(File Photo: Source for Photo: Los Angeles Angels catcher Moises Ballseteros, eft, tries unsuccessfully to tag out Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, right, during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Philip G. Pavely)

The MLB-worst Angels (53-88) lost for the 10th time in 11 games. The Pirates have won five of six games.

Jones (3-6) blanked the Angels on three hits to win for the first time in eight starts since beating Cleveland on July 18. He struck out nine, walked one, and threw 63 of 91 pitches for strikes.

Wilber Dotel pitched two innings, and Mason Montgomery worked the ninth to complete the four-hitter and the Pirates’ ninth shutout of the season. Montgomery had his ninth save.

Ryan Johnson (3-8) was the hard-luck loser, giving up one run and four hits over six innings with six strikeouts and two walks. He has a 1.67 ERA in his last six starts and allowed zero or one run in five of those outings.

Prized rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin returned from the injured list for the Pirates and made an immediate impact when he scored the lone run from first base on Mangum’s one-out double to right field in the second inning.

Griffin had been sidelined since July 6 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ring finger. The Pirates signed the 20-year-old to a nine-year, $140-million contract, the richest in franchise history, in April.

The Angels hit back-to-back singles to open the top of the second, but Jones got Christian Moore to foul out, then struck out Jose Siri and Adam Frazier. The Halos have been shut out 12 times.

Up next

Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-5, 5.65 ERA) faces RHP Braxton Ashcraft (14-5, 3.59) on Saturday night in the middle game of the series.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (6) in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin is ready to get back to work.

The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop said Thursday that he feels good and is hopeful of being activated off the 60-day injured list on Friday when Pittsburgh opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

The 20-year-old Griffin hasn’t played since early July due to an issue with the knuckle on the ring finger of his left hand. Griffin wore a splint for about six weeks and has played a handful of games while on a rehab assignment.

“It’s been driving me nuts watching the games on my phone,” said Griffin, who signed a massive contract extension in April shortly after making his debut. “It’ll be fun to finally be back in there competing.”

The Pirates have fallen off the pace in the National League playoff race in Griffin’s absence. Pittsburgh entered Thursday’s game against San Francisco 5 1/2 games back of the final wild card spot.

Pittsburgh remains intent on having Griffin return this season. The team says the risk of re-injury is small and it’s important to get him more experience during the nascent stage of his career.

“He’s a huge piece of the offense, defense, base-running, everything that goes on,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said after a 5-2 win over San Francisco on Thursday. “Anytime we can get him back, certainly not expecting him to pick up maybe exactly where he left off, just want Konnor to go out there, have fun, play baseball and do what he does to help us win.”

Griffin has been electric at times. He’s hitting .276 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 59 games during a season that’s been disrupted by multiple trips to the injured list.

“It’s just cool to see how my body has been able to overcome these injuries,” he said. “I feel like it’s a good sign for me. I’m pumped to be back here.”

Perhaps most importantly, Griffin is pain-free.

“I did some grip strength testing,” he said. “Those numbers were actually a lot higher than they should have been, which was a good sign for me. That gave me a lot of confidence, squeezing a bat, squeezing a glove wasn’t gonna be an issue.”

(File Photo of the Ellwood City Wolverines Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Wampum, PA) The Ellwood City boys high school golf team broke a school record in a recent match. 

The Wolverines broke the school’s course record at Delmar Golf Course by shooting a team score of 181 in a section match against Laurel on Tuesday. 

That record was lower than the previous record of 183, that was set in 1996.

(File Photo of a Football)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Beaver County, PA) Some high school football games that were supposed to be played yesterday were cancelled because of the recent inclement weather.

The game at Geneva College’s Reeves Field between Shenango and Beaver Falls was cancelled because of lightning in the area.

The game between Moon and Bethel Park at Bethel Park was also cancelled and the game between North Hills and Seneca Valley at Martorelli Stadium was cancelled because of the heavy rainfall and storms.

None of these games will be rescheduled and the results will be considered a no contest. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Lake Bachar delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Six relievers combined on a two-hitter to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon.

Rookie Khristian Curtis (1-0) earned the victory by working three-plus innings. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up the first two runs of his career in the seventh after 11 straight scoreless innings. Yohan Ramirez came on to limit the damage. Mason Montgomery worked the ninth for his 8th save.

The Pirates managed just five hits of their own but took advantage of some early control issues by San Francisco’s Blade Tidwell (0-2) to win for the sixth time in their last nine games.

Oneil Cruz walked three times, including a first-inning bases-loaded free pass from Tidwell that drove in a run. Jake Mangum reached base four times and drove in a run when Tidwell hit him with a pitch in the first immediately following Cruz’s at-bat.

Nick Gonzales’ seventh-inning single pushed his season hit total to 153, the most by a Pirates right-handed hitter since Starling Marte’s 159 in 2019.

The Pirates have won five of their last six series to remain on the very fringe of the National League wild card race with just over three weeks to go in the season. The club expects rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin to return from a two-month absence due to a left ring finger issue on Friday.

