out there for a long time and sucked up some innings for them.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton agreed when he was asked if Keller got ambushed.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good word,” Shelton said. “They came out really aggressive and he didn’t come out extremely sharp and left some balls right in the middle of the plate, and they didn’t miss them.”

Josh Bell hit a two-run homer in the third, his 10th of the year. Naylor drove in another run with a ground out in the fourth to push the lead to 8-0.

Andres Gimenez had three of the Guardians’ 13 hits. Cleveland began the night in second place in the AL Central, 1 ½ games behind Minnesota.

Connor Joe’s solo homer in the sixth inning off Eli Morgan accounted for the Pirates’ lone run. Pittsburgh has lost five straight games since the All-Star break and is 2-12 in July.

WARREN, Pa. (AP) — A county prosecutor in Pennsylvania said Tuesday that he has asked the state attorney general’s office to take over the investigation surrounding a homicide suspect’s escape because of the possibility that jail staff might be charged with criminal negligence.

Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene said reports from the Warren city police investigation included information that “could possibly implicate” inmates and staff at the county jail as well as others in the July 6 escape of Michael Burham, 34. He was recaptured Saturday after a barking dog alerted a couple to his presence on their property.

Greene said he has seen nothing to indicate staff members participated or were complicit in the escape in which authorities say Burham climbed on exercise equipment, went through a window and scaled down a rope fashioned from jail bedding. But Green said staff could face criminal charges “if they were negligent in their duties to make sure Burham or other inmates did not escape.”

Greene said because he considers many jail staff in the small county his friends, and because he’s on the prison board, he asked the attorney general’s office to take over the escape case against Burham and any related case brought against anyone else.

Greene, who earlier also sought a state corrections department investigation, said he was “floored” at the idea of staff having some culpability. He also said he is “livid” about the negative attention the case had brought to the area. He added, however, that he didn’t believe there would be a problem with continued operations at the jail, emphasizing that his concerns involved only “negligence issues, complacency issues.”

“I can’t imagine, for the life of me, that any of those jail guards that might be under investigation at this point wouldn’t be straightening themselves up,” he said.

Greene acknowledged having potential suspects in mind but declined to say who or how many. He also declined to comment on whether anyone knew about Burham collecting sheets for his escape, saying it would be “an issue” in the attorney general’s investigation.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt, of Chautauqua County, New York, said in June that Burham was the prime suspect in the May 11 killing of Kala Hodgkin, 34, and a related arson in Jamestown, New York. Authorities also accuse him of abducting an older couple in Pennsylvania while trying to evade capture before his arrest in South Carolina. New York officials said they opted to let Pennsylvania handle the initial prosecution as they probe the killing and arson.

Greene said he will continue to handle the Pennsylvania kidnapping and burglary case that Burham was being held on.

Greene’s remarks came during the Crime Stoppers presentation of a $2,000 reward check to “Tucker the dog” and his owners, Ron and Cindy Ecklund, for their role in the recapture of Burham. Tucker, oblivious to the ceremony, barked as he tried several times to get Ron Ecklund to throw a new tennis ball for him to chase.

Cindy Ecklund said she and her husband recognized Burham as soon as they encountered him at the rear of their property. They tried to calmly but quickly withdraw in a golf cart they were using while calling 911. She said their dog not only alerted them to Burham’s presence but his aggressive barking once they encountered him likely intimidated the escapee.

“I think he was a little afraid of what Tucker might do,” she said.

Burham fled but was captured less than two hours later, looking wet, dirty and “worn-out,” police said.

The hero dog was sporting a new collar Tuesday and had a bucket of tennis balls, a few new toys, some treats from a well-wisher and a coupon for a spa day. And, “there is a ribeye steak in the fridge waiting for him after all this is over,” Ecklund said.

“He was protecting us, and you can’t ask for a better best friend than that,” she said.

FILE – A maintenance worker walks on the side of a locomotive in the Union Pacific Railroad fueling yard in north Denver, Oct. 18, 2006. Union Pacific will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when the railroad tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska and Colorado. UP’s Jason Pinder confirmed the pilot program Monday, July 17, 2023, when he testified against a proposed Kansas rule that would require two-person crews. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when the railroad tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska and Colorado. Union Pacific will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but railroad officials believe this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful. A UP executive confirmed the plan Monday when he testified against a proposed Kansas rule that would require two-person crews. All the rail unions have long opposed cutting train crews down to one because of safety concerns, but the conductors’ union agreed to let Union Pacific test this idea.

Yardley Makefield Marine Rescue leaving the Yardley Boat Ramp along N. River Road heading down the Delaware River on Monday morning July 17, 2023, in Yardley, Pa. Search and rescue units are looking for two lost children caught in flood waters Saturday. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — The search for a missing 2-year-old girl and her 9-month-old brother who were swept away from their car during flash flooding over the weekend carried into a fourth day. Upper Makefield Township police in a social media post thanked the countless volunteers who’ve come forward to assist but say their assistance isn’t necessary. Some 100 officials along with drones and cadaver dogs have combed the area near the creek that drains into the Delaware River. A news conference is set for Tuesday afternoon.

HARRISBURG, PA:  The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported today that the combined total revenue generated from all forms of gaming, along with fantasy contests, during June 2023 was $440,491,675, an increase of 13% compared to revenue generated in June 2022.

