Category: Scores

High School Boys Basketball – Friday January 6, 2017

Quaker Valley – 78

Beaver Falls – 58

Rookie Jason Martin hits RBI double in 9th, Pirates stop Nationals 4-3

Martin hits RBI double in 9th, Pirates stop Nationals 4-3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Faced with the based loaded, two outs and one of baseball’s hottest hitters at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, there was nowhere Felipe Vázquez wanted to be more than on the mound at Nationals Park.
The Pittsburgh Pirates relief ace then coaxed a flyball from Anthony Rendon to cap a two-inning outing Sunday and preserve a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals.
“I like that excitement,” Vázquez said. “He’s a good hitter right now and he’s been hitting the ball everywhere. For me, that’s a challenge. I take every hitter like him as a challenge.”
Rookie Jason Martin’s ground-rule double in the ninth inning off Wander Suero (1-1) scored Josh Bell to provide the go-ahead run for the Pirates.
“I was trying to locate it a little differently,” Suero said of the curveball Martin hit. “I was trying to get it on the dirt for him to chase it. Unfortunately, I hung it just a little bit and he made contact.”
That set up Vázquez (1-0), who pitched a scoreless eighth, to finish out the victory. He loaded the bases on a single, a walk and Adam Eaton’s bunt single with one out, but struck out Howie Kendrick.
That brought up Rendon, who is hitting .400 with six homers in 55 at-bats. On the sixth pitch, Rendon lofted a fly to center to end the game and secure Pittsburgh’s first series victory at Nationals Park since 2013.
“I made my own jam, so I had to get out and I worked my way through,” Vázquez said.
Vázquez, who pitched parts of two seasons for Washington before he was dealt to Pittsburgh in 2016, blossomed into an All-Star last year. He has yet to allow a run in 8 2/3 innings this season.
“The guy is incredibly talented,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “When you see him at 100 on his 42nd pitch, and basically you saw the velocity trend up throughout the outing.”
“Just the focus, that competitive spirit, and you’re going against a guy with a 10-game streak of extra base hits and he got a hit earlier and the bases are loaded. It’s all good stuff, and he loves those situations,” he said.
Washington starter Max Scherzer allowed three runs and seven hits while working a season-high eight innings. He struck out seven. He gave way to Suero, who walked Bell to lead off the ninth and moved to second on Colin Moran’s grounder.
With two outs, Martin hit a ground-rule double to left for his second major league RBI.
“He got some big outs and then he just couldn’t finish that last pitch,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said.
The inning compounded Washington’s early-season relief woes. The Nationals entered the day with the worst bullpen ERA in the majors and it rose to 7.75.
Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings.
Rendon extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games with a single in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: OF Gregory Polanco (left shoulder) had two hits and drove in two runs Saturday in his first rehabilitation appearance at Triple-A Indianapolis. … RHP Dovydas Neverauskas (oblique strain) had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning Saturday for Indianapolis. He’s thrown three scoreless innings during three rehab appearances at Indianapolis and Class A Bradenton.
Nationals: Martinez said 1B Matt Adams, who twisted his ankle Saturday while stepping on Pittsburgh RHP Chris Archer’s foot, was available to play Sunday.
ARCHER DROPS APPEAL
Archer dropped his appeal and began serving a five-game suspension for setting off a benches-clearing altercation on April 7. Archer threw a fastball behind Cincinnati’s Derek Dietrich, who had stood and watched a long home run in his previous at-bat. Archer, who pitched seven innings Saturday against Washington, will make his next start April 21 at home against San Francisco.
UP NEXT
Pirates: Pittsburgh has Monday off. It begins a two-game series at Detroit on Tuesday as RHP Joe Musgrove (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts against the Tigers for the first time.
Nationals: After an off day Monday, RHP Stephen Strasburg (1-0, 5.40) starts Tuesday as Washington begins a three-game series at home against San Francisco.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tiger Woods wins the Masters