Tidwell showed some nerves in his second career start. He needed 40 pitches to get through the first inning. He settled down after that, surrendering two runs in five innings, with five walks and five strikeouts.

Jung Hoo Lee had a pinch-hit RBI double for the Giants. Drew Gilbert had San Francisco’s other hit.

Up next

Giants: travel to New York for a three-game set with the Mets starting Friday.

Pirates: host the Los Angeles Angels this weekend. Ryan Johnson (3-7, 5.47 ERA) starts for the Angels in the opener against Pittsburgh’s Jared Jones (2-6, 4.83).

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) fist bumps wide receiver Germie Bernard, left during the NFL team’s training camp in Latrobe, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers announced plans today for a week-
long celebration across Pittsburgh that leads up to the team’s 2026-2027 regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13th at Acrisure Stadium.

These Steelers Kickoff Week activities and the Steelers home opener are presented by Giant Eagle and UPMC.

According to a release from the Pittsburgh Steelers, here is more information about these events:

The giant Super Bowl rings from the 2026 NFL Draft Steelers Country activation that will be at the center of this year’s Kickoff Week and they will travel to six Pittsburgh neighborhoods Monday through Saturday of game week.

Fans will be invited to help paint a piece of a larger canvas in a “paint by numbers” style at each location.

Each piece will represent a stop along this journey, with all six of them once
completed forming a 24-foot mural which will be unveiled to fans at Acrisure Stadium at the home opener.

All six Super Bowl rings will arrive at Acrisure Stadium for the season opener before eventually being installed inside the stadium following their journey across Pittsburgh.

The Steelers will also host a series of community and charity events along the route, which connects Kickoff Week with neighborhoods across the city.

Monday, 9/7: Patricia Rooney Memorial Fountain in Allegheny Commons Park, North Side
• Super Bowl IX Ring
• This location will also kick off a week-long matching campaign benefiting the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Project Bundle-Up, which Patricia Rooney helped to pioneer.

Tuesday, 9/8: U.S. Steel Community Field at Hazelwood Green, Hazelwood
• Super Bowl X Ring
• This location will also host a free Steelers Youth Football Mini Camp for youth ages 6-14 from 6:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, 9/9: Schenley Plaza, Oakland
• Super Bowl XIII Ring
• The Oakland stop brings Kickoff Week to the city’s college community, just blocks from the former site of Forbes Field, where the Steelers played their first home game in 1933.

Thursday, 9/10: Lawn of Point State Park, Downtown
• Super Bowl XIV Ring
• The rings return to one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic locations, Point State Park, where they were first displayed as part of Steelers Country during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Friday, 9/11: Acrisure Stadium, North Shore
• Super Bowl XL Ring
• To mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, volunteers will join a nationwide movement to “Honor Through Action.” As part of the largest annual day of service in U.S. history, volunteers will pack more than 248,500 healthy, non-perishable meals for local families at risk of hunger. All meals packed will be donated to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for distribution to local individuals and families in need.

Saturday, 9/12: Duquesne Incline Overlook, Mt. Washington
• Super Bowl XLIII Ring
• The Steelers will cover Duquesne Incline fares from 12-2 p.m.

Sunday, 9/13: Kickoff Game, Steelers vs. Falcons at Acrisure Stadium
• All six Super Bowl rings and the completed fan-painted mural will arrive at Acrisure Stadium
as the week-long journey culminates on gameday.
Specific times when fans can see the rings and participate in the mural painting will be announced
on Steelers Nation Unite Instagram, Facebook and X social channels the morning of each
activation.

Additional Kickoff Week Events
The 2026 Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Rib Festival, 9/3-9/7 (Labor Day Weekend): Located around Acrisure Stadium, the midway of the festival along Art Rooney Avenue will feature rib vendors, festival food and beverages, games, musical performances and more. The FedEx Great Hall will be open for fans to view the team’s Super Bowl trophies, Steelers memorabilia, the Terrible Towel Wall and more. Visit here (click here) for more information and specific times.
Steelers Run Walk on 9/7: The 38th annual race is the major fundraiser for the Art Rooney Scholarship Fund and features a 3.1-mile course on the North Shore highlighted by a finish on the Acrisure Stadium warning track. The run and walk kicks off at 8 a.m. on September 7 at Acrisure
Stadium. Visit here (click here) for more information.
Immaculate Prediction $100K Season Challenge: The newly updated Immaculate Prediction game, available exclusively in the Steelers Mobile App (click here for more information) will feature a special season-long
prediction challenge for 2026. During the week leading up to the season opener, fans can lock in their predictions for the entire season for a chance to win $100,000 (terms and conditions apply). To learn more about how to celebrate the start of the season, visit Steelers.com/Kickoff.

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Steelers announced an expanded school engagement effort yesterday which will reach over 130 schools across 30 Allegheny County school districts that represents nearly 80,000 students. 

This will begin around the start of the 2026 season and it will continue over the first several weeks of that season.

Participating elementary, middle and high schools will receive customized Steelers kits that are designed to create a stronger connection between the team, students and their schools.