 

Sources of gaming revenue regulated by the PGCB include slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs). The PGCB has posted separate reports for these types of gaming on its website, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/.

 

(New Brighton, PA) As repair work continues on State Route 65, PennDOT District 11 is announcing overnight operations in New Brighton Borough and Daugherty Township.  Beginning on Monday, July 31, roadway improvement work will occur between the hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00 AM on State Route 65 from Fifth Avenue in New Brighton Borough to North Avenue in Daugherty Township.

Residents and motorists should expect parking restrictions in the construction areas.  Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when traveling and to obey all posted traffic signs for the safety of those working on the roads.

Story by Sandy Giordano – Beaver County Radio. Published July 18, 2023 10:45 A.M.

(Center Township, PA) Supervisor’s chairman Bill DiCioccio, Jr. reported that the planning commission approved the application and the township is to make a decision that will be rendered at the Monday, August  21, 2023 regular meeting which begins at 7 p.m.
The proposed auto rental agency will be next to the Beaver Valley Auto Mall located at the Beaver Valley Mall ,DiCiccio, said.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing westbound ramp closures on Route 3014 (McKees Rocks Bridge) in McKees Rocks Borough, Allegheny County will begin next Monday, July 24 weather permitting.

Starting at 7 a.m. next Monday, a full closure of the westbound McKees Rocks Bridge off-ramp to Helen Street will occur through early October. Additionally, beginning Monday, July 31 a full closure of the westbound McKees Rocks Bridge on-ramp from Helen Street will occur through early September. Crews will perform work to replace the pavement on each ramp. A single lane of traffic will be maintained on the bridge.

Traffic on the closed ramps will be detoured.

Posted Detour
Route 65 to Helen Street

• From the intersection of Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) and the McKees Rocks Bridge, continue southbound on Route 65
• Take the ramp to Route 19/Route 51/West End Bridge
• Turn right onto northbound Route 51 (West Carson Street)
• Turn left on Stanhope Street
• Turn right on Linden Street
• Turn right on Route 51 (Island Avenue)
• Turn right onto the McKees Rocks Bridge
• Take the off-ramp to Helen Street
• End Detour

Helen Street to Route 51

• From Helen Street, take the ramp to McKees Rocks Bridge towards Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard)
• Turn right onto southbound Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard)

• Take the ramp to Route 19/Route 51/West End Bridge
• Turn right onto northbound Route 51 (West Carson Street)
• Turn left on Stanhope Street
• Turn right on Linden Street
• Turn right on Route 51 (Island Avenue)

• Continue following Route 51 (Island Avenue) to the McKees Rocks Bridge
• End Detour

The portion of the westbound pedestrian sidewalk between Helen Street and Route 51 (Island Avenue) will be open, however the previously closed section between Helen Street and Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) will remained closed.

Phase 2 of the $22.4 million McKees Rocks Bridge preservation project extends between Route 51 (Island Avenue) and Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) and includes sidewalk repairs and replacement, full-depth concrete pavement reconstruction of the road and four ramps at Helen Street, ADA curb ramp installation, approach pavement work at intersections of Routes 65 and 51, barrier repair, deck overhang and spall repair, fencing installation, and other miscellaneous construction. As work occurs, traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction, with occasional truck and turning-lane detours occurring at the West End Bridge as needed. The overall project is anticipated to conclude in the fall of 2025.

The Brayman Construction Corporation and Advantage Steel and Construction, LLC are the prime contractor.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the McKees Rocks Bridge preservation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to ymanyisha@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – McKees Rocks Bridge” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District11.

Information about infrastructure in District 11, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D11Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

Gas prices are two cents higher in Western Pennsylvania this week at $3.643 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average                      $3.643
Average price during the week of July 10, 2023                                                $3.623
Average price during the week of July 18, 2022                                                $4.737

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:      

$3.695      Altoona
$3.713      Beaver
$3.699      Bradford
$3.602      Brookville
$3.654      Butler
$3.655      Clarion
$3.596      DuBois
$3.656      Erie
$3.656      Greensburg
$3.695      Indiana
$3.582      Jeannette
$3.673      Kittanning
$3.654      Latrobe
$3.608      Meadville
$3.689      Mercer
$3.524      New Castle
$3.654      New Kensington
$3.693      Oil City
$3.668      Pittsburgh
$3.575      Sharon
$3.549      Uniontown
$3.699      Warren
$3.604      Washington

Trend Analysis:

Despite a notable cratering in gas demand in the days since the July Fourth holiday, pump prices crept higher over the past week in most of the country. Today’s national average of $3.565 is two cents more than a week ago, one cent less than a month ago and 97 cents lower than a year ago.

The main culprit is a higher price for oil, which moved from the upper $60s per barrel recently to the mid-$70s. Oil prices have increased partly due to rising market optimism that fewer interest rate hikes may be on the horizon. At the close of last Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI increased by 92 cents to settle at $75.75.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased significantly from 9.6 to 8.76 million b/d last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks stayed flat at 219.5 million barrels. Although lower gas demand typically pushes pump prices lower, rising oil prices have lifted them. If oil prices continue to rise, pump prices will likely follow suit.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at gasprices.aaa.com.