Tiger Woods makes Masters 15th and most improbable major
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Fallen hero, crippled star, and now a Masters champion again.
Tiger Woods rallied to win the Masters for the fifth time Sunday, a comeback that goes well beyond the two-shot deficit he erased before a delirious audience that watched memories turn into reality at Augusta National.
Woods had gone nearly 11 years since he won his last major, 14 years since that green jacket was slipped over his Sunday red shirt. He made it worth the wait, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory and setting off a scene of raw emotion.
He scooped up 10-year-old Charlie, born a year after Woods won his 14th major at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S Open. He hugged his mother and then his 11-year-old daughter Sam, and everyone else in his camp that stood by him through a public divorce, an embarrassing DUI arrest from a concoction of painkillers and four back surgeries, the most recent one just two years ago to fuse his lower spine.
“WOOOOOOO!!!” Woods screamed as he headed for the scoring room with chants of “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger” echoing as loud as any of the roars on the back nine at Augusta National.
“It’s overwhelming, just because of what has transpired,” Woods said in Butler Cabin. “Last year I was lucky to be playing again. At the previous year’s dinner, I was really struggling. I missed a couple of years not playing this great tournament. To now be the champion … 22 years between wins is a long time. It’s unreal to experience this.”
Woods lost his impeccable image to a sex scandal, one of the swiftest and most shocking downfalls in sport.
He lost his health to four back surgeries that left him unable to get out of bed, much less swing a club, and he went two years without even playing a major. It was two years ago at the Masters when Woods said he needed a nerve block just to walk to the Champions Dinner. At that time, he thought his career is over.
Now the comeback is truly complete.
He wrapped his arms around his father when he won his first green jacket in 1997, changing the world of golf.
“Now I’m the dad with two kids there,” he said.
He wanted his children to see him win, once saying they saw him only as a YouTube legend. They were at the British Open when he had the lead briefly. They couldn’t make it to East Lake last September, when he won the Tour Championship for his first victory in five years.
“I wasn’t going to let that happen to them twice,” he said. “To let them see what it’s like to have their dad win a major championship, I hope it’s something they’ll never forget.”
Woods won his 15th major, three short of the standard set by Jack Nicklaus. It was his 81st victory on the PGA Tour, one title away from the career record held by Sam Snead.
“A big ‘well done’ from me to Tiger,” Nicklaus tweeted. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is just fantastic!!!”
It was the first time Woods won a major when trailing going into the final round, and he needed some help from Francesco Molinari, the 54-hole leader who still was up two shots heading into the heart of Amen Corner.
And that’s when all hell broke loose at Augusta.
Molinari’s tee shot on the par-3 12th never had a chance, hitting the bank and tumbling into Rae’s Creek for double bogey. Until then, Molinari had never trailed in a round that began early in threesomes to finish ahead of storms.
And then it seemed as though practically everyone had a chance.
Six players had a share of the lead at some point on the back. With the final group still in the 15th fairway, there was a five-way tie for the lead. And that’s when Woods seized control, again with plenty of help.
Molinari’s third shot clipped a tree and plopped straight down in the water for another double bogey. Woods hit onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie for his first lead of the final round.
The knockout punch was a tee shot into the 16th that rode the slope just by the cup and settled 2 feet away for birdie and a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
Xander Schauffele failed to birdie the par-5 15th and scrambled for pars the rest of the way for a 68. Dustin Johnson made three straight birdies late in the round, but he got going too late and had to settle for a 68 and a return to No. 1 in the world.
Brooks Koepka, one of four players from the final two groups who hit into the water on No. 12, rallied with an eagle on the 13th, narrowly missed another eagle on the 15th and was the last player with a chance. His birdie putt on the 18th from just outside 10 feet never had a chance, and he had to settle for a 70.
“You want to play against the best to ever play,” Koepka said. “You want to go toe-to-toe with them. I can leave saying I gave it my all. He’s just good, man.”
Wood finished at 13-under 275 and became, at 43, the oldest Masters champion since Nicklaus won his sixth green jacket at 46 in 1986. That for years has stood as Augusta’s defining moment.
This was one is sure to at least rival it.
“This is definitely, probably one of the greatest comebacks I think anybody’s ever seen,” Koepka said, before rattling off Woods’ total PGA Tour victories and 15 majors.
Is the Nicklaus record back in play?
“I think 18 is a whole lot closer than people think,” Koepka said.
Koepka and Molinari both faced Tigermania in the majors and held their own, Molinari at Carnoustie to win the British Open, Koepka last summer at Bellerive to win the PGA Championship.
Molinari went 49 straight holes without a bogey, a streak that ended on the seventh hole. It was the double bogeys that cost him, and the Italian was gracious as ever in defeat.
“I think I made a few new fans today with those double bogeys,” he said.
___
For more AP golf coverage: https://apnews.com/apf-Golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Islanders top Penguins 4-1 to take 3-0 series lead

 

 

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The New York Islanders are on the cusp of just their second playoff series win in more than a quarter-century.

Jordan Eberle scored for the third straight game, Robin Lehner stopped 25 shots and the Islanders rolled to a 4-1 victory over the stunned Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

Brock Nelson added his second goal of the playoffs and Leo Komarov scored the first postseason goal of his career for the Islanders, who have pushed the star-laden Penguins to the brink of elimination.

Garrett Wilson scored Pittsburgh’s lone goal, a first-period deflection past Lehner that gave the Penguins just their second lead of the series.

It didn’t last. Eberle tied it 28 seconds later and Nelson’s wrist shot put New York in front to stay just 1:02 after Eberle’s third playoff goal in as many games.

Komarov’s third-period goal gave the Islanders more than enough breathing room, and Anders Lee put the Penguins away with an empty-net goal with 1:28 remaining.

Matt Murray finished with 32 saves for the Penguins, but Pittsburgh again struggled to generate any sort of offensive momentum against the Islanders. New York, which allowed an NHL-low 196 goals during the regular season, has surrendered just five in three games.

Pittsburgh needs a win in Game 4 on Tuesday to avoid being swept for the first time since the 2013 Eastern Conference finals against Boston.

If the Islanders felt any pressure while taking their first 2-0 postseason lead since the 1983 Stanley Cup final — when they completed their run of four straight championships by sweeping Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers — it didn’t show. Just as it did back home on Long Island, New York didn’t back down against the star-studded Penguins.

Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan downplayed the idea his team was “desperate” while facing a 2-0 deficit for the first time in his highly successful tenure. He still opted to tinker with his lines in search of a spark, elevating Dominik Simon to the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and putting Jared McCann — who sat out Game 2 with a lower-body injury — on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel.

Oddly, it was the fourth line that gave the Penguins an early lift when Garrett Wilson redirected a shot from the point by Marcus Pettersson past Lehner 12:54 into the first.

Yet the Islanders responded immediately. Eberle collected a pass from Ryan Pulock just above the goal line and flipped a shot short side over Murray’s right shoulder to tie it at 13:22. All of 62 seconds later, the Islanders were in front again when Nelson finished off a 2-on-1 by zipping the puck over Murray’s right arm.

Lehner made sure it was enough. Always seemingly in the right position, the 27-year-old never looked rattled. At one point he head-butted a loose puck out of danger, and New York’s aggressive forecheck and responsible play in its own end made sure he didn’t have to work too hard.

When Komarov’s score 10:27 into the third extended the lead to two, the Islanders were firmly in control and Pittsburgh’s postseason appearance inched closer to being the shortest of its 13-year run.

Scoring Updates: Penguins vs. Islanders Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

 

 

 First Second Final 
Pittsburgh Penguins

111
New York Islanders224
GoalsPenguins:
Garrett Wilson (12:54)

Islanders:
Jordan Eberle (13:22)
Brock Nelson (14:24)		Islanders:
Leo Komarov (10:27)
Anders Lee (18:32)

 

Rodriguez gives up back to back homers late and the Bucs lose 3-2.

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.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Moran hits pinch-hit, 3-run homer as Pirates top Nats 6-3

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.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Eberle, Bailey help Islanders beat Penguins 3-1 in Game 2

 

 

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.

Scoring Updates: Penguins vs. Islanders Friday, April 12, 2019 at 7:30 pm.

 

 

 First Second Final 
Pittsburgh Penguins

011
New York Islanders013
GoalsIslanders:
Anthony Beauvillier

Penguins:
Erik Gudbranson		Islanders:
Josh Bailey
Jordan Eberle

Quintana strikes out 11 in 7 innings, Cubs beat Pirate 2-0

Quintana strikes out 11 in 7 innings, Cubs beat Pirate 2-0
By JOHN JACKSON Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — The Cubs were in need of a strong outing by a starter, and Jose Quintana delivered.
The left-hander struck out 11 in seven innings of four-hit ball as Chicago blanked the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Thursday night.
Quintana (1-1) bounced back after being roughed up for eight runs and eight hits in three innings against Milwaukee during his first start of the season last Friday. It was the longest outing by a Chicago starter this season.
“That’s as good as we’ve seen him,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That was dominant. Strikeouts, strike throwing. Everything was working.
“He was outstanding, and we needed that.”
Daniel Descalso and Victor Caratini each had two hits and an RBI in a game that was delayed 69 minutes by rain before the eighth inning.
Caratini left after the delay and X-rays indicate the backup catcher might have a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He believes he was injured on a swing, and a CT scan is scheduled for Friday.
“It’s definitely frustrating, especially because I started out the season the way I wanted to,” Caratini said through a translator.
Steve Cishek pitched the eighth and Pedro Strop got three outs for his first save. The Cubs took two of three in their first home series after opening with a 2-7 road trip.
Pirates starter Joe Musgrove (1-1) allowed two unearned runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings.
“I think the biggest downfall for me was that third time around the lineup, getting behind a lot of hitters,” Musgrove said. “You get behind guys like that, especially the third time around, they know what I like to go to, what’s working for me all game long, so I’m kind of exposed a little bit.”
Because of severe storms predicted to move into the area late Thursday night, the Cubs pushed up the start of the game a half hour. The rain began as Chicago rallied for both runs in the seventh.
With one out, Jason Heyward lifted a pop fly to shallow left field and the strong right-to-left wind blew the ball toward the line. Because of a defensive shift, no Pittsburgh fielder had a clear shot at it. Three players converged and the ball hit off the glove of third baseman Jung Ho Kang in fair territory and fell in.
The play originally was called a double, but was quickly changed to an error on shortstop Erik Gonzalez.
Descalso followed with a single to drive in Heyward for the game’s first run. Descalso went to second on the throw to the plate and scored when the next batter, Caratini, doubled to right-center against Francisco Liriano.
By that point, a steady rain had begun. Shortly after the seventh inning ended, a bolt of lightning flashed in the distance beyond center field and the umpires stopped play.
EARLY EXIT
Maddon was ejected in the bottom of the fifth by plate umpire Mike Estabrook for arguing balls and strikes.
With runners on first and second and one out, Caratini took a low breaking ball on a 3-1 pitch for a strike. After hearing complaints from the Cubs dugout, Estabrook took a few steps down the third base line and held up a hand, essentially saying that was enough.
Maddon walked out and slowly made his way to the home plate area. He was ejected almost immediately after speaking to Estabrook.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: If the hamate bone in Caratini’s left hand is broken, the fear is surgery could be required and he’d be sidelined four to six weeks. Oddly, Caratini was injured on the first pitch of his at-bat in the seventh. “The first swing I felt a crack, but I felt hot so I kept going,” he said. “Once I got to second base and I took my glove off, I could tell there was something wrong.”
ROSTER MOVES
Pirates: INF Kevin Kramer was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to take the roster spot of SS Kevin Newman, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a lacerated finger on his right hand.
Cubs: RHP Jen-Ho Tseng was released. The 24-year-old from Taiwan had been designated for assignment Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Trevor Williams (1-0, 2.25 ERA) takes the mound Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Washington. LHP Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.75) starts for the Nationals.
Cubs: LHP Cole Hamels (1-0, 5.73 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game home series against the Angles on Friday afternoon. LHP Tyler Skaggs (1-1, 2.45) goes for Los Angeles.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

BREAKING NEWS!! Tonight’s Pirates vs. Cubs is starting 30 minutes early!!!

Tonight’s Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs game from Wrigley Field in Chicago will be starting 30 minutes earlier at 7:35 p.m. EDT because of weather concerns. Air-time on Beaver County Radio 1230 WBVP and 1460 WMBA will now be at 7:10 p.m. EDT.

The Pirates will have Joe Musgrove  (1-0 0.00 ERA) to the hill against Jose Quintana (0-1 10.29 ERA). This is the rubber match of the three game series that saw the Cubs win game one 10-0 and the Bucs game two 5-2. After tonight’s game the Buccos will move onto Washington for a weekend series against the Nationals.